Insurance Void if Riding on Highway on M1? | GTAMotorcycle.com

Insurance Void if Riding on Highway on M1?

psacawa

Member
Hi guys,

I did something very stupid. With 15 days left before I could get my M2, I started riding on the QEW and Gardiner. Yesterday, with 7 left, in quite heavy rain, I rear-ended another vehicle. There was no collision report because the damage was deemed minor.
I'm insured by *** through *** (having done a safety course) with Accident coverage and Loss and damages coverage. Does anyone know if they'll refuse to cover me because I was violating the license conditions?

Regards,
psacawa
 
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Handle it privately out of pocket, DO NOT go through insurance.
 
Another vote for dealing with it yourself. Assuming you want to keep riding, the insurance increase will likely grossly exceed the cost of repairs. Hell, if the bike is just cosmetically banged up, don't bother fixing it yet. The chances of some more scratches are very high.
 
If the police were not involved and the other party is willing to deal with it solely in a private fashion, do that.

However if the other party as much as calls their insurance company and files any sort of claim (or in some cases, even asks questions) you could be up the creek without a paddle.

ANY claim against your insurance right now as a beginner rider with what is an automatic at-fault now already is going to be very bad. Although it's doubtful the insurance company would refuse to settle the claim, it would not surprise me that they drop you like a hot potato immediately afterwards, and a zero experience M1/M2 rider with a MC related at fault is going to be kryptonite to any other insurance company, especially if you have a cancellation on your record.

So, get on the phone with the other party and beg and plead for them to keep this whole situation entirely free from insurance and police involvement...do what you need to do to make them whole, and if it all works out in the end, consider yourself very lucky.
 
+1

Any claim against your insurance at this point would probably make it financially 'impractical' to continue riding in the future.

Companies are reluctant enough to give fair rates to new riders, especially those with accidents during M1 phase.
 
Unfortunately police were called and I got a ticket for riding on the highway, I'm desperately trying to call the other guy to pay it on my own before he files a claim. Does it matter that on my *** application I'm listed as M2 (they put it like that) because I did the course? If he files, then I'm hoping this may save me.
Regarding the actual damage, for him it's a dented fender and a cracked bumper light.
For me, it's not just cosmetic, but a bunch of fairings and headlights that would have to be replaced.

I've just found out that he reported the incident to his insurance (but didn't claim yet) so I may be sol already.
I'm going to pray for a blow that lets me keep riding.
 
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Does it matter that on my RidersPlus application I'm listed as M2 (they put it like that) because I did the course? If he files, then I'm hoping this may save me....
I've just found out that he reported the incident to his insurance (but didn't claim yet) so I may be sol already.
I'm going to pray for a blow that lets me keep riding.

If your course was any good, they should have told you that you are an M1 rider until your 60+1 days have passed *AND* you have gone to the MTO to upgrade your license.

From what I read, you're an M1 with the course, but that means still M1. You got a ticket for it. Done. He reported the accident to his insurance. They will already have contacted yours. Chances are, you're screwed.

May as well kiss riding goodbye for a few years until this ticket and accident claim clears your record (3/7 years) - unless you're willing to pay through the nose for insurance AND can actually find a company that will insure you.
 
At this point, I would probably use insurance to fix the bike and then sell it. Try again in 7 years when this accident disappears from your insurance rates. It's a tough break, but insurance will likely be completely unaffordable now.
 
Yeah, you’re hosed if the police attended and he’s already called his insurance.

If they don’t cancel you, you should be good for this seasons riding at least...but expect a refusal to renew, or a scary price at your renewal next year.
 
QEW right before Mississauga rd? Saw a bike getting towed there Sunday afternoon in the left lane... looked like a SS pretty banged up.
Most important part be happy you walked away from that and learn from your mistake.
Like others have said probably best to use the insurance fix it up and sell it.
I ride a gsxr 750, 24 y/o and paying 4900(with fire/theft) for the year.. I can’t imagine if I ever got in an accident I’d get out of riding until it cleared up..
You looked pretty young when I saw you helping the tow truck driver load up the bike, so don’t feel bad about it. Time flies you’ll be riding before you know it.
All the best and good luck.


Sent from my iPhone using GTAMotorcycle.com
 
QEW right before Mississauga rd? Saw a bike getting towed there Sunday afternoon in the left lane... looked like a SS pretty banged up.
Most important part be happy you walked away from that and learn from your mistake.
Like others have said probably best to use the insurance fix it up and sell it.
I ride a gsxr 750, 24 y/o and paying 4900(with fire/theft) for the year.. I can’t imagine if I ever got in an accident I’d get out of riding until it cleared up..
You looked pretty young when I saw you helping the tow truck driver load up the bike, so don’t feel bad about it. Time flies you’ll be riding before you know it.
All the best and good luck.


Sent from my iPhone using GTAMotorcycle.com
OP was riding a SS on an M1 ?
 
Your insurance company will know about the collision if the 3rd party reported to their company, no way out of that. No fault insurance means the car you hit's insurance fixes their car not Riders Plus. As to the damage to your bike you have 2 choices, fix it yourself so that way there is no claim on your insurance which may save you no guarantees. Or you report it to the insurer and have them repair it but you will have an increase in your premium at renewal time unless you have accident forgiveness on your policy.

Either way you may see a hit at renewal.
 
And for those that don't understand the Ontario No fault Insurance System:

Ontario has a "no-fault" car insurance system, but this does not mean that no one is at fault in an accident. The term "no-fault" insurance simply means if you are injured or your car is damaged in an accident, then you deal with your own insurance company, regardless of who is at fault. You don't have to go after the at-fault driver for compensation.

Similarly, if any passengers in your car are injured, then each passenger who has a car insurance policy of their own will approach their own insurance company for benefits. If your passengers do not have a car insurance policy of their own, then your insurance company may pay benefits to them. The driver of the other car involved in the accident will claim benefits from his or her own insurance company.

Someone is always deemed to be "at fault" in a car accident, whether partly or fully. The law requires insurance companies to assign the percentage of fault for each of the drivers involved in the accident. This is done by using the "Fault Determination Rules".

These rules, which are set out in a regulation under the Insurance Act, help insurance companies deal with accident claims quickly and economically.

Keep in mind that the Fault Determination Rules differ from any charges laid by the police under the Highway Traffic Act. For example, if you were unable to stop your car on an icy road and rear-ended another car, the police officer may have told you that "no one was at fault".

This usually means that no police charges will be laid. It does not mean that the insurance companies involved will not consider who was at fault. In this case, the insurance company would apply the Fault Determination Rules, which state that a car that rear-ends another car is at fault, since drivers are required to take road conditions into consideration.

Keep in mind that your percentage of fault will determine the amount of deductible you have to pay. Generally, insurance companies will increase your premiums at your next renewal date if you have been deemed to be fully or partially at fault in an accident.
 
Behind the scenes though, your ins. co. may pay you for a not at fault claim, but they do go after the other at fault company for the amount. They balance the books, as it were, at the end of the fiscal year. That's why you need the at fault ins. details. Especially if you aren't covered for collision, for example.
 
OP do not expect to get your bike covered in any way by your insurer, FYI. Even if you have collision, you violated a statutory condition on the policy (authority to drive); your insurer will not cover the damages to your vehicle.

Keep in mind if the other person decides to sue for injuries (which they are eligible to do so in this case), your liability policy will only pay out $200,000 (minimum limits in Ontario), and your insurance company will turn around and sue you for the amounts they pay out. This is assuming the damages assessed for injuries are less than $200,000.
 

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