Motorcycle riding provides a sense of freedom, adventure and connection with the outdoors that motorists seldom enjoy, but it also exposes riders to the possibility of serious injury. Unless you’re carrying adequate insurance, you could end up sustaining a staggering financial injury as well.

As motorcycle injury lawyers we see too many claims where riders were uninsured or underinsured. These cases are commonly known as “excess liability” cases.  Often, judgments are entered against defendants for more than their policy limits, leaving them responsible for the remaining financial burden.

Here are some ways to protect yourself:

• Evaluate Your Existing Insurance Coverage:  Make sure you understand what’s covered under your insurance policy and for how much. Review it with your agent on an annual basis and make sure you have sufficient coverage. You’ll discover that adding coverage is not as expensive as you think and doubling or tripling it can cost only a few dollars more than you’re paying. It’s a lot cheaper than paying a big claim out of your own pocket.

• Maximize Your Uninsured/Underinsured Coverage: This should constitute part of your overall motorcycle insurance package. It can compensate you for your loss if you’re the victim of a hit and run; the person who hits you has no insurance or carries the minimum coverage required by law. The minimum insurance required by law is rarely enough to compensate you for your loss in the event of a serious accident.

• Get an Umbrella:  Not for the rain, but for everything else that can happen. A personal liability ‘umbrella’ policy added to your homeowner’s insurance will also provide additional coverage for a variety of claims against you including those that could arise from a motorcycle accident. Umbrella coverage typically adds just a small fraction to the cost of your homeowner’s insurance policy.

These are just a few ways to ensure you are covered while you ride, so that in the unfortunate event you are involved in a motorcycle accident you won’t find yourself facing a major out-of-pocket claim and financial burden.

We also encourage you to take the most important preventative safety measure -- always wear a helmet.  Have fun on the road, wherever it takes you, and remember if you or someone you love is involved in a motor vehicular accident please contact us at once at (757) 622-6000 or toll free at (800) 807-6060.