In the Event of a Motorcycle Accident or Claim

Despite your best efforts to enjoy a safe motorcycle season and protect your bike from damage, accidents can still arise, leaving you scrambling to file an insurance claim. Bad drivers, severe weather events, and other incidents can seemingly come out of nowhere, which is why it’s important to know what to do before disaster strikes. Thankfully, we are here to help. You can simply rely on this guide to learn what to do in the event of a motorcycle event or other claim.

Get to a Safe Area and Acquire Any Needed Care

Whether you are involved in a collision or suffered damage to your motorcycle, your first order of business is making sure the area is safe. If your bike is still in the middle of the road, move it to the right shoulder, if possible, and put on your hazards. Otherwise, just check that the danger has passed and you are safe to check yourself and your passenger for injuries.

Focus on getting the medical care that you need. If your accident involved another vehicle, then be sure to call the police and work on filling out an accident report for your claim.

Gather Information from the Other Parties

If you are in safe location and do not need injuries tended to, take a moment to get information from any other involved parties.

You might need to know their:

• Name
• Phone number
• Driver license
• Address
• License Number
• Liability Slip
• Insurance company’s name
• Current policy number – effective date and expiry date
• Date their coverage expires
• Info about their vehicle
• License plate number
• Vehicle identification number

If they are okay with it, take a picture of their driver’s license and insurance card to get all their info in an instant. Also allow them to grab your information, so they can speak with their insurance company.

After you get that info, write down the other party’s vehicle year, make, and model along with its colour and any distinguishing elements. Then, look around for witnesses who are willing to provide their contact info and talk with your insurance company about what happened.

Take Pictures of the Scene if You Can Safely

Before you put your camera away, take as many photos of the scene as you can. You want to get pictures of where the accident happened and where the vehicles ended up — but only as long as it’s safe for you to do so. Don’t go back into the roadway or near moving traffic to get your photos.

Try to take pictures of the damage to all the vehicles or any other property that was involved. You want the photos to tell a story about what happened and show the extent of the damage. If you can’t get clear pictures, no worries. Your insurance adjuster will come out to take a look either way and use their expertise to determine how much damage occurred and how.

Call Your Insurance Company to Make a Claim

To file an insurance claim, you will need the other parties’ information, photos of the incident, and your medical records if any injuries occurred. If you lost any earnings due to related injuries, you should have a breakdown of those losses and any other costs you may have incurred.

Once you have all your information and photos in hand, you can call your insurance company to file your claim. Your representative will help you through the process by asking a series of questions, letting you know where to send the photos, and inputting the info into the computer.

After everything is filled out, they will submit the report and file the claim on your behalf. They will also let you know what to expect in the coming weeks, including when you’ll hear back from the insurance adjuster.

Wait for a Response and Proceed with the Next Steps

You may have to wait a week or more for your adjuster to look through the information and make a determination. They will figure out who was at fault, how much damage occurred, and what to do next. After they have compiled their report, you will hear back from them to learn the next steps.

Depending on your motorcycle insurance coverage and the adjuster’s findings, you may qualify to receive reimbursement for your medical bills, lost wages, and property damage. If you haven’t fixed your motorcycle yet, they may instruct you to bring it to an authorized shop for repairs.

Your motorcycle insurance company will act as an advocate on your behalf when the unthinkable happens. So, make sure to always maintain the right level of coverage for your needs. Not sure? Give an Orbit insurance broker a call!