What You Need to Know About Motorcycle Insurance in New York

According to New York state law, you must carry liability motorcycle insurance on your bike to help you cover costs related to property damage and bodily injury suffered by others in a crash that you cause.

The no-fault law in New York does not protect motorcyclists, as they are not entitled to no-fault benefits.

Your motorcycle insurance policy must include the following minimum coverage limits per accident:

• $25,000 for bodily injury per person.
• $50,000 for total bodily injury in the event that multiple people are hurt in the accident.
• $50,000 for death per person.
• $100,000 for death if there are multiple fatalities in the accident.
• $10,000 for property damage.

Remember, these are only the minimum requirements!

In addition to the above motorcycle coverage limits, New York law also requires the following:

• The name on your motorcycle insurance policy must match the name on your motorcycle registration.
• A motorcycle insurance company licensed to do business in New York must provide your coverage.

For more detailed information on motorcycle insurance requirements in NY State, visit the DMV.org website.

Why you should change your motorcycle insurance basic Liability policy TODAY!

Many insurance companies will try and sell you just the minimum insurance needed for your motorcycle, so you can get out on the road and ride, but don’t be fooled because “basic liability insurance” for motorcycles does not cover your own injuries in the event you are in an accident.  The single most important thing that you can do to protect yourself in the event that you are injured due to the negligence of another driver is to purchase the most Supplementary Underinsured Motorist (SUM) coverage that you can afford.

Supplementary Underinsured Motorist and Why You Need to Increase it!

This is the most important part of any motorcycle (or even automobile) insurance policy. This coverage protects you in the event that you are injured by a driver having a really bad policy. It is coverage from your insurance carrier to compensate you for your pain and suffering when the other driver’s policy is inadequate to do so.

The single most important thing that you can do to protect yourself in the event that you are injured due to the negligence of another driver is to purchase the most Supplementary Underinsured Motorist (SUM) coverage that you can afford. At a minimum you should purchase at least $100,000 of SUM coverage, but ideally you should have $250,000 or more of SUM coverage. Thus, in the event that you are injured by a driver who has the minimum coverage required in NY, $25,000, you can receive additional compensation from your own insurance carrier up to the maximum amount of your SUM coverage, less whatever sum of money you have received from the offending driver’s liability insurance carrier.

When you check your policy, and you see that you do not have sufficient SUM coverage, you need to fix that immediately. Call your insurance broker/carrier and insist on significantly more SUM coverage.

Michael S. Levine Esq. (Motorcycle Mike) has been practicing law in the state of New York since 1985. As an avid motorcyclist, he understands the common causes of motorcycle accidents. Whether you were caught in a driver’s blind spot or injured in a hit-and-run accident, he has the knowledge and experience to take on any motorcycle accident case.  Feel free to reach out to him anytime if you have questions about your motorcycle insurance policy. He’s always on your side when you ride.