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Higher Rates by Accident

Insurance Corner

by Sue Haley

A man called about two weeks ago raging because insurance rates on his motorcycle went sky high. He wanted to know what I could to help him.

I asked him if he had recently been involved in an accident or had any tickets, and he told me that he had an accident on his motorcycle, but no one else was involved, and no ticket had been issued. He had actually run into a ditch to avoid being hit by another car.

My next question was, “Did your insurance company pay for the damages to your bike?” He really flipped when I told him that unless the car made actual contact with his bike, it was considered an at-fault accident, and that claim would affect his insurance rates, on both his motorcycle and his car, for the next three years.

My recommendation to all riders is the following: Anytime you do damage to your bike, find out how much it will cost to repair. You might want to get a couple of estimates. Take into consideration that you will have a deductible. If the damage is minor, your might want to pay for the repairs yourself.

Contrary to what people think, insurance is not a maintenance policy. It is there to help you recover from the big losses.

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