The state of New York has a no-fault law in place for car accidents, meaning that insurance companies are required to pay for any medical expenses, lost earnings, and incidental costs resulting from a car accident regardless of who was at fault. However, these same protections don’t apply to New York motorcyclists. When a motorcyclist gets in an accident, they’re not safeguarded by the state’s no-fault statute, and medical bills become the responsibility of the person who’s injured.
Likewise, the required New York insurance for motorcyclists is fairly basic and doesn’t protect the rider when they are at fault, unless the accident specifically involves hitting a pedestrian. There are many different insurance policies offered by private insurance companies in New York to provide better protection to motorcyclists, including collision coverage, comprehensive coverage, uninsured motorist coverage, and underinsured motorist coverage.
Even the minimum required insurance for motorcyclists in the state of New York—liability motorcyclist insurance—doesn’t fully cover the costs incurred by the motorcyclist, even if they’re not at fault. Other policies can protect motorcyclists from things like having a passenger on their bike, coverage when the liable party is uninsured, and coverage for additional equipment added to the motorcycle.