Motorcycle insurance is intended to cover the damage to your bike, no matter how it happens. If someone else damaged your bike while it was parked, their insurance policy would need to pay for the damage. However, you do not always know who struck your bike and how it was damaged. Then, you would need to file a claim against your own motorcycle insurance policy. Here are the steps you need to follow to potentially obtain compensation for damage to your motorcycle while it was parked.
Notify Law Enforcement of the Accident
Even if you were not on your motorcycle at the time of the accident, you would still need a report to prove that the damage happened. Otherwise, an insurance company may claim that the damage occurred in other ways, especially when there is nothing to tie this specific action to the harm to your bike. It is even more important that you obtain a police report if you do not know who damaged your motorcycle. The police report is what would enable you to file a claim against your own insurance for a hit-and-run accident.
Locate Witnesses to the Accident
If there was anyone who saw what happened to your motorcycle, it is crucial that you speak with them and obtain their contact information. Their statements could be crucial when you file a claim for the damage to your bike. They would be able to testify as to who damaged your bike and how.
Document the Damage to Your Bike
You must take extensive pictures of the damage to your bike at the time that you discovered it. You would need to show contemporaneous evidence that your bike was damaged while you were parked. These pictures may form the core of your motorcycle accident claim. Take pictures of your motorcycle from all possible angles. In addition, you should take your bike to a repair shop to get an estimate on how much it would cost to fix.
Verify the Other Party’s Insurance
The hope is that you know who caused the damage to your motorcycle. In many cases, If a driver crashed into your bike when you were not around, they would leave a note on your windshield with their insurance information. If they have done so, you should contact their insurance company to verify the details of their coverage.
Report the Accident to Your Insurance Company
Your insurance company needs to know about the accident, even if you think you will file a claim against someone else’s policy. The terms of your own policy may require you to report any damage to your bike to your insurance company. Your insurance company must know about the accident, given the potential that you could be filing a claim against your own policy. You would do this when you do not know which driver hit your bike.
Contact a Motorcycle Accident Attorney
You may encounter obstacles during the claims process if someone else damaged your bicycle when it was parked. The circumstances of what happened may cause one or more insurance companies to either deny your claim or refuse to fully pay for your damages. You may need to contact the insurance companies with the help of a motorcycle accident attorney. Dealing with insurance companies may be stressful, and you may consider hiring a lawyer at the outset of the claims process.
Contact a Montgomery County Motorcycle Accident Lawyer at Bikers Have Rights
If your bike has been damaged, or if you have been injured in a crash, reach out to a Montgomery County motorcycle accident lawyer at Bikers Have Rights. You can schedule a free initial consultation with a lawyer by calling us today at 215-525-1616 or 877-333-0300 or by contacting us online. Our office is in Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania, and we serve clients in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.