Florida Motorcycle Insurance Laws
Florida's warm weather and bright sunshine make it a popular state for motorcycling, but motorcycle insurance laws make heads spin like the tires on a Yamaha with a 500cc engine. Winter Park personal injury attorney Mark Risi calls Florida's motorcycle insurance laws confusing, and some riders do not even understand the risks they take when the crank up their bikes.
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Function
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Motorcycle insurance, much like auto insurance, is designed to cover damages resulting from a crash or an unavoidable natural occurrence such as a wildfire or hurricane. Such insurance covers property damage and personal injury expenses and lost wages. The insurer covering the negligent driver in a crash pays the qualified expenses for all parties involved in a crash. In motorcycle crashes, the most costly expense is usually injury to riders and passengers.
Types
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Personal Injury Protection, or PIP coverage, is Florida's no-fault insurance. It pays 80 percent of your medical bills and 60 percent of lost wages regardless of which party is at fault. Property damage coverage protects you against damage to another person's property in cases where you are deemed at fault in a crash. Collision insurance covers the cost of repairs or the replacement of your vehicle regardless of who is at fault. Comprehensive coverage adds insurance for such events as fires, floods or theft that cause damage or loss of your vehicle.
Regulations
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Florida does not require motorcycle insurance for most riders. Only riders under 21 years of age or who do not wear a helmet are required to purchase motorcycle insurance. Many drivers, though, overlook a key technicality that could cause them future agony. According to the 2009 Florida Motorcycle Handbook, which is published by the Florida Department of Motor Vehicles, the state's Financial Responsibility law applies to drivers of all motor vehicles. The law stipulates that motorcycle drivers who fail to carry property damage and bodily injury liability coverage can lose their license and registration and be required to purchase mandatory high-risk motorcycle insurance. Such actions are taken only for motorcycle drivers who are involved in specific incidents, including convictions for DUI and involvement in crashes.
Theories/Speculation
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Florida personal injury attorney Mark Risi says all Florida motorcycle riders and owners should purchase two types of coverage: uninsured motorist coverage and property damage liability coverage. According to Risi, Florida's no-fault insurance, Personal Injury Protection, does not cover motorcyclists. Thus, a motorcycle rider involved in a crash might need to pay for his own coverage, too. Some insurance companies offer PIP coverage, but some do not. Risi says property damage liability covers damage to another motorist's car in cases where the motorcyclist is deemed to be negligent. Uninsured motorist coverage, meanwhile, covers a motorcycle rider's bodily injuries in cases where the other drive is not insured or is under-insured for bodily injury coverage.
History
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In 2009, Florida remained just one of two states that did not require motorcycle insurance. Washington was the other. According to the Insurance Salesman website, it was common the mid-20th century for few motorcycle riders to have insurance coverage. Even when auto insurers began to offer motorcycle coverage, premiums were high due to a widespread belief that motorcycle riding is extremely dangerous and that riding is a rebellious activity. Also, few motorcycle riders possessed formal training. In 1974, though, the Motorcycle Safety Foundation began to offer basic courses in motorcycle riding. According to the Insurance Salesman site, studies indicated the courses cut the likelihood of a rider being fatally injured by 50 percent.
Geography
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Florida's warm weather provides a great backdrop for a motorcycle ride. Most riders can use their bikes year-round. Each February, Florida attracts thousands of out-of-state motorcycle riders and enthusiasts with Bike Week, a 68-year-old gathering based in Daytona Beach. Bike Week, which lasts for 10 days, brings an estimated 500,000 motorcycle fans to the city and its surrounding communities.
Warning
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According to a Jan. 14, 2007 report by a Florida TV station, the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles reported 6,500 people were injured in motorcycle accidents in 2004. Of the total, 400 bikers died, and many did not carry insurance. According to the story, crash statistics show 70 per of motorcyclists injured or killed are uninsured. In the article, Jerry Palladino, who teaches motorcycle safety courses, said most Florida drivers carry only $10,000 to $20,000 in coverage for other drivers on their policies. "That's not going to cover or come anywhere near covering your medical bills," Palladino said.
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