What is ATV liability insurance?
By Allstate
Last updated: January 1
When you're out on an all-terrain vehicle, you can expect to feel the wind in your face as you watch the landscape zip by. But ATV riding also can also be unpredictable: Whether it's the result of an unexpected hole or bump, a steep slope or a collision with another rider, you don't want an accident to ruin your good times.
In 2014 alone, about 93,700 ATV-related injuries were treated in U.S. emergency rooms, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
If you cause an accident that causes someone else's injuries or damage to their property, the liability coverage in an ATV insurance policy may help prevent you from paying out of pocket for resulting medical bills or repairs.
How can ATV liability coverage help?
Liability coverage typically includes two types of protection:
- Bodily injury:
This is the liability coverage that kicks in if you cause an accident that injures another person. It typically helps cover that person's medical bills. - Property damage:
This is coverage that's designed to help when you cause an accident that damages someone else's property. For instance, it may help cover the cost to repair damage to a building or fence after a collision.
Does homeowners or auto insurance cover an ATV?
While you likely have liability coverage with your car insurance policy, that coverage does not extend to ATVs, says the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). You may find that your homeowners insurance policy provides limited liability coverage for an ATV, according to the NAIC.
Be sure to ask your agent whether the liability coverage on your homeowners policy extends to your ATV and, if so, how much protection it would offer. Then you can decide whether a separate ATV policy with liability coverage is right for you.
ATV liability coverage may be required
In some instances, you may be required to have ATV liability coverage. While ATV insurance isn't typically a legal requirement when you're riding on your own land, some states require it when you ride on state-owned property, according to the Insurance Information Institute.
But, regardless of whether it's required, liability coverage may be a smart investment if you consider that you could end up being responsible for medical or property damage costs for an accident that happens when you're driving.
With the peace of mind that comes with having a safety net in place, you may find the trails are even more enjoyable when you're traveling on your ATV.