If ever anyone needed a comprehensive amount of insurance coverage it would be the guy tooling down the road on two wheels amid a world of four-wheeled cars that often seem oblivious to the motorcyclist sharing their roadway. A biker has little or no protection when involved in an accident other than his/her protective clothing and what would qualify as a mere “fender bender” in a car can be quite serious on a motorcycle, involving broken bones or even worse.
Required Insurance
Just as for drivers of cars, NC state law requires those operating motorcycles on public roads to maintain a minimum of liability motorcycle insurance coverage. This is meant to provide financial protection in the event of an accident which is deemed to be your fault that, while not designed to pay any monetary benefits to you, will pay benefits to others suffering loss from an accident for which you’re found liable. The minimum amounts you’re required to maintain include:
- $25,000 for property damage resulting from any one accident
- $30,000 for bodily injuries (or death) per person per accident
- $60,000 total for bodily injuries (or deaths) of all persons per accident
Other Motorcycle Insurance Options
Just as with car insurance, the minimum amount of liability coverage required by state law is typically way less coverage than you would actually need in the event of an accident. For this reason, many North Carolina drivers and bike riders carry more than the minimum.
Since liability coverage only provides monetary benefits for “the other guy” in an accident you cause, it’s a good idea to consider adding other coverage to your policy that pays you in the event you’re involved in an accident or suffer other losses such as non-collision damage or theft of your motorcycle. These can be covered by buying comprehensive coverage. For damage caused to your motorcycle in the event you collide with another vehicle or other object, you’ll need to add collision coverage to your policy.
In the event you suffer bodily injuries in an accident, medical payments coverage will pay toward the costs involved in receiving medical services. If you’re in an accident caused by someone else but they either don’t have insurance or are underinsured, you can claim benefits on your policy if you have uninsured and/or underinsured motorist coverage. Talk to your trusted insurance broker before deciding which coverage best suits your needs and budget.