As you are likely aware New York is a no-fault state which means that if you are injured in an accident that you would place a claim against your own insurance through your no-fault benefits. There is a minimum amount of no-fault insurance as well as Liability insurance that you must purchase as part of a personal passenger auto insurance policy but with either you can up the limits for better protection.
As the New York Insurance Department notes, New York State law requires that motorists carry a minimum amount of Liability insurance of $25,000 for Bodily Injury to one person, $50,000 for Bodily Injury to all persons, and $10,000 for Property Damage in any one accident. This is referred to as 25/50/10 coverage.
Mandatory "no-fault" coverage of $50,000 is also required. Many motorists carry higher Liability limits and additional Personal Injury Protection beyond these minimum benefits required by law.
[Let CarInsurance.com help you find affordable auto insurance now.] What is termed no-fault insurance is really Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and is there to pay medical expenses and lost earnings for a driver or passenger injured in, or a pedestrian injured by, your car. PIP is designed to pay promptly regardless of who might have been at fault or whether there was any negligence, for economic losses (meaning medical/health expenses, lost earnings, and certain other reasonable and necessary expenses related to injuries sustained), up to $50,000 per person (if you have only basic No-Fault coverage), to the driver and all passengers injured in your car as well as any pedestrians injured by your car, because of its use or operation in New York State.
The NYS insurance companies we work with offer basic PIP coverage with a $50,000 per person per incident with your choice of a $0, $100 or $200 deductible.
For a modest additional premium, optional coverages are available that will pay more than the required basic No-Fault benefits. Additional PIP is available with our partners at levels of $25,000, $50,000 or $100,000 per person per incident. Additional PIP adds the amount purchased to the $50,000 basic Personal Injury Protection limit for the covered PIP benefits in the event of a claim.
So you may purchase Additional PIP coverage, to raise the overall limit of No-Fault benefits available in case of an accident up to $100,000 and, in the process, increase the potential maximum amounts of lost earnings payments, other necessary expenses or the death benefit, depending on the limit you select.
Additional PIP also includes coverage for you and your family and, unlike basic No-Fault, extends to all out-of-state guest occupants in your car when driving anywhere in the United States, its territories and possessions, or Canada. For a minimal charge, you may also purchase additional PIP solely to cover such guest occupants, without increasing the overall limit of No-Fault benefits.
Insurers in NYS must offer Optional Basic Economic Loss (OBEL) coverage.Economic Loss can be purchased in the amount of $25,000 with our partners and increases coverage to the insured for things such as assistance with essential service expenses. Should you or your passengers need help performing household or other tasks due to accident-related injuries up to the allowed limits.
So if purchased, this coverage elevates the required $50,000 of basic economic loss PIP coverage by an additional $25,000. When the basic limit of $50,000 has been reached on a claim, this $25,000 can be designated by the injured person to be applied specifically to payments for loss of earnings from work (wage loss), for rehabilitation, or to all elements of basic economic loss.
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The maximum that your no-fault (PIP) insurance will pay out in New York depends upon your policy and the coverages you have chosen. If you have a basic no-fault policy than your maximum payout would be $50,000 but if you choose higher limits you can have over $100,000 in PIP benefits (if you add together your PIP coverage, additional PIP limits and OBEL).
If you want to shop around for New York State auto insurance rates you can click here for instant car insurance quotes. If you already have a NYS auto insurance policy in place you can speak to your agent about your coverages and limits. You can also contact the NYS Insurance Department, the insurance regulator for the state, for more consumer information. | 
