As a 40 year motorcycle rider who has learned a few things throughout the years I have some advice to give.
Unlike in a car were most people don’t give a second thought as to preparing for a car accident other than putting a seat but on, motorcycle riders have to prepare each trip as though a motorcycle accident could occur.
Preparedness is the key to not only not getting into a motorcycle accident, but surviving if you do.
The first thing a motorcycle rider has to do to prepare for a potential motorcycle accident, is to receive proper training to ride a motorcycle. Some of you may have taken a motorcycle safety course many years ago, some of you may have not ridden for years or even months, or some of you may be self-taught and obtained your motorcycle endorsement without formal training.
Bottom line, get proper training, even if you were able to get your motorcycle endorsement without formal training. Even if you regularly ride, it would not hurt to go take a certified motorcycle safety course to refresh your training. It is not only fun, but you will learn tricks and secrets that will save your ass on the road no matter how much experience you have riding.
Proper training is the first step towards preparing for potential motorcycle accident.
The second step in preparing for a potential motorcycle accident is making sure your motorcycle is in tip top shape for riding on the road. What this means:
check your tires for proper inflation and tread;
change the fluids in your motorcycle regularly, depending upon your bike this would include oi,l transmission fluid, brake fluid, and coolant;
check your brakes for where on the pads and rotors;
Make sure your stirring head bearing is properly lubed;
A visual inspection for safety should be done before each ride.
There are a lot of guys out there that do their own wrenching, hell even I a lot of my own stuff. If you Google biker lawyer on YouTube, you will find that I have many videos discussing how to do many things. I will fully admit I am not a mechanic, and I don’t think wrenching a motorcycle, especially one that you are riding, is the proper platform to learn how to be a mechanic. One wrong mistake and you will be eating pavement as you do a face plant when your engine seizes and you go over the handlebars.
I am a firm believer in using factory authorized and certified mechanics to do service on my motorcycles. Yes, it cost a little bit more, but it sure feels nice doing 80 to 90 mph down the road knowing that your motorcycle was serviced at the factory, and not by an amateur mechanic.
The third step in preparing for potential motorcycle accident is to make sure you’re wearing the proper attire while riding your motorcycle. This is a no-brainer.
We bikers only have what we are wearing to protect ourselves in case we are in an accident. I know many states do not require helmets, and many states don’t have requirements as to eye protection, or what you have to wear.
Look I will fully admit that every time I travel to a state that does not require helmets, my helmet comes off. When I go to Sturgis, when I hit Arizona, when I am in Montana, or any state that does not require a helmet I take my helmet off. This is not good as you know because if I go down my brains can end up splattered on the pavement. I have confidence in myself because I’m a safe rider and I’ve been riding for over 40 years. It is easy for me to say do is I say but not as I do, but the fact of the matter is when I am in a state that requires helmets, I always wear a full face modular helmet. I like the modular helmet because I can smoke a cigar with the front part of the helmet flipped up.
You should always wear a helmet, good riding gloves, a good riding jacket, a thick pair of jeans, and good motorcycle boots. I see guys running around with tennis shoes and shorts. What do you think happens when a guy goes down wearing shoes and shorts. You guessed it, they will at the minimum suffer severe road rash, worst case they will lose a foot or a leg. Always wear proper motorcycle attire. This is the third step in preparing for a potential motorcycle accident.
The fourth step in preparing for a potential motorcycle accident is to have adequate insurance to cover you and your motorcycle in case you’re hit by an underinsured or uninsured motorist, and to have the injuredbikers.com phone number and website in your wallet and telephone.
The fact of the matter is Because there are a lot of deadbeats on the road driving with either no insurance or minimal insurance, there is a very high likelihood that if you were in an accident, the injuries will be severe and serious, and the defendant who hits you will not have enough insurance to cover you.
If they are uninsured you just lost your bike if it’s not repairable, and thus you should have full comprehensive and collision coverage on your motorcycle which many guys don’t.
If you do have full coverage, you will only have to pay a five hundred dollar to one thousand dollar deductible to get the repairs done as opposed to losing your entire motorcycle.
I cannot tell you how many guys have lost their motorcycles simply because they failed to buy the right insurance coverage.
Make sure you get full coverage in your motorcycle, and get uninsured motorist coverage for at least a one half million dollars to one million dollars.
You should check with your state to see whether uninsured motorist coverage also provides underinsured motorist coverage. Underinsured coverage covers you when the defendant does not have enough money to cover your damages. It’ll cover the difference between insurance that they have, and the insurance that you have.
Because of the catastrophic nature of motorcycle injuries, a half million dollar to one-million-dollar policy will usually be adequate but the more insurance you have the better. Unfortunately, you are the one that will have catastrophic injuries if you are the one in the motorcycle accident. When you buy uninsured motorist and uninsured motorist coverage you are basically buying insurance to protect yourself. Get as much as possible
Our injuredbikers.com phone number is 800-816-1529.
Obviously if you’re in a motorcycle accident you’re going to want to call us right away.
This is what we do, motorcycle accidents. We are experts at dealing with these types of cases. If the accident was not your fault, we will take care of you as best as we can. In most cases we get your bike fixed or get you compensated for the fair market value of your bike, get your compensated for loss of wages, get your medical bills covered and get you to a doctor even if you do not have medical insurance, as well as get you compensation for pain and suffering, loss of a enjoyment of life, and emotional distress.
If you need to contact us right now you may click here to get to our contact form and send us a message, or simply call us at 800-816-1529.
I sincerely hope that you take my advice with respect to preparing for a potential motorcycle accident in the hope that you never will have to worry about being in a motorcycle accident.
As I prepare to go to the 76th annual Sturgis motorcycle rally for the 6th consecutive year, like you I will be on the road on my motorcycle.
I will see you all in Sturgis South Dakota in August 2016.
Keep bold wheels on the road
Norman Gregory Fernandez, Esq.
Attorney at Law, expert motorcycle accident lawyer
Founder injuredbikers.com