Motorcycle crashes in no fault states: a state by state guide
See who pays riders' and passengers' medical bills in each no fault state
Imagine a rider in Albany, New York, who pays for full coverage on the family car. A driver turns left across her lane, and she goes down hard. At the hospital she hands over her auto insurance card, sure her no fault coverage will handle the bills.
But New York’s required no fault coverage for cars leaves out anyone riding a motorcycle, so her car policy will not pay [2].
This guide covers 12 states and Puerto Rico that have no fault or PIP laws. Other states may have PIP rules we did not cover. For each place, we looked for the rule on the rider, the passenger and a person on foot hit by a bike.
How no fault insurance treats motorcycles
In a no fault system, your own policy pays your medical bills and some other losses after a crash, up to a limit, no matter who caused it. This coverage is called personal injury protection (PIP). Some states call it basic economic loss or basic reparation benefits. A 2011 consumer guide from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) notes that PIP can also pay lost wages and funeral costs [8].
In return, many no fault states limit when you can sue the other driver for pain and suffering. You may need a serious injury or medical bills above a set amount [9]. Some states let you choose. Pennsylvania drivers pick limited or full tort. New Jersey drivers pick a lawsuit option [10, 6].
Why motorcycles fall outside the system
Most of these laws tie PIP to the term “motor vehicle,” and several define it to leave motorcycles out. Florida’s no fault law covers vehicles with four or more wheels [11]. Minnesota’s leaves out anything with fewer than four wheels. North Dakota’s requires more than three wheels that carry weight [3, 12]. Michigan’s insurance department says its no fault law expressly treats motorcycles as something other than a motor vehicle [1].
That leaves a gap between your policies. Your motorcycle policy may carry only the liability coverage the state requires. Liability pays only for harm you cause others [3, 1].
State by state: what we confirmed
We checked each row against a law, insurance rule, regulator guide or court ruling on October 30, 2026. Your state insurance department and your policy have the final word.
Comparison compiled by Safety Behind the Wheel Foundation
No fault states and motorcycle injuries, as of October 2026
| State | Rider’s own injuries | Passenger | Notes and source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | Car PIP is not required to cover you | Same as the rider | PIP is built for vehicles with four or more wheels [11] |
| Hawaii | No PIP unless the car policy expressly includes it | Same as the rider | Bike policies must carry liability coverage [13] |
| Kansas | PIP comes with the bike policy unless the owner rejects it in writing | Bike PIP lists passengers, unless rejected | A car policy may exclude you on another vehicle you own [14] |
| Kentucky | No benefits from any source unless bought for the bike or by you | Same as the rider | Bike insurers must offer it; lawsuit limits skip passenger claims [9] |
| Massachusetts | Bike PIP not required; none from a household car policy | Same rules for “guests” | Bike policies must give PIP to pedestrians they hit [4] |
| Michigan | PIP from the other vehicle’s insurer first, if one was involved | Same order as the rider | Solo crash: health plan or bike medical coverage [1] |
| Minnesota | No, even if a car was involved | No; rule covers anyone on the bike | People on foot hit by a bike can get benefits [3] |
| New Jersey | No PIP from a car policy | No, under the law’s wording | Bike policies must give PIP to people on foot they hit; a car’s lawsuit option can bind you [6, 15, 7] |
| New York | No; car PIP excludes anyone on a motorcycle | No | Bike endorsement pays people outside the bike [2, 16] |
| North Dakota | No, under the wording we read | No, same reason | Car policy pays you if hit on foot by a bike [12] |
| Pennsylvania | No first party benefits for operators | No; occupants excluded | Person hit by a bike may claim on its policy (1989 case) [10, 5] |
| Utah | No PIP for owners and operators while riding (text before May 2026) | Not confirmed | A newer version took effect May 6, 2026; not reviewed [17] |
| Puerto Rico | No ACAA coverage without a bike endorsement on your license | Appears covered; not confirmed | Public ACAA plan covers motor vehicles broadly [18] |
As of October 2026. Each row rests on the sources cited in it, checked October 30, 2026. “Not confirmed” means we found no primary source; check with your state insurance department and your policy.
How the rules work for riders and passengers
States where car PIP stops at the motorcycle
New York’s required PIP coverage for cars excludes anyone occupying a motorcycle. Occupying includes getting on or off [2]. That shuts out the rider and the passenger. A 2024 New York ruling notes one exception: the operator of a class C limited use motorcycle, with a top speed of 20 miles per hour or less, may qualify [16].
In Florida, a state insurance rule says PIP does not have to cover people riding in a vehicle outside the four wheel definition [11]. Riders and passengers on a motorcycle fall into that gap. The PIP law is still in the 2026 Florida Statutes [11].
In Koff v. Carrubba (1996), a New Jersey appeals court said a rider hit by a car backing out of a mall parking space had no right to PIP [6]. New Jersey’s PIP law covers people in a private passenger car or on foot [15]. Its definition of a pedestrian leaves out anyone on a motorized road vehicle, so a motorcycle passenger would not qualify either [15].
Minnesota law says injuries while on, climbing onto or getting off a bike do not count as coming from a motor vehicle [3]. The rule applies even if a car struck the bike. If you buy a motorcycle policy without PIP, the insurer must give you a notice saying your car’s PIP will not stretch to a motorcycle crash [3].
Other states use their own words for the same idea:
- Massachusetts rules say a bike policy need not include PIP for the owner, rider or a guest hurt while riding. An injured operator or guest also cannot collect PIP through a car policy that they or a household member own [4].
- Pennsylvania law bars the rider or anyone else on a motorcycle from first party benefits, its name for PIP [10].
- In Hawaii, riders and passengers cannot claim PIP under a car policy unless the policy says it covers them [13].
- North Dakota’s car coverage pays you and relatives while in a vehicle with four or more wheels, or while on foot [12]. Under that wording, a motorcycle rider is neither.
- Utah’s law said owners and operators get no PIP for injuries while riding [17]. A newer version took effect May 6, 2026. We did not review it, so check the current wording.
Michigan: the main exception
Guides from Michigan’s insurance department (DIFS), dated 2019 and 2020, say a rider hurt in a crash with an insured car or truck gets PIP from that vehicle’s insurer [1]. State law, last changed in 2019, sets one order for riders and passengers. Claims go first to the insurer of the vehicle’s owner, next its driver’s insurer, next the rider’s car insurer, and last the bike owner’s car insurer [1]. PIP can include medical bills, lost wages, survivor benefits and up to $20 a day for help at home [1].
Imagine a rider near Grand Rapids who swerves to miss a deer and slides out alone. No car was involved, so she turns to her health plan or the bike’s medical coverage [1]. Had a pickup clipped her, she would file with the pickup’s insurer. If a motor vehicle was involved but no PIP is available, DIFS says riders may get up to $250,000 from the Michigan Assigned Claims Plan [1].
Kansas: PIP can come with the bike
Kansas law includes PIP in a motorcycle policy unless the owner named on the policy rejects it in writing [14]. Once rejected, the insurer does not have to add it back at renewal unless you ask in writing [14]. A Kansas car insurer may also exclude PIP while you ride in another vehicle you own that the car policy does not insure [14]. Ask both insurers how these rules fit together.
Kentucky and Puerto Rico
Kentucky’s law says no rider or passenger on a motorcycle can get basic reparation benefits, its name for PIP, from any source for a bike crash [9]. The exception is coverage bought as an option for the bike or by the injured person. Insurers that sell motorcycle liability coverage must offer that option, plus uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage [9].
Puerto Rico runs its own public plan, known as ACAA. Its 2020 law counts any road vehicle not powered by muscle as a motor vehicle [18]. In a March 2025 notice, ACAA said riders without the motorcycle endorsement on their license have no ACAA coverage [18]. That suggests licensed riders are covered, but we found no line on passengers. ACAA lists medical care for up to two years and disability pay of half your lost weekly income, up to $100 a week for the first 52 weeks [18].
People hit by a motorcycle
If your bike hits someone on foot, several states spell out who pays.
New York requires a separate no fault endorsement on motorcycle policies. It pays people hurt by the insured motorcycle who were not on that bike, another motorcycle or a motor vehicle, for crashes inside New York [2]. A New York car policy, in turn, leaves out its own policyholder or relative hit on foot by a bike [2].
Imagine a man in Buffalo crossing at a light when a motorcycle clips him. His medical bills would go first to the motorcycle’s no fault endorsement, not his own car insurer.
Other states we confirmed:
- In Minnesota, a person on foot struck by a motorcycle has a right to no fault benefits [3].
- In Massachusetts, a bike policy must pay PIP to people on foot that the bike hits [4].
- New Jersey requires motorcycle liability policies to pay PIP to people on foot hurt in the state by the insured bike [15].
- In a 1989 Pennsylvania case, a motorcycle hit a boy riding a bicycle. The court said he could collect first party benefits from the bike’s policy [5].
- North Dakota car coverage pays the policyholder and relatives if a motorcycle hits them while on foot [12]. Its clause for other pedestrians mentions only the insured car [12].
- Kansas lists people struck by the insured vehicle among those PIP must cover [14]. How an owner’s rejection affects them is not clear.
- In a 1999 Hawaii appeals case, an accident with a motorcycle did not count as a motor vehicle accident under the no fault law, so no benefits were owed [13].
We could not confirm the rule for pedestrians in Florida, Kentucky, Michigan, Utah or Puerto Rico.
If you also own a car: limits on lawsuits
A car policy can shape your right to sue even when it pays nothing for your motorcycle crash.
New Jersey
In Koff v. Carrubba, the rider had picked the lawsuit limit, then called the verbal threshold, on his car policy and saved on premiums [6]. The court held him to it, even though PIP paid nothing for his injuries [6]. A policy on a motorcycle alone would not have had that effect, the court said [6].
New Jersey changed its auto law in 1998, but a 2006 ruling, Echeverri v. Blakely, applied Koff again [7]. That rider had no PIP on his motorcycle policy. He lived with his mother, was listed on her policy with the lawsuit limit and owned other vehicles [7]. To sue for pain and suffering, he had to show a permanent injury or a displaced bone fracture [7]. Both rulings are old. New Jersey law may have changed since, so check current rules.
New York
New York courts disagree. A 2024 ruling lays out the split [16]. One appeals court held in 1985 that an injured motorcyclist does not have to show a serious injury. Another held in 1977 that a motorcyclist in a crash with a car does [16]. A third court found in 2019 that a motorcycle passenger was outside the no fault system, so the serious injury question did not matter [16].
Pennsylvania, Kentucky and Hawaii
Pennsylvania drivers who pick limited tort keep full tort rights if hurt while in a vehicle that is not a private passenger vehicle [10]. We did not confirm whether that term leaves out motorcycles.
Kentucky lets bike owners and riders reject the lawsuit limits for bike use only, if they file before a crash [9]. The limits also do not apply to a passenger’s injury claim tied to the motorcycle [9].
For motorcycle accidents, Hawaii law leaves the right to sue in place. When a car is involved, though, the claim follows the state’s general no fault lawsuit rules [13]. We did not confirm how those limits apply to riders.
We did not confirm how lawsuit limits apply to riders who own cars in Florida, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Utah or Puerto Rico.
Backup coverages riders rely on
Medical payments on the motorcycle policy
The NAIC says medical payments coverage pays for care when you or the people riding with you are hurt [8]. In Michigan, every company that sells bike policies must offer medical coverage you can add in $5,000 steps, up to a cap each insurer sets [1]. Utah’s law, in the version we read, lets insurers add medical coverage to bike policies [17]. Elsewhere, ask what your insurer sells.
Florida riders over 21 may skip a helmet if they have a policy with $10,000 or more in medical benefits for bike crash injuries [11]. In Michigan, a rider who goes without a helmet needs $20,000 or more in medical benefits [1].
Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage
Uninsured motorist (UM) coverage pays you when the driver who hits you has no insurance or drives off. Underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage helps when the driver at fault has too little insurance to cover your loss [8]. Do not assume your car’s UM and UIM follow you onto the bike. In Minnesota, the UM and UIM coverage the law requires does not apply while you ride a motorcycle you own [3].
Health insurance and the other driver’s liability
Your health plan may be the main payer after a solo crash, as Michigan’s regulator notes [1]. If another driver caused the crash, that driver’s bodily injury liability coverage may pay, but only up to its limits.
What to do after a crash in a no fault state
Get medical care first. Call 911 if anyone is badly hurt.
Report to every insurer that might pay
Tell your motorcycle insurer, the insurer for any car in your household and the other driver’s insurer. Policies often set deadlines for notice and claim forms, so ask each company for its deadlines in writing.
Keep records from day one
Save the police report number, photos, medical bills, pay stubs and every insurer letter. Log the date, name and claim number for each call. If your health plan pays, keep its statements, since it may ask to be repaid from a later settlement.
Get help before you sign anything
Lawsuit limits in New Jersey and New York can turn on facts like which policies you own and where you live [16, 7]. Before you sign a release or take a settlement, ask a licensed attorney or your state insurance department to walk you through your choices.
Questions to ask your insurance agent
Question checklist from Safety Behind the Wheel Foundation
- Does any policy in my household pay my medical bills if I am hurt riding my motorcycle?
- Does my motorcycle policy include medical payments or PIP, and what is the limit?
- Is my passenger covered for medical bills, and under which policy?
- If my bike hits someone walking, what pays that person’s medical bills?
- Do my car’s UM and UIM coverages follow me onto the motorcycle, or do I need them on the bike policy?
- Does the lawsuit option on my car policy affect me when I ride?
- Did I ever sign a form rejecting PIP or lawsuit limits on my motorcycle?
- If my health plan pays after a crash, does it expect repayment out of any settlement?
Frequently asked questions
Does my car’s PIP cover me on my motorcycle?
In most no fault states we checked, no. New York, New Jersey, Florida, Minnesota, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Hawaii, Kentucky and North Dakota all leave riders out in some way, as did the Utah law we read [2, 6, 11, 3, 4, 10, 13, 9, 12, 17]. Michigan pays PIP through the other vehicle’s insurer when a motor vehicle is involved [1].
Will PIP pay for my passenger?
Usually not through a car policy. These states we checked leave the passenger out: New York, New Jersey, Florida, Minnesota, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Hawaii and North Dakota [2, 15, 11, 3, 4, 10, 13, 12]. In Kentucky, a passenger gets benefits only through optional coverage [9]. Michigan passengers follow the rider’s claim order [1]. In Kansas, the bike’s own PIP lists passengers unless the owner rejected it [14].
Can I still sue the driver who hit me?
It depends on your state and your other policies. New Jersey courts have held riders to the lawsuit limit on their car policies [6, 7]. New York courts are split [16]. Kentucky riders can reject the limits for the motorcycle ahead of time [9]. An attorney can tell you how the rules apply to you.
The bottom line
Recommendation from Safety Behind the Wheel Foundation
In most no fault states we checked, the PIP on your car policy does not cover you or your passenger on a motorcycle. Michigan and Kansas work differently. A few states protect people on foot who are hit by a motorcycle [1, 14, 2, 4]. Medical payments, UM and UIM coverage on the bike, plus health insurance, can help fill the gap [8].
These rules vary by state and change over time. Before you ride, contact your state insurance department, go through your motorcycle and car policies, and ask your agent the questions above.
Sources and further reading
- 1Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services. Riding a motorcycle in Michigan (FIS-PUB 6180, November 2019) and Quick facts: motorcycle insurance (FIS-PUB 6180A, marked 1/20); and Michigan Compiled Laws section 500.3114, as amended by 2019 PA 21, Michigan Legislature. michigan.gov/…/FIS-PUB_6180_650300_7.pdf ; michigan.gov/…/FIS-PUB_6180a_693735_7.pdf ; zeus-milenia.legislature.mi.gov/…/MCL-500-3114.pdf
- 2New York State Department of Financial Services. 11 NYCRR 65-1.1, Mandatory personal injury protection endorsement (Regulation 68), including the motorcycle endorsement. Amended through February 8, 2023, via Legal Information Institute. law.cornell.edu/…/11-NYCRR-65-1.1
- 3Minnesota Statutes chapter 65B: section 65B.46 (2021 edition) and sections 65B.43, 65B.48 and 65B.49 (2012 edition). Office of the Revisor of Statutes. revisor.mn.gov/statutes/2021/cite/65B.46/pdf ; revisor.mn.gov/statutes/2012/cite/65B/pdf
- 4Massachusetts Division of Insurance. 211 CMR 3.00: Motorcycle insurance, section 3.02. August 26, 2016; text current through June 20, 2025. mass.gov/…/211-3.pdf ; regulations.justia.com/…/section-3-02
- 5Green v. K & K Insurance Co., 389 Pa. Super. 73, 566 A.2d 622 (Pa. Super. Ct. November 27, 1989). law.justia.com/…/389-pa-super-73-0.html
- 6Koff v. Carrubba, 290 N.J. Super. 544 (App. Div. May 30, 1996). law.justia.com/…/a396-95-opn.html
- 7Echeverri v. Blakely, Docket No. A-4190-04T2 (N.J. Super. App. Div. March 14, 2006). law.justia.com/…/a4190-04-opn.html
- 8National Association of Insurance Commissioners. A consumer’s guide to auto insurance. 2011, Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance printing. tennessee.gov/…/Consumer_Guide_Auto_Insuran…
- 9Kentucky Revised Statutes sections 304.39-020 (effective July 15, 2026), 304.39-040 (effective July 15, 1998; 2019 compilation via LegalFix) and 304.39-060 (2025 edition). apps.legislature.ky.gov/…/statute.aspx ; legalfix.com/…/section-304-39-040 ; law.justia.com/…/section-304-39-060
- 1075 Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes section 1705, Election of tort options, and section 1714, Ineligible claimants (2015 compilation). legis.state.pa.us/…/00.017.005.000..HTM ; law.justia.com/…/section-1714
- 11Florida Statutes section 627.736 (2026 edition); Part XI of chapter 627, Florida Motor Vehicle No Fault Law, and section 627.732, Definitions (2024 edition, including 2025C); section 316.211 (2023), Equipment for motorcycle and moped riders; and Florida Administrative Code rules 69O-176.001 and 69O-176.005, via Legal Information Institute. m.flsenate.gov/Statutes/627.736 ; flsenate.gov/…/Part_XI ; syfert.com/florida/statutes/0627.732.html ; law.justia.com/…/section-316-211 ; law.cornell.edu/…/Fla-Admin-Code-Ann-R-69O-17… ; law.cornell.edu/…/Fla-Admin-Code-Ann-R-69O-17…
- 12North Dakota Century Code sections 26.1-41-01, Definitions (current as of January 1, 2024), and 26.1-41-06, Persons entitled to basic no fault benefits (2026 edition). codes.findlaw.com/…/nd-cent-code-sect-26-1-41-01 ; law.counselstack.com/statute/nd/26.1-41-06
- 13Hawaii State Legislature. House Bill 220, H.D. 1 (2025), reprinting Hawaii Revised Statutes sections 431:10C-304, 431:10G-105 and 431:10G-301; and section 431:10C-303 (2025 edition) with case note citing 91 Haw. 299, 983 P.2d 200 (App. 1999). data.capitol.hawaii.gov/…/HB220_HD1_.HTM ; law.justia.com/…/section-431-10c-303
- 14Kansas Statutes Annotated sections 40-3107 (as amended effective January 1, 2017) and 40-3108. Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes. ksrevisor.gov/…/040_031_0007.html ; ksrevisor.gov/…/040_031_0008.html
- 15New Jersey Statutes section 39:6A-4 (2025 edition) and section 17:28-1.3 (2022 edition), via Justia; definitions in section 39:6A-2 as quoted in Goyco v. Progressive Insurance Co. (N.J. May 14, 2024). law.justia.com/…/section-39-6a-4 ; law.justia.com/…/section-17-28-1-3 ; njcourts.gov/…/a_12_23.pdf
- 16Sterling v. Diaz, 2024 NY Slip Op 51506(U) (Sup. Ct., Bronx County, November 6, 2024), discussing Carbone v. Visco (4th Dept 1985), Simone v. Streeben (3d Dept 1977) and Jung v. Glover (2d Dept 2019). nycourts.gov/…/2024_51506.htm
- 17Utah Code section 31A-22-302, Required components of motor vehicle insurance policies; exceptions. Version marked superseded May 6, 2026; 2022 edition. le.utah.gov/…/C31A-22-S302_18000101180001… ; law.justia.com/…/section-302
- 18Puerto Rico. Law No. 111 of August 14, 2020 (Ley de Proteccion Social por Accidentes de Vehiculos de Motor); ACAA benefits brochure (2025 file); and ACAA press release, DTOP, CST y ACAA unen esfuerzos para facilitar endosos de motoras en toda la isla, March 24, 2025. bvirtualogp.pr.gov/…/111-2020.pdf ; docs.pr.gov/…/ACAA%20Folletos%20Beneficio… ; docs.pr.gov/…/DTOP,%20CST%20y%20ACAA%20un…
This article reflects the safety priorities of motorcycle safety and crash recovery education. It offers general information about how no fault laws treat riders, not legal, insurance or financial advice. State laws, insurance rules and policy terms differ and change, so confirm details with your state insurance department and read your own policies. For a claim or a lawsuit question, a licensed agent or attorney can help. Reviewed October 2026.
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