How to Lower Motorbike Insurance After an Accident
Even if you didn’t cause the motorcycle accident, your insurance company may increase your auto insurance premiums. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to lower your rates. While these options may vary from insurer to insurer, you could try to reduce auto insurance after a motorcycle accident by:
- Switching auto insurance companies
- Proving that you did not cause the accident
- Avoiding future accidents by driving carefully and obeying all traffic laws
The Law Offices of Wolf & Pravato extend a helping hand to those injured in Florida motorcycle accidents. If you find yourself in the aftermath of a serious accident, we want to advocate for the settlement you need. Call (954) 633-8270 to begin a free case review.
You Could Switch Insurance Companies After a Motorcycle Accident
There is no way to avoid a rate increase if you cause a traffic accident. However, different insurance companies have different policies regarding how much they will raise your rates and under what circumstances.
You could potentially reduce your rates by switching to an insurance company that does not increase its premiums after an accident as much as yours does. However, you would still pay more for that insurance than someone who had not recently been involved in an accident.
You Could Assert the Other Party’s Role in Your Motorcycle Accident
When considering how to reduce auto insurance after a motorcycle accident, you could benefit from hiring a motorcycle accident attorney. They can investigate your accident by:
- Listening to your story and looking at any evidence you have gathered, such as photos from the scene
- Requesting a copy of the police report
- Requesting a copy of your medical records
- Examining video footage from traffic cams, surveillance cams, or other sources
- Speaking with any witnesses who saw part or all of the accident
- Speaking with the other involved party to get their side of the story
- Hiring experts to evaluate the accident or your injuries
What is the purpose of such an investigation? Your insurance rates might not go up if someone else caused your accident. You could therefore hire a Florida motorcycle accident lawyer to find proof that the accident was someone else’s fault and that your insurance should not increase.
Liability Could Rest With One or More of the Following
Your Fort Lauderdale motorcycle accident lawyer could investigate several potentially liable parties, including:
- The driver who hit you
- The employer of the driver who hit you (if the driver was working at the time)
- The manufacturer of faulty brakes, tires, or other parts (the faulty part could be on your vehicle or the other party’s)
- A local government agency that failed to fix a pothole, trim foliage, fix a broken traffic light, or otherwise keep the roadway in safe condition
- A mechanic who failed to prevent or detect serious problems with your vehicle or the other party’s
With enough evidence, your Florida motorcycle accident attorney could prove that someone else caused your crash. This could keep your insurance rates low and even empower you to collect damages from the liable party, such as medical bills and lost wages.
Reducing Auto Insurance Through Careful Driving
Insurance companies frequently reassess what their clients’ rates should be. One of the factors they consider is the client’s driving record. If you spend the next several years riding carefully and causing no accidents, your rate could decrease accordingly.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recommends that road users take the following actions to reduce the risk of motorcycle accidents:
- Remain aware of the different kinds of vehicles that share the roadway.
- Ride your motorcycle defensively.
- Take proper safety precautions (e.g., wearing your helmet or riding gloves).
- Avoid drinking before riding, and do not go out after taking any substance (e.g., a prescription medicine) that might have adverse effects on your judgment.
- Always obey all rules of the road, including the speed limit, yield signs, stop signs, and traffic lights.
By showing the insurer that you are a responsible driver, you demonstrate that you deserve a lower auto insurance rate. How long it takes before your premium decreases may vary from insurer to insurer.
Why Could My Insurance Rates Increase?
As noted, merely being in a motorcycle accident could increase your rates. This is because the insurer has decided that you are at a greater risk of being in an accident. So, it tries to preemptively recoup any money you may need later.
While there are multiple ways to reduce your insurance rates after a motorcycle crash, most of them lead you towards the same goal: showing that you are a careful driver who is not likely to cause accidents—or cost the insurer too much money—in the future.
Get Help After a Motorcycle Accident
Call the Law Offices of Wolf & Pravato at (954) 633-8270 today for a free case evaluation. Not only can we help you figure out how to reduce auto insurance after a motorcycle accident, but we can also fight for the monetary compensation you need for medical expenses, lost or reduced wages, and much more. Contact us today.
