One of the nicest things about owning a motorcycle is how easy it is to maneuver because of how small it is compared to other vehicles. Getting around and even parking is usually a breeze if you know what you’re doing.
But motorcycles have their susceptibilities because of their size. It’s not unheard of to have a motorcycle tip over by it’s owner by accident. It’s also not unheard of to have your motorcycle tipped over by someone else who was being negligent.
What should I do when someone tips over my motorcycle? If someone tips over your motorcycle, you’ll need to get their insurance information if it was done by their vehicle. If they tipped it over without a vehicle, you’ll need to attempt to negotiate compensation from them. If you don’t know how your motorcycle tipped over, contact your own insurance and see if they will cover the damages.
I’ve had to deal with my fair share of tipped over motorcycles. It can be a tough situation to be in if someone else tips it over, especially if you weren’t there to witness it and know who did it. This article will go over what you can do in these situations and how you can receive your best compensation.
When Someone Tips Over Your Motorcycle With Their Vehicle
Seeing your motorcycle tipped over on it’s side can be unsettling. It looks completely unnatural to have a vehicle in a position like that and will often scare motorcyclists when they see it happen. Motorcycles weren’t meant to be on their side anyway.
Witnessing or being informed that someone made your motorcycle tip over on it’s side adds a whole new set of frustrations to the equation. It’s one thing if you as the owner let it happen, but it’s a whole other ball game when someone else does it.
If you are lucky, you either were able to see what happened when someone else tipped your motorcycle or the negligent tipper left you a note or found you to inform you of what happened. If your motorcycle were to be tipped over by someone else, this is the best type of situation to be in.
Remember, it takes a lot of guts for someone to admit that they did something like this. They could have simply done a hit and run and left you in the dust. Remember to keep your cool and be rational during this situation.
Before you pick up your motorcycle, call the police and take as many pictures of the scene as possible while you’re waiting for the police get there. This is in case insurance or authorities need to use them for your claim. The hitter may be hesitant to call the police, but if you know there is significant damage to your motorcycle you need to call them anyway.
Once the police get there, gather the hitter’s insurance information. Because their vehicle collided with your vehicle and caused damage, their liability insurance will be able to cover it if they have it. If they don’t have insurance, they are held personally liable for those damages they caused to your motorcycle. That’s why it’s nice to have the police there so they can mediate these negotiations.
At this point, you should be able to pick up your motorcycle and assess for damages. Usually the biggest damages to a motorcycle when they’re tipped over is cosmetic related and most don’t have to worry too much about engine or frame damage if the collision wasn’t too hard. Insurance and/or the police will be able to guide you on what to do next when it comes to the insurance claims.
It is for reasons like this that having comprehensive motorcycle insurance and uninsured/underinsured policies are so important. These policies will cover most of what this type of scenario will present you. You can click here to view a list of insurance companies and compare rates that work for you.
When Someone Else Tips Over Your Motorcycle Themselves
This situation will be a little different if the person ended up tipping over your motorcycle themselves, meaning it was their body that tipped it over instead of a car. This could mean they simply used their arms to push it or they kicked it over.
A situation like this means there was probably a little more malice involved on the tipper’s part, but accidents do happen and people can still knock over motorcycles by simply accidentally running into them.
Again, try to not lose your cool during a position like this. Still be firm with your stance, but there’s no need for name calling or yelling. That will solve nothing. Take as many pictures of your bike tipped over as you can so you can reference to them later if needed. Call the police and inform them of the situation so they can come mediate the conversation between you and the tipper.
The reason these types of situations are a little different is because the hitter didn’t use their car to tip over your motorcycle so you can’t use their auto insurance to fix the damages done. The person who tipped over your motorcycle is fully liable for damages done.
If the person who tipped your motorcycle refuses to negotiate compensation, you have grounds to sue them under vandalism or some other similar claim. But this only works if you witnessed them tipping over your motorcycle.
When You Don’t Know How Your Motorcycle Tipped Over
Unfortunately, the majority of people who find their motorcycle tipped over find it too late and really have no idea how it got that way. You may have your suspicions, but without you or someone else seeing it you don’t have grounds to really accuse anyone.
This is the most frustrating situation to be in. There could be a slew of reasons your motorcycle is on it’s side. Did someone bump into it with their car? Did someone try to unsuccessfully steal it? Was someone just being rude and pushed it over? Was it the wind? It’s hard to know.
If you find yourself in this situation, again you’ll need to take as many pictures as possible of the scene. If it happened around a business, see if you can obtain any surveillance footage so you know how it happened and if so, get a description of the person or the car that did it.
If no surveillance footage is available and there are no witnesses around to tell you what happened, you’re only left with fixing the damages yourself. If you’re handy, you may be able to fix everything yourself without having to get insurance involved.
These damages likely won’t be covered if all you have is liability on your motorcycle insurance. But the damages should be covered if you have comprehensive. If you feel the damages are too significant for you to pay for out of pocket, calling your insurance and submitting a claim is the next best option.
Remember to only tell your insurance company what you know, not what you think happened. For example, if you tell your insurance that you think this was a hit and run, your insurance may decline the claim stating your comprehensive doesn’t cover hit and run scenarios. Tell the truth, but don’t tell your insurance more than you need to so you are covered.
Also note that if you do call your insurance and put in a claim with them for your tipped motorcycle, your rates may go up and you will still need to pay out your deductible.
How To Prevent Your Motorcycle From Getting Tipped Over
If you’ve found yourself in a scenario like this, you’ll know that this is something you never want to experience again. It can be a total nightmare, not to mention extremely frustrating.
There are a few things you can do to help yourself in the future to prevent your motorcycle from getting tipped over by someone else. First, I recommend using a disc lock brake that has an alarm on it.
Sometimes some ignorant person will try to move a motorcycle out of a parking space so they can use it for their car. A disc lock brake will stop that from happening and the alarm will sound when it senses movement which could notify potential witnesses. Click here to see the disc lock brake I recommend in my list of suggested motorcycle security.
Remember to park your motorcycle legally while you’re out and about. Some people may not be expecting your motorcycle in the random places you may be parking it. If your motorcycle is parked illegally, the person who hit it may not be held as liable for the damages. See my other article here to learn more about motorcycle parking etiquette.
It also helps to have a camera on your motorcycle while you have it parked at home. This is especially useful if you live in an apartment complex where there are other strangers frequently walking past your motorcycle. If possible, park your motorcycle close to where an outside window is by your apartment. You can put a camera in the window that will provide continuous surveillance on your bike. Click here to see the camera I recommend in my list of recommended security for motorcycles.
Related Questions
Can I listen to music while riding a motorcycle? Motorcyclists are permitted to listen to music while riding a motorcycle. Using a stereo system on your motorcycle and using a Bluetooth helmet are the safest ways. It is not advised to use headphones while riding because of certain laws and dangers that could follow. See my article here for more information.
How do you pick up a fallen motorcycle? If you are stranded and left to pick up the motorcycle yourself, stand on the side of the motorcycle where the seat is and face the opposite direction. Bend your knees and place your bottom on the seat and place your hands on places that are good gripping points. Use your knees to lift up the motorcycle.