Boat insurance in New Jersey isn’t like auto insurance. Without any legal requirements for coverage, boat owners are free to decide which coverages (if any) they want their policy to include.
One of the biggest reasons to get insurance coverage for your boat, despite your lawful ability to operate a boat without it, is to protect yourself and others in the event of an accident resulting in significant medical or legal costs.
But with a host of coverage options, it can be hard to know which ones you need to make sure everyone is covered. Here’s a simple guide to who is and who isn’t covered by different types of policies.
You are covered
If you get injured on your boat, medical payments coverage can help pay for hospital bills, medication, rehab and physical therapy. Medical payments coverage applies whether or not you’re at fault and, if there’s another boat involved, whether or not the other party has liability insurance.
Since boat insurance is not required by law and uninsured boats are commonplace, you can also add uninsured boater coverage for extra peace of mind.
Passengers are covered
Liability coverage works a lot like homeowner’s insurance in the event someone gets injured while on your boat. Along with property damage liability, it usually covers bodily injury that includes hospitalizations, rehab and related medical expenses. Uninsured boater insurance coverage protects passengers on your boat as well.
Liability coverage
When someone who isn’t on your boat is injured in an accident for which you’re deemed responsible, liability coverage works more like liability insurance for a car. It covers all the same things covered for a passenger on your boat, plus legal fees if someone chooses to sue you.
Possible reasons for a liability claim are many and varied, from a collision with another boat to one with a dock or other land-based physical structure that results in an injury. You can even be held responsible for an injury suffered as a result of a large wake left by your boat.
Water skiers are not covered
Water skiing is a popular activity for boat owners and their friends, but water skiers aren’t covered by typical boat liability insurance. You’ll need a separate policy for water skiing and other water sports coverage.
At John B. Wright, we’ve been insuring boats for more than 50 years. That means you never have to worry about what might happen because we’ve seen it all and know how to protect against it. Schedule a consultation today.
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