Oregon has long had a tradition as a pioneer state, and the states Latin motto which translates as “She flies with her own wings” reflects this fact. This is very much a spirit which most motorcyclists would identify with, and indeed Oregon has a rich motorcycling tradition, and a great set of highways to explore. In this article I am going to take a look at Oregon Motorcycle Insurance which is essential for every motorcyclist, and see what the exact requirements for motorcycle insurance in Oregon are, and the kinds of cover that you should be looking to get.
What are the states minimum requirements for Oregon Motorcycle Insurance?
There are certain state minimums that the Oregon Department of Insurance insists upon for every rider in the state.
These are as follows:
$25,000 – Bodily injury liability cover for one person
$50,000 – Bodily injury liability cover for one accident
$10,000 – Property Damage liability cover
These are usually shorted to 25/50/10 cover.
Are the Oregon Motorcycle Insurance state minimums high enough?
When answering this question it is important to reflect on the reasoning behind the minimum requirements. They are not designed to be comprehensive, but rather to cover basic liabilities such as damage to another person and their property that could occur as the result of an accident.
In this regard the 25/50/10 levels of cover that Oregon insists upon are relatively standard amongst the states (though a few are lower, and a few are considerably higher). There is broad agreement amongst the states about the kinds of cover that should be mandatory, and the type of cover that should be optional.
The mandatory elements are designed mostly to protect the interests of other people. Hence the fact that a state that prides itself on its independence, still insists upon certain levels.
But even here the rates are probably a little low, and if you have a slightly higher budget for your Oregon Motorcycle Insurance cover then you should definitely consider raising them.
The levels as they are do provide a basic safety net, but only if the accident you happen to be in is relatively minor, and doesn’t involve multiple vehicles. Because if it does then you could well find yourself having to potentially pay money out of your own pocket to make up any shortfall.
Sounds like hype, but the fact is that the average hospital stay in the United States cost over $14,000 in 2010; and so it is easy to see that if you have multiple cars and multiple passengers that you can very quickly surpass a $50,000 per accident limit, even without taking account of damage to vehicles, or other liabilities that you may potentially have such as another party suing you for loss of earnings (assuming that you were to blame for any accident).
So don’t just assume that meeting the minimum requirements means that you have adequate insurance. You many have enough to satisfy a law enforcement officer who pulls you over on the side of the road, but it may not be sufficient if you actually get involved in an accident.
Other areas where you can add to your policy include cover for vandalism, fire damage and theft.
In order to get these you would typically get a full coverage, Comprehensive Oregon Motorcycle Insurance policywhich would include these extras.
Whether or not you buy these does of course depend on your budget constraints, but before you pass on a comprehensive policy give some thought to how you would feel if your motorcycle were to get stolen or vandalised?
Another type of cover that you should almost certainly add to any motorcycle insurance in Oregon is cover for underinsured or uninsured drivers. These drivers represent a significant minority of drivers (about 1 in 6), and if you have an accident with a driver who doesn’t have insurance then you could potentially have a lot of problems, because there is no Oregon Motorcycle Insurance Company to step in to pay medical expenses.
If however you take out this extra cover, then even in the event of having such an accident, regardless of if the other driver was at fault, your insurance would step in to pay your expenses.
(You can always see minimum requirements and regulations about Oregon Motorcycle Insurance on the Oregon Insurance Departments website - https://insurance.oregon.gov/)
Overall, give some serious thought to the type of Oregon Motorcycle Insurance policy that you get and the provisions that it has, because if you ever are unfortunate to have an accident in the Beaver State then you will have to depend upon it.
In this regard the 25/50/10 levels of cover that Oregon insists upon are relatively standard amongst the states (though a few are lower, and a few are considerably higher). There is broad agreement amongst the states about the kinds of cover that should be mandatory, and the type of cover that should be optional.
