Let’s face it, unless you’re an avid motorcyclist or know people who are part of this diverse culture, chances are good your image of motorcyclists isn’t a great one. Shows like “Sons of Anarchy” and vintage films like “The Wild One” portray motorcyclists as leather-clad daredevils with little regard for the law.
While the stereotype of the “bad boy” rider may merely be a construct of Hollywood, it’s hard for a majority of people to see riders as anything but reckless joy riders. While this assumption may not bother many motorcyclists in most instances, it can create problems for riders after an accident, especially if they are trying to seek fair compensation from an insurer.
Motorcycle accidents can be incredibly complex, especially when you consider the types of injuries suffered most often in collisions with other vehicles.
While low-speed crashes often result in scrapes, bruises, road rash and broken bones, more serious collisions can leave riders suffering from head and brain injuries, damage to internal organs, and spinal cord injuries.
In cases of more serious or catastrophic injuries, it’s imperative that motorcyclists recover full and fair compensation because these types of injuries often require extensive medical treatment, long hospital stays and, in some cases, out-patient care for months or even years after a crash.
These are all expenses an insurer should cover. Unfortunately, this doesn’t always happen for motorcyclists. That’s because thanks to the bad-boy stereotype, many insurance adjusters assume in accident cases involving motorcycles, the rider was to blame.
In an attempt to diminish the amount of compensation paid out, some adjusters have been known to ask probing questions that can make the rider seem at fault or at least partially at fault. This means less money from the insurer, which forces the rider to unfairly cover the remainder of their mounting medical expenses.
While some may wear the bad-boy motorcyclist title as a badge of honor, those who have been involved in a motorcycle accident and have encountered issues recovering full compensation from an insurer often see it as something that just adds insult to injury.