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Everyone who operates a car in New York has to meet the minimum insurance requirements. Often, however, insurance can seem complex, and you may think you have the coverage you need without realizing that you could benefit from further protection.  

When you’re considering increasing your coverage, it’s helpful to have a clear idea of your insurance options. This knowledge could make a significant difference to the compensation you would be entitled to if you were in a car accident. So, what car insurance options do you have? 

Required New York Car Insurance

To legally operate a vehicle in New York, you need three types of insurance: liability coverage, personal injury protection, and uninsured motorist coverage.  

Liability Coverage

Liability insurance covers injuries that someone may suffer if you cause an accident. The minimum you must be covered for is $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident. You also must have a minimum coverage of $10,000 in case an accident you cause results in damage to someone’s property. 

Personal Injury Protection

Because New York is a no-fault state when it comes to car accidents, you need to have personal injury protection (PIP) insurance so that you can recover damages no matter who’s at fault. PIP also covers cyclists or pedestrians you hit with your car. The minimum coverage for PIP is $50,000 per person.  

Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist Coverage

Uninsured or underinsured motorist insurance covers any injuries that you and your passengers may suffer in a collision with an uninsured or underinsured driver. It can also help you recuperate losses in a hit-and-run accident. This insurance covers up to $25,000 per person and up to $50,000 per accident.  

Major Types of Optional Car Insurance in New York

Aside from the required insurance, you can supplement your coverage with additional options.  

Additional PIP Benefits

Additional PIP insurance allows you to increase your no-fault insurance coverage. You can raise it to $100,000 or higher, which increases how much of your lost earnings you can claim.  

Additional PIP benefits also cover your family and out-of-state guest occupants in your car, no matter where in the United States or its territories you’re traveling. It also covers you while traveling in Canada.  

Another option you have as part of additional PIP benefits is optional basic economic loss (OBEL) coverage. This coverage raises the basic economic loss coverage of $50,000 by $25,000, which you can designate to apply to lost wages, rehabilitation, or other aspects of economic losses.  

Collision Coverage

Collision coverage takes care of the cost to repair or replace your car after being in an accident. It’s a no-fault insurance option, and it gives you additional protections, especially if you were to blame for the accident.  

Comprehensive Coverage

This type of insurance pays you for any damage that occurs to your vehicle outside of a collision. It can cover your car in the case of theft, fires, hitting an animal, and floods.  

What Your Options Are After a Car Accident

After being in a car accident in New York with only basic insurance, you first rely on no-fault coverage from your insurer to take care of medical expenses and other losses. It doesn’t matter whether you’re to blame.  

Unfortunately, your PIP coverage might not be enough to cover losses if you’ve sustained serious injuries. You can file a lawsuit against the person who caused the accident and receive economic damages if you experienced economic losses that go beyond basic ones. If you suffered severe injuries, you can claim non-economic losses, too. 

Keep in mind that filing a lawsuit requires proving the other party is liable. You must gather evidence and demonstrate that you don’t hold the majority of fault. Because this isn’t a simple process to undertake, you need car accident lawyers to help put together your claim.  

Get the Help You Need After a New York Car Accident

Being in a car accident can be one of the most stressful events you can experience. You can end up with injuries, property damage, and bills that you may be unable to pay off with your minimum insurance.  

At Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, we can help you understand whether you can step outside of no-fault insurance laws and file a lawsuit against the at-fault driver. We have decades of experience that we can rely on to fight for the compensation you deserve. Contact our team to speak with a New York car accident lawyer.