Insurance Article
First I must humbly admit that I am sort of an insurance expert. Actually, I’m married to an insurance expert, the "famous Cindy". She has been saving folks big bucks for over thirty years because of her good nature and her desire to be kind to folks. I often kid about being married to "Betty Crocker" but truthfully, she is one of the kindest women on earth and has a desire to give her customers great service along with the best prices. I have been reluctant to let this secret out because I didn’t want to seem to be self serving, but a friend reminded me that "if you found this insurance pro (a stranger) out there saving riders tons of money you would race to the laptop to turn on the motorcycling community to this wonderful opportunity to save". Guilty as charged, AGAIN. So I’m honking my own horn a bit and saving riders hundreds. Ok enough with the testimonials, disclosures, and shameless capitalism, let’s get to the lesson.
Question, Do I have to buy insurance on my motorcycle? Well the answer to that question is yes and also no. In Florida, when you buy a tag for your automobile, you are required to have your insurance card proving you have PIP/PD insurance (Personal Injury Protection and Property Damage) Ok, but the problem is motorcycles don’t have PIP so the answer to the first part of the question is no, you do not need motorcycle insurance to purchase a tag for your scoot. Good, no insurance, right? Hold on… crankcase breath. You are correct when you say you don’t need to have coverage when you purchase your tag but when that dreaded day comes when you have a mishap; the answer changes dramatically to "Yes" you do in fact need to be covered. In the event you have an accident, and you are at fault, you fall under the Florida Statute called the Financial Responsibility Law (Statute FS 324) This law basically says that, if you are at fault in an accident, you are required to post a cash bond of $25,000 within 72 hours after the accident if you do not have liability insurance (insurance on the other guy (bodily injury) and his property (property damage). The bottom line is you do in fact need to be insured in case you are at fault in an accident. Don’t be fooled by the no PIP on motorcycles part of no/fault law in Florida. You are responsible for property you damage and the people that you injure while you are riding your motorcycle. If you have assets and don’t want to lose them, protect yourself and your family by being covered.
Helmet Insurance: For those of you wondering about not wearing a helmet, you need $10,000 coverage to pay for treatment of injuries that may result from a motorcycle crash. If you have $10,000 medical coverage from your employer, this covers you (unless there is a stated exception in the coverage). Carry your insurance card for your medical and you're ok with "john law". All riders under 21 need to always wear a helmet. No excuses! Your insurance on your bike or someone you hit really has nothing to do with the helmet issue. The coverage the state is concerned with is on your body and the injuries you may incur and the medical treatment you may need. If you have good medical insurance you may be wasting money purchasing additional med pay from your Property and Casualty agent. Many motorcyclists over pay because they don't understand how the helmet part of the insurance works. Some agents, not familiar with motorcycle insurance laws, may sell you more coverage than you need.
Now, having given you the straight scoop on the need for insurance coverage, let’s get to the self serving part of the story, calling Cindy.
Background: A couple of years ago some insurance gurus in New York found out about this insurance pro in Florida who happened to be a 30-year biker and knew a little about the motorcycle community in Florida. The gurus came to Florida…ate….. drank….ate…drank….drank… They interviewed Cindy, Cindy interviewed them. Dano drank. They got to know each other after a couple of visits and the Gurus decided to let Cindy bring their wonderful insurance program to Florida. The rest, as they say, is history. Cindy has taken this A+ program around the state, many times saving riders 25 to 30 percent on insurance premiums for their motorcycles. Cindy only serves the motorcycle community now. She no longer sells auto or homeowner policies. She is dealing with the folks she enjoys most, the motorcycle enthusiasts.
So… if it’s that time of the year when you're shopping for insurance, do yourself a favor, call Cindy. I promise she is one insurance agent who knows what all of those letters mean on your Harley. That “Fltcsi…eieio” stuff that confuses the average agent. Who knows, maybe she can save you a couple hundred dollars. And if you do buy her insurance, I promise to shamelessly help Cindy spend her commission.
