This is chapter 4 of The DC, Maryland & Virginia Bicycle Injury Guide. Our general guide's chapter on using your own insurance covers these coverages in more depth for every kind of crash.
Key points
- Minimum liability limits are low: $25,000 per person in D.C., $30,000 in Maryland, and $50,000 in Virginia for policies effective on or after January 1, 2025. A serious bike injury can exceed them quickly.
- Maryland PIP covers you and your household family members in any motor vehicle accident, and also covers a cyclist struck by the insured vehicle, regardless of fault.
- Virginia MedPay, if you bought it, covers you and resident relatives when struck by a motor vehicle while not in one.
- Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage on your own or a household member's auto policy can cover a cyclist hit by a driver with no insurance, too little insurance, or who fled.
- Collect the declarations page of every auto policy in your household before you talk to any adjuster.
Does the driver's insurance pay for a cyclist's injuries?
Yes, if the driver is legally responsible, up to the driver's liability limits. Those limits are often the legal minimum. In D.C., the minimum is $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident (D.C. Code § 31-2406(c)). In Maryland, it is $30,000 per person and $60,000 for two or more people (Md. Code, Transp. § 17-103(b)). In Virginia, for policies effective on or after January 1, 2025, it is $50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident (Va. Code § 46.2-472(B)).
D.C.'s minimums are scheduled to rise. The Motor Vehicle Insurance Modernization Amendment Act of 2026 (D.C. Law 26-155) raises the District's liability minimum to $50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident and makes enhanced underinsured motorist coverage the default, applying as of October 1, 2027. Until then, the current figures above apply.
If the driver was working, driving a company vehicle, or driving for Uber or Lyft, there may be more coverage. A borrowed car can bring in the owner's policy; see our post on borrowed cars and owner liability in D.C. and our page on rideshare accidents.
Does Maryland PIP cover a cyclist?
Yes, in two ways. Maryland personal injury protection covers the first named insured and resident family members "injured in any motor vehicle accident," which includes being hit while riding a bike, and it covers anyone injured in a motor vehicle accident involving the insured vehicle "while in, on, or alighting from a vehicle that is operated by animal or muscular power," which is a bicycle (Md. Code, Ins. § 19-505(a)). So a Maryland cyclist can claim PIP from their own household policy, and a cyclist with no auto policy of their own can claim it from the policy on the car that hit them.
PIP pays at least $2,500 for medical expenses incurred within three years, 85% of lost income, and essential household services, without regard to fault (Md. Code, Ins. §§ 19-505(b), 19-507). That matters in a contributory negligence state: PIP pays while the driver's insurer is still arguing about who caused the crash. A policy may set a claim deadline of not less than 12 months after the crash, and the insurer must tell you the deadline after you give written notice (§ 19-508). PIP is part of every Maryland auto policy unless it was waived in writing or rejected as the statute allows (§ 19-505(a)).
Does D.C. PIP cover a cyclist?
Sometimes. D.C. PIP is optional coverage that insurers must offer, and it pays benefits "only to a victim who is an insured or an occupant of the insured's vehicle or of a vehicle which the insured is driving" (D.C. Code § 31-2404(a)(1)). Whether a cyclist is an "insured" depends on the policy. If you have D.C. PIP, remember the 60-day election: electing PIP limits your right to sue the driver unless your injury meets a statutory threshold, and if you make no election in 60 days, the mandatory liability coverage applies (D.C. Code § 31-2405). Talk to a lawyer before you sign the election form.
Does Virginia MedPay cover a cyclist?
Yes, if you bought it. Virginia medical expense benefits, commonly called MedPay, cover the named insured and resident spouse and relatives when "in or upon, entering or alighting from or through being struck by a motor vehicle while not occupying a motor vehicle" (Va. Code § 38.2-2201(A)). A household member hit while riding a bike qualifies. The default limit is $2,000 per person unless you and the insurer agreed to another, for expenses incurred within three years; MedPay stacks across up to four vehicles on the same personal policy and may not be reduced because health insurance paid some of the bills (§ 38.2-2201(C), (D)(6)).
What if the driver had no insurance, too little, or drove away?
Look to uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, which follows the person, not the car. In Virginia, the named insured and resident relatives are insureds for UM/UIM purposes "while in a motor vehicle or otherwise," which covers a cyclist, and the statute now requires underinsured coverage to be paid without a credit for the at-fault driver's liability coverage unless a named insured signed an election to reduce it (Va. Code § 38.2-2206). In Maryland, standard uninsured motorist coverage is reduced by what the at-fault driver's insurer pays, while enhanced underinsured motorist coverage, required on new private passenger policies issued on or after July 1, 2024 unless waived in writing, pays without that reduction (Md. Code, Ins. §§ 19-509(g), 19-509.1(h)). In D.C., every policy on a vehicle registered or principally garaged in the District includes uninsured motorist coverage, including for a driver who cannot be identified, while underinsured coverage is optional (D.C. Code § 31-2406(c-1), (f)).
In each jurisdiction the policy's own definitions decide who is covered and when, so the policies should be read before anyone accepts the driver's limits. This is often where the real recovery is.
$500,000
Underinsured motorist claim litigated against our client's own insurer after it refused to pay.
Results depend on the facts of each case and do not guarantee or predict a similar result in any future case. Amounts are gross recoveries before attorney's fees, case expenses, and medical liens.
What about health insurance and liens?
Health insurance pays your medical bills as they come in, and its plan may claim reimbursement from your recovery. Medicare, Medicaid, and employer plans each have their own rules. A lien can take a large share of a settlement if no one challenges it, so we review and negotiate them as part of every case. See medical bills, health insurance, and liens.
Will using my own coverage raise my rates?
Not for a PIP claim in Maryland: an insurer may not increase your premium because of a PIP claim or payment (Md. Code, Ins. § 19-507(c)). In D.C., an insurer may not raise rates on account of an accident unless it first determines that the insured caused it (D.C. Code § 31-2406(a)(5)). You paid for this coverage; a crash on your bike is exactly what it is for.
- Previous chapter: Dooring, Unsafe Passing, and Bike Lanes
- Next chapter: Potholes, Trails, and Claims Against the Government
Related practice areas
Frequently asked questions
Does Maryland PIP cover me if I was hit on my bike?
Yes, if you are the first named insured or a resident family member on a Maryland policy, because PIP covers them in any motor vehicle accident. It also covers anyone hit by the insured vehicle while on a vehicle operated by muscular power, such as a bicycle (Md. Code, Ins. § 19-505(a)).
Does Virginia MedPay cover cyclists?
Yes, if you bought it. It covers the named insured and resident spouse and relatives when struck by a motor vehicle while not occupying one, for expenses incurred within three years (Va. Code § 38.2-2201(A)).
Can I use my uninsured motorist coverage if I was hit on a bike?
Often yes. In Virginia, the named insured and resident relatives are insureds for UM/UIM purposes while in a motor vehicle or otherwise (Va. Code § 38.2-2206(B)). Maryland and D.C. policies also provide UM coverage to insureds, but the policy definitions decide who is covered, so have them reviewed.
What are the minimum liability limits in the DMV?
$25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident in D.C. (D.C. Code § 31-2406(c)), $30,000 and $60,000 in Maryland (Md. Code, Transp. § 17-103(b)), and $50,000 and $100,000 in Virginia for policies effective on or after January 1, 2025 (Va. Code § 46.2-472(B)). D.C.'s minimums are scheduled to rise to $50,000 and $100,000 as of October 1, 2027 under D.C. Law 26-155.
Will a PIP claim raise my insurance rates in Maryland?
No. An insurer may not increase the premium on a policy because of a claim or payment under PIP coverage (Md. Code, Ins. § 19-507(c)).
Related reading
- Maryland PIP: the no-fault coverage most crash victims forget
- Maryland's enhanced UIM coverage and the offset trap
- Virginia's UM/UIM law: an FAQ on policies and renewals
- What is uninsured motorist coverage, and do I have it?
- DMV Injury Guide: using your own insurance
Talk to a DMV injury lawyer today
A D.C. PIP election is due within 60 days, and a Maryland PIP claim can be due in as little as 12 months. Call us before you sign anything an insurer sends you or accept the driver's policy limits.
Posey Lebowitz PLLC · 3221 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20007
Call (202) 524-0123 or request a free consultation. No fee unless we win your injury case.
More than $32 million recovered.
Plus more than $22 million in other assets.
Across more than 250 matters, in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia.
These case results are examples of matters handled by Posey Lebowitz PLLC. The outcome of any case depends on the specific facts and legal circumstances of that case. These results do not guarantee or predict a similar result in any future matter. Amounts shown are gross recoveries before attorney's fees, case expenses, and medical liens. Asset values are stated as of 2026 and will change.
Responsible attorneys: Ryan C. Posey and Jacob M. Lebowitz. Posey Lebowitz PLLC, 3221 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20007.