William D. Umansky Automobile Accidents Law Blog on Lawyers.com

Florida law does not require adequate insurance for motorcyclists.  Adult bikers may ride without helmets provided they carry $10,000 in insurance to cover their own medical costs.  Consider this information; five years ago, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that the average hospital cost to treat a head injury in Florida was $45,602.

Although Florida’s no-fault, personal injury protection law does not apply to motorcycles, the financial responsibility law applies to all motor vehicles in the state. If you fail to carry property damage and bodily injury liability insurance and you are involved in a crash, you may lose license/tag and registration, you may have to pay restitution or a civil court judgment to the other driver, and you may have to show future proof (three years) of high risk, SR22 mandatory liability insurance coverage just to keep your driver license - even if you do not own any motor vehicles.

The very best practice in dealing with your insurance company is to purchase reasonable coverage, including liability coverage, for your motorcycle.Rule number two is to think carefully about how you use your motorcycle, so you can explain your driving habits to your insurance agent, who will evaluate your exposure or risk.You may qualify for a lower insurance premium if you participate in training beyond the required basic rider courses.  Experienced rider suites and on-road lessons are available.

If you do have to make a claim on your motorcycle insurance, here are some tips for smoothing out the process:

• Anticipate problems and create a place to keep records.
  The first step in dealing with insurance companies is to accept the fact that you are likely to experience payment or other problems. Insurance companies process billions of claims annually in the United States and problems are inevitable.  Keep your policy and any documents relating to your claim where you can easily retrieve them. 
• Clarify the company's basis for its action or position.
  If you must dispute an action taken by your insurance company, you need to know why the company is taking a particular position.  Ask politely for an explanation.
• Gather relevant information.
  Your policy and all amendments to it, copies of receipts for things like medical bills, repairs, motor vehicle rentals; accident reports; and notes about conversations with your agent can all be important. Similarly, think about official documents that might support your position - for example, insurer ethics codes or, provisions of state law.
• Be cordial; get tough only if you need to.
  Start with a cordial phone call or email and become more assertive only if your polite approach does produce results. Some people have a strong bias against bikers; you will disarm them if you are unexpectedly polite and reasonable.  Maintaining a pleasant tone is particularly appropriate if you have an established relationship with your agent.  You can be assertive without being aggressive or unreasonable.
• Create a paper trail.
  Keep notes documenting all your conversations that include the date, the name and title of the person you spoke with, the phone number you used and a summary of the conversation.  If your initial cordial attempts do not resolve your problem, build your paper trail by putting communications with the company in writing via email or registered letter.
• Keep your communications concise. Company employees typically handle large volumes of information and don't have time to wade through a long explanation of a problem or issue. Your communications should be short, direct and to the point.
• Ask for what you need from the insurer. More important than stating your complaint is being clear about what you want your insurer to do, for example, simply answer a question or authorize a repair. 
• Engage people and resources that may give you leverage. Some companies are more responsive when you demonstrate that you know how to use leverage:  your attorney (be sure you have one), the state insurance commissioner, even your agent.
• Be ready to go higher up the chain of command. If your initial company contact is not helpful, do not hesitate to elevate your problem to the next level. Politely ask for contact information for the person's supervisor. That individual may be more knowledgeable about company policies and have the authority that a lower level employee does not have to resolve matters.
• Be persistent! Some companies will pressure you to accept an initial, low settlement of your accident claim. Don’t cave into pressure.  Be just as persistent as they are.  Rely on your Orlando motorcycle accident attorney to help you negotiate.

Above all, if you are involved in a motorcycle accident, do NOT believe that you can handle your insurance company settlement by yourself.  Insurance companies do not set out to cheat their policy holders, but their first responsibility is to their shareholders, not to you.  You deserve an experienced Orlando motorcycle accident lawyer.

This article provided by:

Umansky Law Firm
1945 East Michigan Street
Orlando, Florida 32806