Published on behalf of It’s a problem relatively unique to Pennsylvania motorcycle riders. If they get into motorcycle accidents, become injured, and incur medical bills, their motorcycle insurance company does not pay for those bills. In car or pedestrian accident cases, Pennsylvania car insurance law mandates that the individual’s car insurance carrier or company pay for at least $5,000 of PIP/medical benefits, which is the minimum requirement for PIP benefits in Pennsylvania. So for those who get into car or pedestrian accidents, they will make medical bill claims with their own insurance company. Not so for motorcycle riders.
The same law which gives drivers and pedestrians the right to make medical bill claims with their own insurance companies denies the same right to motorcycle riders. Why?
It’s due in large part to the Pennsylvania legislature’s concern that forcing motorcycle insurance companies to provide PIP/medical benefits to injured riders was not fair, to the insurance companies. One of the concerns was that motorcycle accidents commonly result in very serious injuries. In other words, if insurance companies were required to provide PIP benefits to motorcycle riders, almost every motorcycle accident would result in insurance companies having to pay the maximum PIP benefits under the policy.
This scheme can and does create problems for some riders. It forces motorcycle riders to have to use their private health insurance to cover medical bills incurred as a result of an accident. Here’s the problem – there are some riders whose health insurance policies contain exclusions for motorcycle accidents. These exclusions are often written in a large, 400+ page policy the rider received when they first obtained the benefit, usually via employment. Many riders find out about the exclusion when it is already too late, after they’ve gotten into an accident.
Suggested reading: Pennsylvania Motorcycle Accident Law – How to Make a Claim for Medical Bills
In serious injury cases (and most motorcycle accidents are serious injury cases), the rider will incur literally thousands of dollars in medical bills. An airlift to an ER can cost over $10,000. Then there are the emergency room visit charges, which can easily total $5,000 or more. CT scans and other diagnostic tests cost thousands of dollars each. Depending on the hospital, a CT of the brain can alone, cost $3,000.
Riders whose accidents were caused by another driver or person’s fault, at least, probably have the opportunity to make a legal claim against the negligent party. They at least stand a chance of getting their medical bills paid, eventually. However, motorcycle riders who cause their own accidents, and find themselves in a situation when their health insurance company denies payment citing the exclusion, face a mountain of medical bills and serious financial ruin.
Pennsylvania riders should check their insurance policies to ensure they have proper coverage in the event of an accident.
Related:
- Pennsylvania Motorcycle Accidents – Steps to Take After an Accident | PA Motorcycle Accident Lawyer
- Pennsylvania Motorcycle Accident Lawyer – Recovering Pain and Suffering Damages
Pennsylvania Motorcycle Accident Lawyer
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The motorcycle accident lawyers at Schwartz & Blackman handle cases in the Pennsylvania and New Jersey area:
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