Handling Insurance Company Biases Against Motorcyclists
Motorcycling provides an exhilarating sense of freedom and adventure and is a passion many share. As a motorcyclist, however, you face an uphill battle after a traffic accident and when dealing with insurance companies. A bias persists that motorcyclists are more reckless than car and truck drivers and, therefore, more at fault in accidents. Such stereotypes often hurt injured bikers’ insurance claims.
This article discusses insurance company biases against motorcyclists and explores how hiring a skilled motorcycle accident lawyer can ensure fair treatment and compensation.
Insurance Company Bias Against Motorcyclists
People often think motorcyclists will inevitably crash. This means that if you are involved in an accident on your motorcycle, you must contend with your physical injuries and navigate a convoluted insurance landscape potentially fraught with bias.
Insurers often have stereotypical notions about motorcyclists, harboring an unwarranted perception that they’re risk-takers, adrenaline junkies, or reckless riders. Such biases can have a tangible, detrimental impact on insurance claims.
They can skew the allocation of fault for a motorcycle crash. When insurers assume motorcyclists take risks, they blame bikers disproportionately for accidents, despite evidence that many motorcycle wrecks result from dangerous and careless actions of the other party.
Bias against motorcyclists negatively influences how insurers calculate an injured biker’s losses and the payouts they offer. Insurance companies reduce the compensation they’re willing to pay when they think a motorcyclist bears at least some blame for a crash.
They also discount an injured biker’s pain, suffering, and other non-economic damages, taking the view that motorcyclists know the risks and should, therefore, receive less when they are in an accident.
Insurance company biases are profoundly unfair and entirely calculated. Insurers take advantage of broad, inaccurate stereotypes because doing so benefits their bottom line.
If a motorcycle accident injured you, hire a skilled, experienced motorcycle accident injury lawyer to handle your claim against the insurance company and at-fault parties. Lawyers know how to push back against anti-motorcycle bias and get you and your loved ones the compensation you deserve.
The Role of a Skilled Lawyer in Battling Insurers’ Anti-Motorcyclist Bias
A motorcycle accident lawyer’s job is to get you fair compensation for your motorcycle accident injuries. Lawyers pursue two principal avenues when seeking compensation after a motorcycle accident: insurance claims and lawsuits.
How Lawyers Pursue Claims Against Biased Insurers
Numerous insurance policies may cover your losses from a motorcycle accident. You may have insurance that pays some expenses. And the party at fault for causing the accident may carry liability insurance coverage to pay for your damages.
Your lawyer can prepare, submit, and pursue insurance claims under either type of coverage. Your lawyer can file a claim under your insurance policy (a first-party claim) that details why the insurer must pay for your losses. They can also prepare detailed submissions to liability insurance companies (third-party claims) outlining how their customer caused the accident and the damages you deserve.
In either claim, your lawyer can fight aggressively against anti-motorcyclist bias. Using supporting evidence, your lawyer can craft the claims to refute any argument that you were at fault. They monitor the claim’s progress, respond to insurance adjuster’s inquiries, and negotiate forcefully to invalidate biased judgments before they influence claim decisions or the settlement offer.
Your lawyer can prevent bias from undermining your claim through direct, hands-on advocacy and communication with insurers. By preventing bias, your lawyer can ensure you receive a fair payout for your insurance claim.
How Lawyers Use Lawsuits to Hold Biased Insurers and Others Accountable
Insurance company bias against motorcyclists can be so entrenched that lawyers sometimes need the assistance of the court to overcome it. If this is necessary, your lawyer can prepare, file, and litigate a lawsuit to seek monetary damages from the at-fault party. That lawsuit, if successful, should force the at-fault party’s liability insurer to pay appropriate compensation.
Lawsuits can also advance other important objectives. Your motorcycle lawsuit, for example, can send a message to insurers that they can’t make unfair judgments of a biker’s negligence based on stereotypes. It can also help prevent insurers from unfairly taking advantage of injured motorcyclists who are unaware of their rights and options.
Ultimately, the threat of a lawsuit can be a powerful means to secure your rights in the face of biased insurance companies. It can force insurers to take your claim seriously and pay the money you deserve.
Hiring a Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Can Help You Combat Insurance Company Bias
Skilled motorcycle accident lawyers hold insurers accountable and ensure you get the compensation you deserve.
Through the advocacy of an experienced motorcycle accident lawyer, you can send a powerful message to insurers that you will not tolerate bias.
Contact a Skilled Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Today
If you or someone you love has suffered injuries in a motorcycle accident, you don’t have to face the challenge of insurance company bias alone. An experienced motorcycle accident lawyer can handle your claim, negotiate with recalcitrant insurers, and get you the money you need to pay your bills, heal from your injuries, and move forward with your life.
If you want to learn more about your rights, contact an experienced motorcycle accident lawyer today for a free consultation.