Pillion riders are always at a greater risk than riders in a two-wheeler. This is because; they do not wear protective gear while riding and were initially not even covered under motor insurance. Now, under third party insurance, a pillion rider on a motorcycle can make a claim and ask for compensation, should s/he suffer from injury when the two-wheeler meets with an accident. Here is everything you need to know about insuring a pillion rider.
Third Party Insurance for Pillion Riders
The Insurance Board (IB) has only recently made it imperative that pillion riders should be covered by third party insurance. Third party insurance refers to liability insurance that is bought by a policyholder from an insurance company. If a third party makes claims in case of an accident that has caused bodily injury, the insured is covered.
According to the new rule of the Insurance Board, any injury befallen on a pillion rider will be covered by third party insurance. Following this rule, the pillion rider’s next of kin can seek financial assistance and can receive a sum of up to INR 500,000 in case of death of the pillion rider. The insurance coverage amount for the pillion rider, in case of any injuries faced as a result of an accident, will be up to INR 300,000. The compensation amount for the pillion rider has been fixed in such a manner that it falls within the same range as the driver of the motorbike.
Situations When Pillion Riders Do Not Receive Help
If a third person, that is someone other than the motorbike rider and pillion rider is subjected to injury caused by a collision or accident, neither the pillion rider nor the rider of the motorcycle can avail the benefit of receiving the compensation amount.
So also, third party insurance does not take into consideration any kind of damage that is caused to the vehicle on account of the negligence of the rider. Theft of the vehicle is another condition where third party insurance is not applicable.
A Few Points to Remember
The vehicles that are used to transport the wounded party to the hospital will be offered INR 10,000. Ambulances are also included in this condition. Third party insurance will only take into account the rider of the two-wheeler and the pillion rider. Any third person on a two-wheeler that is subjected to bodily injury is not taken into consideration.
A child that falls into the one to five years age bracket is provided 50 percent of the compensation amount whereas, a child who is less than a year old will obtain 25 percent of the policy amount. Should treatment be conducted on an injured pillion rider in a foreign country, the insurers need to be duly notified by the patient’s family members. The insurer needs to be informed about this condition within a week’s time.
Riding pillion on two-wheelers can be dangerous but when you know what an insured pillion rider can seek compensation for, you are better prepared to tackle any kind of mishap that happens on the road.