You never plan on being involved in an accident, but a collision is an unfortunate commonality in today’s world of transportation. While you and many other people may know the steps you can take following an accident to obtain needed support, it is just as important to take preventative steps to protect yourself prior to an accident.
The first step in this process is to make sure you have good quality insurance coverage of your own. There are many bad drivers out there – and just as many do not have sufficient car insurance to adequately compensate injury victims, or, even worse, do not have car insurance at all. You can do something about it! Here’s how…
Get the maximum amount possible for Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Protection (UM/UIM) coverage on your auto/motorcycle insurance policy.
You may not understand that your liability insurance coverage will not help you repair your own moped or motorcycle, nor will it help with medical bills. So if you are hit by a driver with inadequate insurance you may be entirely out of luck. Furthermore, if you have only liability insurance on your policy, you may be stuck with the massive medical bills or moped/motorcycle repair costs that follow. That’s why purchasing UM/UIM coverage will make it more likely that you are adequately covered if injured as a rider, cyclist, pedestrian, car driver, etc. through no fault of your own. This is a vital element to protecting your interests while on the road.
Review your own property damage and UM/UIM property damage coverage.
The State of California requires drivers to possess a minimum of $5,000 in property damage liability coverage. This means that if someone with no insurance or the $5,000 minimum causes an accident that is not your fault and your moped or motorcycle worth $10,000 is destroyed, you will only be able to recover a maximum of $5,000 – unless you have UM/UIM property damage coverage. In other words, you will effectively take a $5,000 loss for an accident that was no fault of your own. Other states have similar laws that may limit how much you can recover for an accident that is not your fault.
Also, always be sure to carry Uninsured/Underinsured Property Damage protection on your insurance policy. This will allow you to use your own insurance to compensate for the potential lack of insurance of another party; do not trust that other drivers on the road will carry enough insurance coverage to compensate you in the event of an accident. By carrying UM/IUM property damage coverage in an amount greater or equal to the value of your moped or motorcycle, you can protect yourself from major losses that are no fault of your own.
Purchase a dash camera for your moped or motorcycle
Operating under the assumption that at-fault drivers on the road will be honest in recounting the events of a collision to the police is something that you should never take for granted. We have seen countless situations where a dash camera was the only thing that prevented a “he-said, she-said” situation from turning into our client being partially- or fully- placed at fault. Never assume the other party will disclose an honest account of the accident; unfortunately, many people would rather lie about an event to escape potential consequences than be honest and take responsibility, or just not remember it faithfully because of trauma or their injuries.
For that reason, it is imperative to protect yourself by buying an inexpensive dash camera. It is well worth spending the $100 now for a dash camera to work as “what really happened insurance” than to have your insurance premiums skyrocket as a result of being wrongfully placed at fault in a collision.
Become CPR and First Aid Certified
Consider becoming CPR and First Aid certified. Also, carry a first aid kit with you in a bag or storage compartment of your moped or motorcycle. While this may never need to be used, it is always better to have it on hand on the off chance that it will be needed rather than not having it in the event where it is critically important.
In addition, consider adding “quick clot” bandages to your first aid kit for your moped or motorcycle. A “quick clot” bandage is a set of gauze that has been saturated in a coagulation agent that has been found to stop bleeding about five times faster than normal gauze. In the event of a severe accident where you or another person is bleeding profusely, quick clot bandaging can easily be deployed and may even save a life. When motorcycle, bicycle, and moped riders find themselves nearly ten times more likely to experience severe injury in the event of an accident when compared to a car or truck, being prepared for every situation is absolutely vital.
With emergency preparedness, planning, and proper insurance coverage, you can maximize your chances of enjoying your day on a moped or motorcycle while minimizing the chances of an accident, serious injuries from an accident, or unexpected expenses that result from an accident. Be safe, ride defensively, and ALWAYS be prepared.
You never plan on being involved in an accident, but a collision is an unfortunate commonality in today’s world of transportation. While you and many other people may know the steps you can take following an accident to obtain needed support, it is just as important to take preventative steps to protect yourself prior to an accident.
The first step in this process is to make sure you have good quality insurance coverage of your own. There are many bad drivers out there – and just as many do not have sufficient car insurance to adequately compensate injury victims, or, even worse, do not have car insurance at all. You can do something about it! Here’s how…
Get the maximum amount possible for Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Protection (UM/UIM) coverage on your auto/motorcycle insurance policy.
You may not understand that your liability insurance coverage will not help you repair your own moped or motorcycle, nor will it help with medical bills. So if you are hit by a driver with inadequate insurance you may be entirely out of luck. Furthermore, if you have only liability insurance on your policy, you may be stuck with the massive medical bills or moped/motorcycle repair costs that follow. That’s why purchasing UM/UIM coverage will make it more likely that you are adequately covered if injured as a rider, cyclist, pedestrian, car driver, etc. through no fault of your own. This is a vital element to protecting your interests while on the road.
Review your own property damage and UM/UIM property damage coverage.
The State of California requires drivers to possess a minimum of $5,000 in property damage liability coverage. This means that if someone with no insurance or the $5,000 minimum causes an accident that is not your fault and your moped or motorcycle worth $10,000 is destroyed, you will only be able to recover a maximum of $5,000 – unless you have UM/UIM property damage coverage. In other words, you will effectively take a $5,000 loss for an accident that was no fault of your own. Other states have similar laws that may limit how much you can recover for an accident that is not your fault.
Also, always be sure to carry Uninsured/Underinsured Property Damage protection on your insurance policy. This will allow you to use your own insurance to compensate for the potential lack of insurance of another party; do not trust that other drivers on the road will carry enough insurance coverage to compensate you in the event of an accident. By carrying UM/IUM property damage coverage in an amount greater or equal to the value of your moped or motorcycle, you can protect yourself from major losses that are no fault of your own.
Purchase a dash camera for your moped or motorcycle
Operating under the assumption that at-fault drivers on the road will be honest in recounting the events of a collision to the police is something that you should never take for granted. We have seen countless situations where a dash camera was the only thing that prevented a “he-said, she-said” situation from turning into our client being partially- or fully- placed at fault. Never assume the other party will disclose an honest account of the accident; unfortunately, many people would rather lie about an event to escape potential consequences than be honest and take responsibility, or just not remember it faithfully because of trauma or their injuries.
For that reason, it is imperative to protect yourself by buying an inexpensive dash camera. It is well worth spending the $100 now for a dash camera to work as “what really happened insurance” than to have your insurance premiums skyrocket as a result of being wrongfully placed at fault in a collision.
Become CPR and First Aid Certified
Consider becoming CPR and First Aid certified. Also, carry a first aid kit with you in a bag or storage compartment of your moped or motorcycle. While this may never need to be used, it is always better to have it on hand on the off chance that it will be needed rather than not having it in the event where it is critically important.
In addition, consider adding “quick clot” bandages to your first aid kit for your moped or motorcycle. A “quick clot” bandage is a set of gauze that has been saturated in a coagulation agent that has been found to stop bleeding about five times faster than normal gauze. In the event of a severe accident where you or another person is bleeding profusely, quick clot bandaging can easily be deployed and may even save a life. When motorcycle, bicycle, and moped riders find themselves nearly ten times more likely to experience severe injury in the event of an accident when compared to a car or truck, being prepared for every situation is absolutely vital.
With emergency preparedness, planning, and proper insurance coverage, you can maximize your chances of enjoying your day on a moped or motorcycle while minimizing the chances of an accident, serious injuries from an accident, or unexpected expenses that result from an accident. Be safe, ride defensively, and ALWAYS be prepared.
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