I am asked regularly by bikers the question of “who is a good insurance company to cover me on my motorcycle?” That’s always a tough question. Some are cheaper than others, and that makes a big difference to some riders. Some are easier to deal with if you’re in an accident. That makes a big difference to me, as a lawyer, and ultimately to you as the rider. What I always tell people is to make sure you have adequate UNINSURED and UNDERINSURED motorists coverage. UNINSURED is your protection for the 25% of the drivers who are driving with no insurance on their vehicles. UNDERINSURED is for the many drivers who are driving without adequate insurance. Let me explain this.

If you’re hit by an UNINSURED driver, you will not be compensated for your pain and suffering unless you have UNINSURED COVERAGE. I recommend a minimum of $100,000. It’s really cheap. $40-$50 or so. UNDERINSURED coverage is when the person who hits the biker has a minimum policy, such as $20,000, and the biker has a bad injury. The most they can get from the at-fault driver would then be $20,000. If you have UNDERINSURED of $100,000, then you can get up to the $100,000 limit from your OWN insurance company.

Now let’s talk about the “real world.” I have a new client, who was in an accident caused by a car driven by an ex con, who has the minimum $20,000 policy. There is a chance that my client will lose part of his foot. Unfortunately, he has ALLSTATE insurance on his motorcycle. ALLSTATE does NOT offer, according to his Allstate agent, UNDERINSURED coverage. They offer UNINSURED, which he has, in the amount of $100,000. Before he switched over to ALLSTATE, he had PROGRESSIVE insurance, who does offer UNDERINSURED. If you buy the UNINSURED coverage with PROGRESSIVE, the UNDERINSURED comes with it for FREE. NO extra premium….you just get it. Therefore, all my client can get for pain and suffering, is $20,000. I am pissed off! He and his family are pissed off! His “friend”, an ALLSTATE agent, gave him this bad advice.

ALLSTATE INSURANCE is paying huge money to advertise in all the biker magazines that they are “keeping riders safe.” I just read it today in a biker magazine. They’re out there competing for the “biker dollars” for insurance. Yet, they do NOT OFFER UNDERINSURED MOTORISTS COVERAGE. My opinion, therefore, is that if you buy motorcycle insurance from Allstate Insurance, you are NOT IN GOOD HANDS, because you are not adequately covered.

I’m not going to recommend any particular company to you. I can tell you that PROGRESSIVE AND FOREMOST, and some others (call an independent agent), offer UNDERINSURED along with their UNINSURED, for no additional premium. THAT IS WHAT IS IMPORTANT. BEING COVERED ADEQUATELY. There is an old saying “a good consumer is a smart consumer”. Be smart. Make sure you have the right amount and the right kind of insurance for both yourself and your family.