Pillion passengers can make a claim if they were injured in an accident that was caused by the driver of the motorcycle, was the fault of another road user or pedestrian or was caused due to defects in the road surface.
You must ensure that the driver of the motorbike has pillion passenger insurance, as without this the driver could be held personally liable should you be injured in an accident. We can still act for you in this circumstance but clearly having to claim against the driver of the motorbike could be an unpleasant experience.
The Highway Code has rules regarding riding pillion, and these should be followed. Some of these rules include:
1. Pillion passengers must wear a helmet.
2. Pillion passengers should wear eye protectors and protective clothing. So you should be wearing the same protective gear as the rider, namely, helmet with visor, biker jacket, gloves, pants and boots.
3. The rules advise bright colours to increase visibility during the day, and reflective clothing to increase visibility at night.
Pillion passenger claims tend to be more straightforward than other motorbike claims as the passenger has no control over the bike and is therefore unable to cause or prevent any accident. This very often means that pillion passenger claims can be settled quite quickly, with the minimum of resistance from insurers as liability for the accident is proven.
