What Does Snowmobile Insurance Cover?

Riding a snowmobile in winter is a fun recreational activity, but slippery roads, submerged rocks, and cracked surfaces can lead to dangerous accidents. If you enjoy snowmobile rides, just wearing your helmet and proper gear isn’t enough; an accident can damage your snowmobile, with an overwhelming repair/replacement cost.

On top of that, as snowmobiles lack protective barriers just like motorcycles, an accidental crash can lead to serious injuries and even death. The lightweight size of the vehicle also leaves it at substantial risk of theft, vandalism, and severe winter storms.

So, considering all these risks, it is crucial to have a snowmobile insurance policy with adequate coverage options within your budget. In this article, you will learn what snowmobile insurance is, what it covers, and does not cover.

What is Snowmobile Insurance?

Snowmobile insurance is a specialized insurance policy, particularly designed to cover your sled’s repair/replacement costs for accidental damage, and medical bills to treat your injuries. If you are at fault for a snowmobile accident, this policy protects you financially by covering your liability costs, including their medical bills, loss of income, and property damage or vehicle repair expenses.

What Does Snowmobile Insurance Cover?

Snowmobile insurance provides financial protection against liability costs, accidental damage, and unexpected events like theft, fire, vandalism, severe weather conditions, and more.

Well, here’s the catch, you can’t simply get covered for the above-mentioned perils; it’s essential to purchase the right snowmobile coverage. Typically, each snowmobile coverage covers a specific type of risk and cost.

So, before purchasing your snowmobile insurance policy, it’s important to know what each of these snowmobile coverage provides to make an informed decision and purchase a policy that fulfills your needs.

When it comes to sledding, snowmobiles are a popular choice in Michigan. If you’re looking for a reliable insurance agency in Michigan offering cheap snowmobile insurance with a wide range of coverage, you should explore PLPD’s snowmobile insurance policy.

Liability Coverage

The liability coverage provides financial protection against liability costs when you’re at fault for a snowmobile accident. The snowmobile liability coverage specifically covers the medical bills of the other driver and their passengers, along with vehicle repair and property damage expenses.

Simply put, liability coverage is designed to compensate another person for bodily injuries and property damage up to your coverage limits. Keep in mind that snowmobile liability coverage does not cover your medical bills or sled repair expenses.

Also, it is legally mandatory to have minimum liability insurance for snowmobiles in a few states, including New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, North Dakota, and South Dakota.

Guest Passenger Liability Coverage

If you often ride your snowmobile with another person, it’s essential to consider guest passenger liability coverage. The guest passenger liability coverage pays the medical expenses of your passenger when they’re injured in a snowmobile accident in which you’re at fault. This includes ambulance, doctor visits, medical tests, hospital stays, and emergency treatment.

Whether you’re riding your snowmobile with your spouse, friend, family member, colleague, or an acquaintance, a single accident can lead to severe injuries. Remember, when you’re taking someone on your sled for a ride, they practically become your responsibility both legally and ethically, especially if you’re at fault for the accident.

PIP or MedPay Coverage

PIP (personal injury protection) coverage for snowmobile insurance covers medical expenses, loss of income, caregiver expenses, childcare services, and even funeral costs for you and your passenger after a snowmobile accident.

Typically, PIP Insurance is specifically required in no-fault states like Michigan. It is only available in a few at-fault states, including Delaware, Maryland, and Oregon. If PIP is not available in your state, you can get MedPay (medical payments) coverage.

MedPay is an add-on coverage for snowmobile insurance that covers medical expenses such as ambulance fees, hospital stays, medical tests, surgery, emergency treatment and funeral expenses.

Unlike PIP coverage,  MedPay insurance does not cover costs like lost wages, but it can help you cover health insurance deductibles and co-pays. Apart from the differences, both PIP and MedPay insurance cover medical expenses for you and your passengers regardless of who’s at fault for the accident.

Collision Coverage

Riding your sled on icy and snowy trails can lead to accidental bumps and crashes with objects or other vehicles. Depending on the severity of the impact, your snowmobile can get damaged.

When your snowmobile gets damaged due to an accidental collision, even if it gets hit by another vehicle while it’s safely parked, this coverage will pay for your snowmobile repair/replacement costs up to your coverage limit.

It’s important to keep in mind that you will have to pay your deductibles (if any), and collision coverage reimburses your sled repair/replacement costs based on its actual cash value (minus depreciation).

Comprehensive Coverage

Even while your snowmobile is safely parked at the garage, parking lot, or right in front of your home’s front yard, it is susceptible to financial risks from unexpected events like theft, vandalism, fire, and severe weather conditions like a blizzard or hailstorm.

These incidents can damage, and even wreck your sled, and that’s where comprehensive snowmobile insurance comes in. With comprehensive coverage, your snowmobile is financially protected against such unexpected events that are beyond your control.

So, if your snowmobile gets damaged due to these unprecedented events, the comprehensive insurance coverage will pay for its repair/replacement costs at actual cash value up to your coverage limit.

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage

Have you thought of the financial consequences of ending up in a snowmobile accident where the other driver is at fault? What if the other driver is uninsured or does not have adequate liability coverage?

If that’s the case, the at-fault driver will not be able to cover your medical bills and sled repair expenses. So, you will have no option to claim insurance with medical or collision coverage. But if you don’t have adequate medical and collision coverage, or none at all, then you will have to bear these expenses out of pocket, which can be financially overwhelming.

So, to avoid these risks, it’s essential to have uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage in your snowmobile insurance policy to cover your liability claims if the at fault driver does not have adequate liability coverage or none at all.

Submersion/Immersion Coverage

Riding your snowmobile on icy trails or glaciers can be very exciting, but it also comes with a substantial risk of sinking. Sometimes frozen lakes or rivers may seem like a solid surface, but they can crack at any time, which can cause your sled to instantly sink underwater.

The submersion/immersion coverage is a special add-on for snowmobile insurance, which covers the cost of recovering your snowmobile from the water. On average, the cost of recovering a snowmobile from the water ranges from $5,000 to $20,000 or more, depending on the water depth and the complexity of the recovery process.

With the submersion/immersion coverage, your snowmobile insurance policy will pay the expenses required to recover your sled from the water, essentially protecting you from a hefty financial burden.

Transport Trailer Coverage

Transport trailers are commonly attached to sleds to make the riding experience more comfortable and to create room for additional passengers. However, as a transport trailer isn’t a part of the snowmobile, the standard snowmobile policy will not cover its repair/replacement costs.

So, to ensure that your transport trailer is adequately covered against accidental collisions and unexpected risks, it is essential to add transport trailer coverage to your snowmobile insurance policy.

The transport trailer coverage includes a combined financial protection of both collision and comprehensive coverage. This coverage is specifically designed to cover trailers that are attached to snowmobiles.

OEM Parts Coverage

Will your snowmobile perform or feel the same if third-party parts are used to fix it? Worse, if they’re inferior, it can significantly downgrade your snowmobile and may lead to more issues in the future.

If you have to replace certain parts of your sled, whether it’s your snowmobile hood, running board, ski, headlights, or the engine, it’s crucial to prioritize replacing them with original parts.

The OEM (original equipment manufacturer) coverage pays the replacement costs of purchasing genuine parts made by your snowmobile’s original manufacturer up to your coverage limits.

Accessories and Equipment Coverage

If you have invested in special gear or custom parts to enhance your snowmobile’s performance, the repair/replacement costs can be significantly more expensive. The standard collision and comprehensive coverage don’t cover the repair/replacement costs of custom equipment, accessories, or any additional gear.

So, to ensure that your custom parts and sled accessories are covered, you need to add access and equipment coverage to your snowmobile insurance policy. This will help you ensure complete financial protection for your snowmobile against accidents or theft.

Enhanced Permissive Use Coverag

If you let anyone who’s not a part of your policy ride your snowmobile every now and then, it is essential to consider adding enhanced permissive coverage.

The enhanced permissive coverage will cover the liability costs when someone else rides your snowmobile and ends up in an at-fault accident. Generally, enhanced permissive use comes with a greater coverage limit compared to the standard liability coverage with minimum coverage.

What Does Snowmobile Insurance Not Cover?

While snowmobile insurance covers a wide range of risks, certain situations and damages are typically excluded. So, here’s what snowmobile insurance does not cover.

• Gradual wear and tear are not covered by snowmobile insurance, as it is specifically designed to cover accidents, theft, weather damage, and other unexpected events.
• Intentional damage to your snowmobile, either for personal reasons or to get a payout from your coverage, is a direct violation of policy terms and agreement and is also considered a fraudulent activity.
• Pulling stunts or racing with your snowmobile is considered participation in risky activities, which is a clear policy violation.
• Activities like riding your snowmobile over open water violate the policy agreement, so you will not be covered.
• Generally, snowmobile insurance coverage is limited to recreational activities; if you’re using it for commercial purposes, you will have to get a separate commercial policy.

Do You Need Snowmobile Insurance in Michigan?

If your concern is from a legal aspect, then no, snowmobile insurance is not mandatory in Michigan, especially because it is not considered a motor vehicle under the state’s no-fault auto insurance law.

However, if you require adequate financial protection to cover accidents, theft, and other perils, it is crucial to consider snowmobile insurance. Given Michigan’s harsh winter and high motor vehicle accident rate, it is essential to have snowmobile insurance to avoid financial burdens from expensive out-of-pocket expenses.

How to Get Snowmobile Insurance in Michigan?

If you’re exploring snowmobile insurance in Michigan, here are some expert tips to help you get the best snowmobile coverage that fits your budget and requirements.

• Research providers: Identify the top snowmobile insurance companies in Michigan and review their coverage options.
• Check reliability: Read customer reviews to verify each insurer’s reputation for service and claims handling.
• Request quotes: Contact insurers to obtain quotes for the coverage options you’re interested in.
• Compare coverage and costs: Evaluate each quote and the policy features to find the best value.
• Negotiate if possible: Ask about discounts or coverage adjustments to get the best combination of protection and price.
• Finalize the policy: Complete the paperwork, make the payment, and your snowmobile insurance will typically be activated within hours or the same day.

When it comes to reliability and industry acceptance, PLPD is considered a top choice in Michigan for snowmobile insurance, with a track record of 100+ years of customer satisfaction.

So, if you need snowmobile insurance at an affordable rate, contact us today to get a free quote. Apart from phone calls, emails, or online meetings, you can also visit any of our office during office hours to consult with an agent.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What does comprehensive snowmobile insurance cover?

Comprehensive snowmobile insurance covers theft, fire, natural disasters like severe storms, blizzards, earthquakes, etc., and other unexpected events that are beyond your control based on actual cash value up to your coverage limits.

What states require snowmobile insurance?

Snowmobile insurance is legally mandatory in Pennsylvania, Vermont, New York, North Dakota, and South Dakota. To ride a snowmobile legally in these states, you will need to have at least the minimum mandatory liability coverage.

Is a snowmobile covered under homeowners insurance?

No, a snowmobile is not covered under homeowners insurance or an auto insurance policy. This is mainly because snowmobiles are widely used seasonally during winter for recreational activities; it is not considered a standard motor vehicle. So, you will have to get a snowmobile insurance policy to stay protected from financial risks.