Help, coverage and the bike

What to Do After a Motorcycle Accident

By Miller & Jacobs Motorcycle Accident Attorneys

After a motorcycle crash, get out of immediate danger and call 911 if help is urgent. Get needed care, report the crash when required and exchange details. Then save the bike, gear and records safely, and check which insurance may pay.

A rider's medical coverage can differ from a car driver's personal injury protection (PIP) benefits. That is a billing question, not a reason to delay care.

Put the rider’s care first

Where help is needed

Call 911 for a serious injury or immediate road danger. Tell the dispatcher where the rider is and what help is needed. Follow the directions given. Do not use a test ride or a few steps on foot to decide whether you need care.

The next care contact

Tell the care provider about the crash and your symptoms. Keep the discharge advice and next-visit details. Report changes and limits on work or riding. Base care on medical need, rather than an insurance estimate.

Record the police contact and crash date accurately

Give your name, address and vehicle registration number to anyone injured and to the driver, occupant or person attending damaged vehicles or property, as well as the officer at the scene or investigating. Show your available driver’s license if requested. Arrange reasonable help for anyone hurt, and remain as the law requires. Florida’s injury-crash stopping rule and information-and-aid duties set those duties.

Under section 316.065, drivers must immediately notify law enforcement for injury, death or apparent vehicle or property damage of at least $2,000. That threshold applies from October 1, 2026; the earlier amount was $500. An injury report does not depend on reaching the damage amount.

Within a municipality, notify local police; elsewhere, notify the sheriff or Florida Highway Patrol. Keep the agency, call date and report number. If no officer responds, ask which written report is needed. Our Florida reporting guide separates immediate notice from the driver’s written-report duties.

Find the medical-payment route that fits a rider

Florida's required personal injury protection (PIP) law generally does not cover injuries suffered while riding an ordinary two-wheeled motorcycle. Owning an insured car does not by itself cover the rider's bills. The vehicle definition in Section 627.732 and the coverage rules in Section 627.736 explain that distinction.

Medical-bill options

Check your health plan, any medical-payments coverage on the bike policy and other benefits you have. Ask who and which bike are covered, what limits apply and how to send the bills. Keep approval or denial letters. Our motorcycle medical-coverage guide explains why the usual car PIP checklist may not fit.

Check the UM policy

Uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage, called UM, may pay covered injury losses when the at-fault driver has no bodily injury insurance or too little. Check the full policy and coverage choices. A car policy does not prove that a bike you own is covered.

Save the bike, gear and scene evidence safely

Ask a helper for safe photos if you are getting care. Show the bike, the gear and the road, rather than only the fallen motorcycle.

Get witness names and contact details. Save the full original ride-camera recording, including the lead-in and aftermath, and keep a backup. Note any nearby cameras without entering private property or taking someone else’s records.

The bike's condition

Take views from more than one side, including contact marks, wheels and lights. Keep the repair quote. Note any damage or changes that existed before this crash.

Helmet and riding gear

Photograph the helmet, jacket, gloves and other affected gear. Keep them as they were after the crash where safe. Ask about an inspection before cleaning, repair or disposal.

Surface and movement

From a safe place, photograph road marks, loose gravel, a suspected defect or a blocked view. Show enough of the area to find it later. Separate what you saw from what someone told you.

Make a plan for the bike before repairs or disposal

Track the bike and its holder

Find out who towed the bike, where it is stored and how to reach the holder. Ask about storage charges and access. Track any move to another shop or yard.

Plan inspection and safe future use

Tell the shop or insurer if the claim may turn on a failed part or the point of contact. Ask how to arrange an inspection before parts are changed or thrown out. Needed emergency work comes first.

Have a qualified mechanic check the bike before riding it again. An engine that starts does not establish that the brakes, wheels or other parts are safe.

Know which payment or request is being discussed

Notify the insurer that may cover the claim promptly. Keep the claim number and a log of requests and replies. Check your own policy’s notice and cooperation duties. Give facts you know and say when you need a record to check an answer.

Towing, bike damage, health benefits and injury may have separate claims. Ask whom the caller works for and which claim is involved. Read requests for a statement or medical-record release before responding; your own insurer’s requests may involve policy duties.

Read an injury offer and release before accepting. If an underinsured-motorist claim may remain, ask about the written-notice steps in section 627.727(6) and the actual policy before settling. A repair payment and an injury release may affect different claims.

Our Orlando motorcycle accident services and Pompano Beach motorcycle accident services include help sorting out those claim questions. Ask which tasks are urgent, what work is proposed and how fees and costs would be handled.

Ask for a filing-date review while the bike is being recovered

Have the crash date and possible claims checked early. The general Florida negligence filing period in section 95.11(5)(a) is two years. The 2023 law applies that change to claims that legally arose after March 24, 2023. Older claims and exceptions need their own date check.

Do not count the filing period from the end of repairs or an insurer’s decision. Government, wrongful-death and other claim types may have different periods or required steps. Have the date checked while bills and repairs are still being sorted out.

If riding is part of how you unwind or get through the day, having the bike out of reach can leave a gap that goes beyond the trip you missed.

Mark J. Miller,

Partner

Mark J. Miller is a Partner at Miller & Jacobs. His biography provides his professional background.

Rick S. Jacobs,

Partner

Rick S. Jacobs is a Partner at Miller & Jacobs. Read his biography for his career and education.

Speak With Our Motorcycle Accident Lawyers About Next Steps

Prefer to choose a time? Schedule a Free Consultation

Bring the crash date, care details and any request that needs attention. Our motorcycle accident team can discuss missing records, coverage questions and the dates that need checking.

Call 954-465-8733 Schedule a Free Consultation

Questions riders ask when the next step is unclear

Can I wait for insurance approval before getting needed care?

Get urgent medical help when needed. Ask your provider and insurer which benefits may pay the bill. Tell the care provider about symptoms and follow medical advice. You can ask how to pay while getting the care you need.

Does my car's PIP policy cover me on the motorcycle?

Do not assume it does. Florida's required PIP law generally does not cover an ordinary two-wheeled motorcycle rider’s injuries. Check your health plan, any medical-payments coverage and the terms of the policies that may apply. Get needed care while payment options are reviewed.

What if the bike has already been moved or repaired?

Write down who handled the bike, where it went and what work was done. Get earlier photos, repair quotes, bills and any parts that were kept. Say what changed and what is gone. A lawyer can check which other records may answer the question.

What should I do with my ride-camera recording?

Save the full original and a backup before you share a shorter clip. Keep the time around the crash. Note the camera's clock setting if you know it. Tell the person helping you what is in the file. Do not change or overwrite the original to make your point.