Tiger Tales 3: Motorcycle Storage Costs
By the Law Tigers
America’s Injury Lawyers Who Ride
Motorcycle Storage Costs-Be Aware, It Could Cost You Thousands of Dollars!
A motorcycle accident is undoubtedly an unfortunate and inconvenient mishap. In the event of a serious injury, you’ll likely be whisked away by the ambulance, leaving your bike behind. Even if your injuries are less severe and don’t require a trip to the hospital, you must still attend to your damaged motorcycle. Whether the police, a friend, or you make arrangements with a local service to have your bike towed and stored, it’s important to know the resulting storage expense.
Your storage choices include your home, the towing company’s outdoor facility or a motorcycle repair shop. Assuming that your intentions are to have the bike either repaired or replaced, it’s usually a wise decision to send it to a motorcycle shop that can write the repair estimate and make the necessary repairs. Because your motorcycle will require an estimate, keeping it at your house or at a tow yard will likely require a second transportation charge and will ultimately delay the entire process.
When insurance companies are involved, the number of days that your damaged motorcycle remains in storage will vary. Once an estimate is written, the insurance company will determine whether the bike will be totaled or repaired. You then have the right to dispute this decision and/or the amount that they are willing to pay to total or repair your motorcycle. When taking all of the steps of this process into consideration, you may incur several days to several months worth of storage charges. To avoid outrageous storage fees, research the costs up-front. Contact several local motorcycle repair shops and ask them if they provide a free grace period, and if so, under what conditions. In addition, verify their daily storage rate, whether it’s fixed or adjustable, and whether or not there are certain situations, such as when you are waiting for an insurance adjuster’s response to your dispute, where the daily charges will not accrue. It also may be a good idea to check with your preferred dealership. On occasion, if there is a previous relationship or if they are guaranteed your business to repair the bike, dealerships will waive or reduce storage costs.
Prices will likely vary from shop to shop, so never make the assumption that they are all comparable. In some states, maximum daily storage fees are government mandated. To determine if such a law exists in your state, contact your local legislative representative. As a rule-of-thumb, prices can range from $5 to $25 per day, with no limitations.
