UPDATED: JUNE 11, 2020
If you or someone you know had the unfortunate experience of being injured in a motorcycle crash / accident, this question regarding medical bill is sure to arise.
In New Jersey, motorcycle riders are required to have insurance. Motorcycle insurance, however, differs from automobile insurance. In a typical automobile / car crash, your own automobile insurance will pay for your medical bills up to the amount of selected coverage. (For more information on the type of automobile coverage, see one of our many prior blog posts on that topic.) In a motorcycle accident, however, your motorcycle insurance does not pay for your medical bills.
You have options. You can first attempt to have your medical bills paid for by any Extended Medical Expense Benefits Coverage from an automobile policy in your household. Oddly, however, if it’s your own automobile insurance policy and you’re the owner of the motorcycle, that coverage is most likely not available.
Another option in trying to get the medical bills paid would be to notify your health insurance carrier and require them to pay for your medical bills. While many health insurance plans exclude coverage for automobile accidents because they presume there will be automobile No-Fault coverage, there are typically not exclusions for motorcycle accidents. Of course, there are always exceptions, like some union plans.
Otherwise, if you’re eligible, you can seek charity care or Medicaid payment.
For our motorcycle crash clients (who were not at fault), we seek to get the out-of-pocket bills paid by the opposing / at-fault vehicle’s insurance carrier at the time of settlement or verdict.
If you receive a settlement or jury award for your injuries, some health insurance plans allow them to try to take money from the settlement / award. This is known as subrogation or reimbursement of benefits. Our law firm will challenge the health insurance carriers’ ability and right to do so in order that our clients keep as much of their money as possible.
Needless to say, if you’ve been involved in a motorcycle crash and have questions or concerns regarding any of these topics, feel free to call us.
By:
Michael Raff, Esq.