New York Car Insurance - The Basics
For motorists around the United States of America, it is every important to purchase and obtain the right motorcycle insurance policy for themselves. There are 3 basic components in a car insurance policy: one is the mandatory legal minimal coverage, the second in the personal benefit coverage, and third are the extra benefits that you can purchase to protect your dream machine. Understanding how a car insurance policy is structured will help you make your choice of an ideal policy for yourself more easily. This article will help you understand the basic minimum mandatory requirements for a car insurance policy for a car owner in New York.
There are some minimum legal mandates which motorists across USA need to follow in terms of their car insurance. These mandates vary from one jurisdiction to another and from one state to another. In New York the mandates are as following:
- 3rd party liability: In New York it is mandatory for all car owners to have at least $25,000 per individual and $ 50,000 per accident of 3rd party 3rd party liability insurance. This money is paid off to any 3rd party who may have been injured in an accident which has been determined to be the fault of the car owner. A similar coverage needs to be purchased for the death of a 3rd party for 100,000 as well as a $10,000 coverage for damage to 3rd party property. These are the basics and the car owner can purchase a higher level of insurance by choice.
- It is mandatory for all car owners and drivers to carry their car insurance documents and proof with them at all times while driving the vehicle. A law enforcement officer can stop you and ask for your proof of identification and insurance at any point of time. Not being able to produce an insurance proof is considered an offence.
- In the state of New York the validity of your car registration is largely dependent on the validity of your car insurance policy. Therefore, if your car insurance policy expires, then your car registration will also lapse. It is strongly recommended that if you are a car owner in New York state area, you should purchase your new car insurance policy well before your old one expires.
- The name on the car insurance policy document needs to be same as the owner of the car. If the insurance is purchased on a different name than as mentioned in the car registration document, it is not considered valid. Therefore, if one of your family members, for example your spouse or your children are driving a car that is registered in your name, it is mandatory that you purchase your car insurance policy also in your name. Alternatively you can have the car registered in the user's name.
- Pictures and photographs: In New York it is not mandatory for your insurance document to have either your or your car's photograph. However, many insurance providers have started including the photograph of the car in their documents for processing purposes.