If you own a motorcycle, it is vital that you abide by all of Georgia’s motorcycle insurance requirements & laws. This means you must purchase the following types of insurance and keep proof of that coverage in your vehicle at all times:
- $25,000 for bodily injuries per person
- $50,000 for bodily injuries per accident
- $25,000 for property damage per accident
What Is Bodily Injury Insurance?
A bodily injury refers to physical or mental harm done to another person. If you cause a motorcycle accident in Georgia, the person you hit may seek compensation for any number of bodily injuries, including:
- Bone fractures
- Head injuries
- Back or spinal cord injuries
- Deep cuts
- The loss of any body part
- Paralysis
Your insurance policy would cover up to $25,000 worth of medical bills associated with treating such injuries—or more if you bought more than the minimum required amount of insurance.
Bodily injury liability insurance does not cover injuries you or your passengers sustain. According to Page 2 of the “Guide to Automobile Insurance” published by the Office of Commissioner of Insurance and Fire Safety (OCI), you can purchase insurance to cover your own accident injuries, but this is not a legal requirement.
For a free legal consultation, call 404-214-2001
What is Property Damage Insurance?
In motorcycle accident cases, “property damage” generally refers to motor vehicles. Your insurer would pay the injured party up to $25,000 to cover the cost of repairing or replacing their vehicle.
Again, property damage liability insurance does not cover your own property damage. Separate policies are available for purchase if you want to protect your own vehicle.
Motorcycle Versus Car Insurance in Georgia
According to the OCI, it does not matter what kind of motor vehicle you drive: you must carry at least the minimum amount of insurance cited above. Furthermore, per the Georgia Department of Revenue (DOR), you must carry proof of insurance in your vehicle at all times. Proof includes:
- Your insurance policy card
- The bill of sale, if you own the vehicle you are driving
- Your rental agreement, if you have rented the vehicle you are driving
Anyone who fails to comply with all Georgia motorcycle insurance requirements & laws could be fined and/or lose their vehicle’s registration.
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Getting Compensation From Motorcycle Insurance
How you receive compensation after a motor vehicle accident will depend on who is found liable for the crash and what types of insurance you have.
Filing With Your Own Insurer
If you have purchased policies to cover your own personal injuries and property damage—also called medical payments and collision coverage—you could file a claim with your own insurance after a crash. Depending on how bad your injuries are and how large your policy is, it may or may not cover all of your expenses.
Unlike liability insurance, collision coverage and medical payments are not legally mandated. To purchase or to see if you have already purchased such insurance, contact your insurance agent.
Filing With the Liable Party’s Insurance
If you can prove that the other driver caused your accident, then their insurer will cover your medical bills and property damage. While this can make your life easier following a collision, you could run into problems if:
- The insurer undervalues your injury and does not pay as much as you need
- The policy is not large enough to cover all of your expenses
- The other driver disputes your claim that they are responsible for your accident
You can hire a motorcycle accident attorney to help you with your case. They can negotiate with the insurer on your behalf, collect evidence to prove the other driver is liable, and tell you how much you can expect to receive in monetary compensation.
Filing a Lawsuit
Insurers are generally willing to cooperate, at least up to a point, with claimants. They know that settling with a claimant is faster than allowing a case to go to court.
There are, however, situations where an insurer and a claimant cannot come to an amicable pretrial agreement. In this case, your lawyer could:
- Arrange for a judge and jury to hear your case
- Present arguments and evidence in the courtroom
- Examine and cross-examine witnesses
- Follow all courtroom procedures and make sure the liable party’s team does the same
- Fight hard to get you an appropriate financial award
If you do choose to file a legal action against someone else in response to an accident, you have two years from the accident date to do so, according to O.C.G.A § 9-3-33. This gives you sufficient time to contact an attorney and thoroughly review all applicable laws, requirements, regulations, and options.
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We Understand Georgia’s Motorcycle Laws
If you were involved in a motorcycle accident, call Kaine Law today. We can put our knowledge of Georgia motorcycle insurance requirements & laws to work for you, ensuring you ask for the right amount of compensation and making it easier to navigate the claims process. We guarantee you will pay no attorney’s fees unless we win.
Call or text 404-214-2001 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
