I'm not an insurance man, but I kinda know what is necessary, in this day and age, to prevent loosing yer azz...
Alright, does anyone out there sell cycle insurance? Or at least can explain what I might need? Example, do I really need $100K/$300K bodily injury and property damage, does that cover me, or the other guy, or is it if I cause the accident, is it up to $300k?
Now days, even a simple accident can turn in to a lawsuit that may end up setteling for hundreds of thousands of dollars... If you own a home, I'd carry an umbrella policy (for at least a million $)... This covers you in the event of an accident at home (paper boy slips and breaks his leg in your driveway, neighbor kid falls out of the tree house in your yard, and breaks his neck), that could end up costing more than 300K... Same holds true for your auto/MC ins... Could cause a multiple care accident. Would 300K in coverage be enough to satisfy every one?
Uninsured motorist bodily injury, does that mean, if I hit someone with out insurance and it’s my fault, my insurance will pay for his car that isn’t worth insuring anyway? And how much should that be? I know that there’s no one that lives around here that drives anything worth more then $50k
A basic liability policy covers something like this, if you are at fault. If you are not at fault, and you get creamed by an uninsured, making a left in front of you, how ya gonna pay for all the medical bills and a new bike? This takes care of you, in the event of you gettin' smacked by someone that has no insurance.
Underinsured motorist, does that mean that they don’t carry enough insurance then my insurance pays the rest? If he doesn’t’ think his car is worth insuring, why should my insurance cover his?
This one protects you... The uninsured/underinsured person takes you out at an intersection, your bike is totaled, and you spend six weeks in the hospital.. If they have no insurance, or not enough, your coverage picks up where the other drivers falls short.
My wife works for a hospital, we’ve got excellent coverage through them, why would I need bodily injury then?
Again, this protects you... Ever ride with someone that is not covered by your wife's insurance? Hit someone from behind, and have them claim 'whiplash', and have to pay for their doctors and treatment... That adds up quick!
Seriously, what are the chances of me getting in an accident that causes someone else to be injured? I could understand if I hit a pedestrian, but that’s really not likely to happen ‘cause there aren’t any pedestrians in Eau Claire, everyone drives everywhere around here….
I know we all feel that we won't cause the accident, but 'what if' you T-Bone someone with your 800 lb bike? That's gonna leave a mark, and very possibly hurt someone in the car.
Insurance is a necessary evil, and while I pay more than my share, 20 year old & a 16 year old driver (both boys), my truck, my wifes car, my Valk, our boat, our 4Wheelers, not to mention our house... That's a lot to loose, trying to save some money, by under insuring.
I have American Family, and my agent is the best. Every year, we sit down, talk about anything that has changed, and adjust our coverage as necessary.
Black Dog
