Motorcycle Insurance Checklist

New York Motorcycle Insurance Checklist

1. Bodily injury liability – New York State requires minimum liability coverage of $25,000 to protect people you injure because of your negligence. Increasing this coverage has several benefits including continued free legal representation in the event you are sued for serious injuries. Most importantly, I strongly recommend increasing this coverage as much as possible so that you can also increase your Uninsured/Underinsured coverage. You can not buy more uninsured/underinsured coverage than the amount of your liability coverage.

2. Uninsured/Underinsured motorists coverage – This is the most important coverage of your motorcycle insurance policy which you can buy. This will protect you by reimbursing you for your injury in the event that you are injured in a motorcycle accident by someone else who negligently caused your injuries and who had less liability insurance than you.

In other words, assuming you have a motorcycle accident and suffer a broken leg. If you have a $300,000 liability insurance policy and the other vehicle which struck you had any amount of liability insurance less than $300,000, your underinsured endorsement option will pay you the difference.

As an example, if the other vehicle had the New York minimum $25,000 liability coverage and you suffered the typical type of injury which I see in most motorcycle accidents, the insurance company for the other vehicle will pay you $25,000 and your underinsured endorsement option will pay you an additional $275,000!

3. Property damage liability – This will reimburse other parties for property damage you have caused because of your negligence. This can include another vehicle you damage or other items, even a storefront you accidentally drive into.

4. No-fault or Personal Injury Protection (PIP) – No-Fault or PIP is the insurance coverage that pays for medical treatment and lost wages. No-Fault coverage is not available to New York motorcyclists or passengers of a motorcycle. However, you will see No-Fault coverage on your New York motorcycle insurance policy insurance because it is available to a pedestrian that is struck by your motorcycle.

5. Medical payments – This is available to motorcyclists and passengers of a motorcycle to help pay for medical bills, but is usually only available with relatively low limits. This is extremely inexpensive and I strongly recommend taking the maximum coverage available.

6. Collision – This coverage will reimburse you for damage caused to your motorcycle whether or not you are at fault.

7. Comprehensive – This coverage will reimburse you for damage or loss of your motorcycle in the event of fire or theft.