New York State is a no-fault state in terms of car insurance coverage. Simply put, this means your car insurance policy will cover you, and the other guy’s car insurance policy will cover him, regardless of who was at fault for the damages.
You can purchase New York’s minimum car insurance requirements just the same as you would in any other state in America; however, New York’s minimum car insurance coverage requirements are a bit more in-depth as far as coverage goes, and pricier as far as costs go.
The minimum car insurance coverage in New York is as follows:
$10,000: Property damage liability
$50,000: Basic, no-fault coverage
Bodily injury liability: For injury, $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident. For death, $50,000 per person, and $100,000 per accident.
Uninsured motorist’s coverage: For injury, $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident. For death, $50,000 per person, and $100,000 per accident.
Of course, if you don’t own your car out-right, i.e., you borrowed money from a lender to help pay for it, you may have to purchase more car insurance than the minimum.
Despite the high costs of the minimum car insurance requirements, it is possible to get cheap car insurance in New York. Shop around with a few NY car insurance companies (remember, drivers in New York must purchase car insurance from a company licensed to do business in New York) and ask about what kinds of discounts they offer. Some discounts are pretty standard, such as those for good students and multi-line policies; other discounts may be unique to that particular car insurance company.
You may also make changes on your own to your car. Make sure it is up-to-date with safety features such as anti-theft alarm systems and reinforced window. Child-proof locks aren’t only safe, but impressive to car insurance companies. And instead of leaving your car in the side of the street, store it in a garage.