Ride Nation - Jeff Glassman review

The hours right after a motorcycle crash are a blur, and what you do in them can shape everything that follows. Massachusetts adds a wrinkle most riders never hear about until it is too late: motorcycles are excluded from the state's PIP no-fault benefits, so the paperwork and the proof fall on you in a way they do not for car occupants. Here is a clear checklist for the first 48 hours.

At the scene

Get to safety and call 911. Always ask for a police report, even for what looks minor. Photograph everything: both vehicles, the road, skid marks, signals, and the wider intersection. Get the driver's license, plate, and insurance, and the names and numbers of any witnesses before they leave.

Get checked, even if you feel fine

Adrenaline hides injuries. Road rash, a sore wrist, or a headache can mask something serious, and a gap in treatment is the first thing an insurer uses to question your claim. See a doctor the same day or the next morning and keep every record.

The Massachusetts no-fault trap

Massachusetts is a no-fault/PIP state, but motorcycles are excluded from PIP. An injured rider does not get PIP benefits, so a rider's medical bills are not automatically covered the way a car occupant's are. That makes going after the at-fault driver everything. Save bills, take photos of your healing injuries weekly, and keep a simple journal of pain and missed work.

Before you talk to the insurance company

You are not required to give the other driver's insurer a recorded statement, and early calls are designed to lock you into a low number. Report the crash to your own insurer, get medical care, and talk to a Massachusetts motorcycle attorney before you sign or say anything that could be used to shrink your claim.

Ride Nation Boston is here for the community. If you or someone you ride with goes down, this checklist is a starting point, not legal advice for your specific case.

Insurance is the most boring part of riding and the part that decides whether a bad day becomes a financial disaster. Massachusetts has rules that work very differently for motorcyclists than for drivers, and knowing them before a crash is worth more than any aftermarket upgrade.

What 20/40/5 actually means

Massachusetts minimum auto liability is just 20/40/5: 20,000 dollars per person and 40,000 per accident for injuries, and 5,000 for property damage. Those are the other driver's minimums too, and they are often far too little when a rider is seriously hurt. A single ambulance ride and ER visit can eat through 20,000 dollars fast.

The PIP exclusion every rider should know

Massachusetts is a no-fault state, but motorcycles are excluded from PIP. Car occupants get personal injury protection that pays their medical bills regardless of fault. Riders do not. Because bikes sit outside PIP, a rider's medical bills are not automatically covered the way a car occupant's are, which means going after the at-fault driver is everything.

Underinsured and uninsured motorist coverage: the quiet hero

Because so many drivers carry only the minimum, uninsured and underinsured-motorist coverage on your own policy is the quiet hero of serious claims. It steps in when the at-fault driver's policy runs out, and on a 20/40/5 minimum it runs out fast. Ask your agent about UM/UIM coverage by name.

What to do today

Pull up your declarations page and check three things: your liability limits, whether you carry uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, and whether you have any medical payments coverage. If you are not sure what you are looking at, that is exactly the conversation to have before riding season hits full stride.

This is general information for Massachusetts riders, not advice for your specific policy or claim.

After a crash, the other driver's insurer often has one goal: pin enough blame on the rider to pay little or nothing. Understanding the Massachusetts fault rule keeps you from accepting a bad answer.

Modified comparative negligence, explained

Massachusetts uses modified comparative negligence with a 51 percent bar. You can recover if you are not more than 50 percent at fault, reduced by your share. If your damages are 100,000 dollars and you are found 30 percent at fault, you can still recover 70,000. But if you are found 51 percent or more at fault, you recover nothing. A split-fault wreck is not worthless.

The bias riders face

Motorcyclists are often blamed by default. Witnesses and even officers can assume the rider was speeding or weaving. That is why scene evidence, photos, and independent witnesses matter so much. Fault is argued, not assumed, and good evidence shifts the argument and your share of it.

Common shared-fault situations

Left-turn crashes, lane-change collisions, and intersection wrecks frequently involve disputes over who had the right of way and who could have avoided the crash. Helmet use, lane position, and visibility all get raised. Because the 51 percent bar can wipe out a recovery entirely, keeping your share of fault down is not academic. A clear record of the other driver's error is your best protection.

Every crash is different. This is general information about Massachusetts law, not advice about your case.

It is the question every injured rider asks, and the honest answer is that value depends on the specifics. But the factors that move the number are knowable, and understanding them helps you avoid leaving money on the table.

What goes into the number

A Massachusetts motorcycle claim generally accounts for medical bills (past and future), lost income and lost earning capacity, property damage to the bike and gear, and pain and suffering. Serious or permanent injuries, surgeries, and long recoveries push value up.

Why the PIP exclusion matters to value

Because motorcycles are excluded from PIP in Massachusetts, your medical costs are not automatically covered. They are part of what you pursue from the at-fault driver. That raises the stakes of fully documenting every bill, every appointment, and every limitation the injury puts on your daily life and work.

The things that quietly raise or lower value

Strong, consistent medical records raise value. Gaps in treatment and early recorded statements lower it. Available insurance coverage caps it, which is why the at-fault driver's limits and your own underinsured motorist coverage often matter more than any single argument. On a 20/40/5 minimum policy, your own UM/UIM coverage can be the difference maker.

Be wary of the first offer

Insurers often open low, before the full picture of your recovery is known. Settling before you understand your future medical needs can leave you covering costs out of pocket for years. Patience and documentation are leverage.

No article can value your specific claim. This is general information for Massachusetts riders.

Not every fender-tap needs an attorney. But Massachusetts rules make motorcycle claims different from car claims, and there are clear situations where talking to a lawyer early protects you.

When it is worth a call

If you were injured, if fault is disputed, if the insurer is pushing a quick settlement, or if the at-fault driver carried only the 20/40/5 minimum, those are all reasons to get advice before you sign anything. The free consultation costs you nothing and the early decisions are the ones that matter most.

What a motorcycle attorney actually does

A good lawyer handles the insurer so you can heal, gathers and preserves evidence before it disappears, identifies every available source of coverage including your own uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, and values the claim against your real future needs, not the insurer's opening number.

The Massachusetts wrinkle

Because motorcycles are excluded from PIP, the path to getting medical bills covered runs through the at-fault driver and your own coverage. A rider's medical bills are not automatically covered the way a car occupant's are. That is more complex than a typical car claim, and it is exactly the kind of thing that benefits from someone who handles motorcycle cases specifically.

The clock is real

The Massachusetts statute of limitations for a personal injury claim is three years, but evidence and witnesses fade in weeks. Talking to someone early is not about rushing to sue. It is about protecting your options.

This is general information, not legal advice for your situation.

Massachusetts is a universal helmet state, and the rule is simpler than in places with age-based exemptions: if you are on a motorcycle in Massachusetts, you wear a helmet. Here is what that means for your ride and your rights.

The law, plainly

Massachusetts requires a DOT helmet for every rider and passenger, no exceptions, plus eye protection. Novelty helmets that do not meet federal DOT standards do not satisfy the law, and approved eye protection is required as well.

Why it matters beyond the ticket

A DOT helmet is the single most effective piece of safety gear you own. It is also the first thing an insurer looks at after a crash. Wearing a compliant helmet removes an easy argument the other side would otherwise use to reduce what you recover.

How helmet use affects a claim

Under the Massachusetts modified comparative negligence rule, the other side may argue that not wearing a helmet, or wearing a non-compliant one, contributed to head injuries and increased your share of fault. With a 51 percent bar, that argument has teeth. Riding properly geared protects both your skull and your claim.

Gear beyond the helmet

The law sets a floor, not a ceiling. Eye protection is required, and gloves, sturdy boots, and high-visibility layers all matter on New England roads where deer, sand, fog, and distracted drivers are real. Ride covered.

This is general information about Massachusetts law, not advice for your specific case.

Greater Boston has some of the busiest, oldest, and most unpredictable roads in the country, and New England beyond it has its own hazards. Knowing where risk concentrates helps you ride those roads with your head up.

Boston intersections and rotaries

The cluster of intersections and traffic rotaries around the city is where left-turning cars meet riders. The driver looks for another car, not a bike, and turns across your path. In a rotary, pick your lane early, signal your exit, and never assume the other driver sees you. Cover your brakes and ride like you are invisible.

The scenic roads that punish a mistake

The Mohawk Trail through the Berkshires, the climbs up Mount Greylock and Wachusett, and the North Shore coast road reward smooth riding. Leftover sand from winter sanding collects on the inside of spring corners, and wet leaves in the fall get slick as ice. Look through the turn and leave a margin.

Coast, fog, and deer country

Cape Ann, the Cape, and Plum Island can go from clear to thick coastal fog in minutes. The Berkshires and western Mass are full of deer at dawn and dusk. Potholes and frost heave after a New England winter wait on the back roads. Scan the shoulders, slow when visibility drops, and ride relaxed over rough pavement.

The common thread

Most serious Boston-area crashes are not exotic. They are a driver who did not look, a patch of sand or wet leaves, a rotary taken wrong, or fog that rolled in fast. Visibility, smooth inputs, and a little extra space handle most of them.

Ride safe out there. This is general safety information for Massachusetts riders.

From Berkshire switchbacks to Cape Cod shore roads, Massachusetts packs a lifetime of great rides into a few hours of riding. Here are a few worth pointing the bars at, with a note on riding each one well.

The Mohawk Trail, Route 2

The classic Berkshire run, with the famous hairpin turn and long ridgeline views. It rewards a warmed-up tire and a clear head. Mind the sand at the edges in spring and the wet leaves in fall, and pull off at an overlook for the view rather than rubbernecking through the corners.

Route 6A and the Old King's Highway

The old shore road along Cape Cod Bay past weathered shingled cottages, sea captains' houses, and antique shops. It is a flow road, not a race road. Watch for coastal fog that rolls in fast and for cars pulling out of the village side streets.

The North Shore coast, Route 127

Through Gloucester and Rockport with the Atlantic on your shoulder. Tight in spots and busy in summer, so leave room and keep your speed honest. The reward is some of the best ocean riding in the Northeast.

Mount Greylock and the western hills

The auto road up Mount Greylock, the highest point in Massachusetts, plus Route 7 and Route 112 through the Berkshire and Hampshire hills. Cooler air, tighter corners, and a summit view that pays off the climb. Plan a diner stop and make a day of it.

Ride them like they deserve

These roads are good enough to ride your whole life, which is the point. Gear up, leave the ego at home, and bring someone with you. The best rides are the ones you get to do again.

Enjoy the roads. This is a community guide, not legal or safety advice for any specific situation.