If you are a motorcycle accident victim, you probably want to receive some insurance money to pay for your medical treatment and physical damages. Like many accident victims, you’ve probably never navigated an accident claim before and may be unfamiliar with the process.
Read on to learn how to claim motorcycle insurance after an accident, then contact our Law Tigers team today for assistance.
Step 1: Consider Which Insurance Company to File Your Claim With
Your first step in filing a motorcycle accident insurance claim is determining which insurance company to file the claim with.
If you were at fault for the accident or no other drivers were involved, you’ll need to file a claim through your own insurance. However, if the other driver was at fault, you can file through their insurance company instead.
This process can become tricky if you and the other driver were partially at fault for the accident. In this case, you may want to contact your insurance company and ask whether you should file the claim through it or the other driver’s company.
Step 2: Determine Your Claim Type
There are two primary types of motorcycle accident claims:
- Property damage claim: Claims that cover the physical damage to your motorcycle and other personal property
- Personal injury claim: Claims that cover injuries to your body resulting from the crash
Most motorcycle accident victims file both of these claims.
If you experienced no injuries from the accident, you probably won’t need to file a personal injury claim. Even if your injuries were mild or you think you can afford the medical bills yourself, we still recommend filing this claim type. If the accident wasn’t your fault, you shouldn’t need to pay for these damages.
Step 3: Contact the Insurance Company
Once you’ve determined what types of claims you’ll need to file, you can contact the appropriate insurance company to file your claim over the phone. If the other driver was at fault for the accident, their insurer will probably call you within a few days of the accident. However, if they don’t, you can always contact them directly.
When you submit your claim over the phone, you’ll need to provide the following information:
- Where and when the accident occurred
- A description of what happened
- An estimated cost of your physical damage
- An estimated cost of your medical treatments
- The contact information for everyone involved in the accident
If you have any evidence from the accident, such as photos of your motorcycle damage or pictures of the accident scene, you can provide these as well. The insurance company will be responsible for collecting the police report from the police department.
Step 4: Meet With an Adjuster
Once you submit your accident claim, the insurance company will determine how much money to award you. One step in this process is sending an insurance adjuster to your property to examine your motorcycle damage.
If you haven’t already, you will also need to obtain repair estimates for your motorcycle damage. The insurance company can help set these estimates up for you. You may need to repair your vehicle through a company approved by the insurer.
Step 5: Receive Your Compensation Offer
Finally, the insurance company will offer you a monetary amount to settle your claim. While it may be tempting to accept this initial offer, you should examine it thoroughly to determine whether it is enough to cover all of your damages. Unfortunately, insurers often low-ball claimants to reduce their payouts.
If you decide to negotiate with the insurance company, having a motorcycle accident attorney on your side can be helpful. An attorney can assist you throughout the entire claims process as well.
If you’ve recently been involved in a motorcycle accident, we can help. Contact our Law Tigers team today at 1-888-863-7216 to schedule your free consultation or learn more about how to claim motorcycle insurance.
