re: the cars driver's insurance not paying out.
First, the entire video, if anyone needs a reminder:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kWvFD6VbeA
Now. Let me be perfectly clear, straight up: The old man deserves to be punished, plain and simple, and I can't care less whether he's repentant or not.
Second, let me be as perfectly clear: I ride. So let's not think this is some cager making the statement.
With that... I think the insurance is perfectly in their rights to tell those poor riders who this jerk sideswiped "We aren't paying."
The reason is this: Had the driver of that bike not attempted to pass on a double yellow line, and likely speeding to do so while you're at it, this would not have happened.
But that's easy 20-20 hindsight, I admit.
Also, it's easy to say "guy did it on purpose" (and for the record, yes, he did), but it's equally as possible there was something he was avoiding in the road. His actions indicate differently, of course, afterwards, but how many of us have had an "oh, crap!" moment on the road and needed to swerve to avoid hitting something unexpected, like a deer or a rabbit or whatever the heck?
That is why the insurance shouldn't pay out, because the riders took an unnecessary risk in the attempted passing on the double yellow lines and lost. End of story on that.
The DRIVER, however, should be held guilty, and if so, be ordered to pay up for the repairs to both parties and the bike for his actions, out of his own pocket. And be ordered that it be done to the forfieture of his home or car and/or whatever else he has if he has no money to do so. AND if he has to work, he can do it in jail/work release program, earning the money that way. But really, they should get a loan secured for him, pay the couple, and then he can just pay it back however he can, and let him and the bank deal with each other.
But let's take the moral of this story to heart, however the end of it the story winds up being:
Don't do dumb things, especially on a motorcycle. Everyone's an idiot, don't take stupid chances for the thrill on a public road. There's a track for that somewhere nearby.
End of semi-rant. Ride on, shiny side up folks.