Does PIP Cover E-Bike, Moped, and Scooter Crashes in Massachusetts?
By Christopher Murphy, Esq., Managing Partner at Scalli Murphy Law | Updated November 2026
It depends on what you were riding. A bicyclist hit by a car gets PIP from the car’s policy, because Massachusetts law treats bicycle riders as pedestrians for PIP. A Class 1 or Class 2 e-bike rider has a strong argument for the same result, but no Massachusetts appellate court has decided it. A moped rider is excluded from PIP under the standard Massachusetts auto policy, and coverage for electric scooters and electric unicycles is unsettled.
In each situation, you can still bring a claim against the at-fault driver’s bodily injury coverage.
What PIP Is
Personal Injury Protection, or PIP, is the no-fault part of a Massachusetts auto policy. It pays at least $8,000 per person for medical bills and lost wages, regardless of who caused the crash. For the basics, see our guide to PIP coverage in Massachusetts.
Under M.G.L. c. 90, § 34A, PIP covers the named insured, household members, authorized operators and passengers, “and any pedestrian struck by the insured’s or obligor’s motor vehicle.” The statute then adds a definition that matters for riders: “The term ”pedestrian” shall include persons operating bicycles, tricycles and similar vehicles.”
How PIP works with health insurance
PIP pays the first $2,000 of medical expenses. Above $2,000, PIP does not pay expenses that are paid by your health insurance.
The 2025 minimum limit changes
For policies issued or renewed on or after July 1, 2025, Massachusetts raised the compulsory minimums under St. 2024, c. 275:
- Bodily injury: $25,000 per person and $50,000 per crash (up from $20,000 and $40,000).
- Property damage: $30,000 (up from $5,000).
- Uninsured motorist: $25,000 and $50,000.
- PIP: unchanged at $8,000 per person.
Bodily injury coverage is what riders claim against when PIP does not apply. See our article on the Massachusetts auto insurance minimums increase.
PIP by Type of Rider
Bicyclists
A bicyclist is a “pedestrian” under § 34A. If a car hits you while you are riding, you claim PIP from the policy on the car that hit you.
If the car that hit you was uninsured, § 34A provides that household members struck as pedestrians by an uninsured motor vehicle are covered under their own household policy. If someone in your household owns a car, that policy may pay your PIP. Uninsured motorist coverage is a separate question. In Kanamaru v. Holyoke Mut. Ins. Co., 72 Mass. App. Ct. 396 (2008), a bicyclist struck by an uninsured car, the court held that uninsured coverage depends on whether you are “you” or a household member under the policy.
E-bikes (Class 1 and Class 2)
Massachusetts defines an “electric bicycle” in M.G.L. c. 90, § 1 as “a bicycle or tricycle equipped with fully operable pedals and an electric motor of 750 watts or less that meets the requirements of a class 1 electric bicycle or a class 2 electric bicycle.” The same section says the definition of motor vehicles “shall not include electric bicycles.” And under M.G.L. c. 85, § 11B3/4, an e-bike rider has “all of the rights and privileges” of a bicycle operator.
Put together, the law calls a Class 1 or Class 2 e-bike a bicycle, not a motor vehicle, and § 34A says bicycle operators are pedestrians for PIP. That is a strong argument that an e-bike rider hit by a car should qualify for PIP from the car’s policy, the same as a bicyclist.
No Massachusetts appellate court has decided this question. Insurers may argue otherwise. One case they may point to is Pilotte v. Aetna Cas. & Sur. Co., 384 Mass. 805 (1981). The court there recognized that the statute expanded “pedestrian” to include bicycles and similar vehicles, then said: “Nor do we think that a motor vehicle is similar to a vehicle drawn by an animal or one moved through human effort.” Pilotte involved a man seated in a parked car, who the court held was not a pedestrian. It did not involve an e-bike. An insurer could still use the “human effort” language to argue that a motor-assisted bike is not “similar” to a bicycle.
Massachusetts law has no Class 3. A 28 mph e-bike does not meet the Massachusetts e-bike definition, so this argument may not help its rider.
Mopeds
Moped riders face a specific exclusion. The Massachusetts Automobile Insurance Policy, 2024 Edition, says in Part 2 (PIP):
“We will not pay PIP benefits to or for: 1. Anyone who, at the time of the accident, was operating or occupying a motorcycle, any motor vehicle not subject to motor vehicle registration, or a motorized bicycle or moped.”
Because the exclusion bars PIP “to or for” anyone on a moped, it applies to every standard policy that might otherwise pay: your own auto policy, a household member’s policy, and the policy on the car that hit you.
This is a term of the insurance policy, not a statute.
What a moped rider can do:
- Claim against the at-fault driver’s bodily injury coverage. The PIP exclusion does not stop a liability claim against the driver who caused the crash.
- Use health insurance for medical bills. With no PIP, your health insurance will usually be the main payer for treatment while the claim is pending.
The pain-and-suffering threshold. Under M.G.L. c. 231, § 6D, you can recover pain and suffering in a car crash case only if your medical expenses are over $2,000, or the injury involves death, loss of a body member, permanent and serious disfigurement, loss of sight or hearing, or a fracture. In Murphy v. Bohn, 377 Mass. 544 (1979), a registered motorcyclist who was denied PIP by regulation was held not bound by that threshold, because he paid into the no-fault system yet could not get PIP. Massachusetts does not require insurance on a moped, so it is not clear the same reasoning applies to them. For moped riders it is an argument, not a settled rule.
Uninsured and underinsured coverage for moped riders
This question is unsettled. The PIP exclusion quoted above appears in Part 2. Part 3 (uninsured) and Part 12 (underinsured) of the standard policy pay “you” and household members “if injured as a pedestrian,” and those parts do not contain a moped exclusion.
In Metropolitan Prop. & Cas. Ins. Co. v. Perez, 31 Mass. L. Rptr. 343 (Mass. Super. Ct. 2013), a trial court held that a dirt-bike rider hit by a car qualified as a “pedestrian” under Part 12 because the PIP exclusion “does not appear in Part 12.” The court also said the issue “has yet to be addressed by a Massachusetts appellate court.” A Superior Court decision is not binding on other courts.
Older appellate cases, decided under an older policy form, went the other way. In Royal-Globe Ins. Co. v. Schultz, 385 Mass. 1013 (1982), a moped was treated as a “land motor vehicle” under the old form, and the court held that noncompulsory coverage is governed by the contract terms. In Heroux v. Shelby Mut. Ins. Co., 18 Mass. App. Ct. 925 (1984), a moped rider’s underinsured claim was properly denied.
Electric scooters and electric unicycles
Massachusetts defines a “motorized scooter” in § 1 as a 2- or 3-wheeled device with handlebars, powered by an electric or gas motor. Unlike e-bikes and mopeds, scooters are not listed in the motor vehicle exclusion, so whether a scooter is a “motor vehicle” is unresolved. M.G.L. c. 90, § 1E contains no registration requirement for scooters. Electric unicycles, one-wheels, and hoverboards are not specifically addressed in Massachusetts law at all.
PIP for these riders is unsettled, and there is no case on point. Insurers may invoke the policy exclusion for “any motor vehicle not subject to motor vehicle registration.” No court has resolved it.
Motorcycles
Under 211 CMR 3.02, motorcycle policies need not provide PIP to the motorcycle’s operators or passengers, though they must cover pedestrians struck by motorcycles. The Division of Insurance stated in June 2025 that an insurer is “not legally obligated to provide personal injury protection (PIP) for the operators or passengers of a motorcycle.” The standard auto policy exclusion quoted above also covers anyone on a motorcycle. See our page on motorcycle crash claims.
Delivery riders in Boston
Boston passed an ordinance in 2025 that requires large delivery companies to carry liability insurance covering their drivers, including those on “motorcycles, mopeds, and electric scooters.” If you deliver for a large platform in Boston, ask about that coverage.
Pending bills (not law)
Neither of these proposals is law.
- H.1340 would address uninsured motorist coverage for moped riders. It was sent to a study order on March 12, 2026.
- S.3168 would, among other things, require moped registration and compulsory liability insurance. It was reported favorably by the Transportation Committee on July 6, 2026, and referred to Senate Ways and Means, with no later action as of November 1, 2026. Our S.3168 overview explains the bill.
Who Pays Your Medical Bills: Quick Reference
| Rider struck by a car | PIP | Claim against at-fault driver’s bodily injury coverage | Uninsured / underinsured coverage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bicyclist | Yes, from the striking car’s policy; household policy if struck by an uninsured car | Yes | Depends on being “you” or a household member under the policy (Kanamaru) |
| E-bike (Class 1 or 2) | Strong argument, same as a bicycle; not decided by an appellate court | Yes | Not decided |
| Moped | No, under the standard policy exclusion (own, household, and striking car’s policy) | Yes | Unsettled |
| Electric scooter or unicycle | Unsettled | Yes | Unsettled |
| Motorcycle | No PIP for operator or passengers | Yes | Check your policy |
Where PIP does not pay, health insurance is usually the main payer for medical bills.
What to Do After a Crash
- Get a police report. Call the police from the scene if you can and ask for a report. Crash reports are not required for crashes that do not involve an operated motor vehicle, so a crash with another rider or a pedestrian may have no state crash report.
- Notify every possible insurer early. That includes the driver’s insurer, your own auto insurer, any household member’s auto insurer, and your health plan. Do not assume a claim will be denied before you file it.
- Keep the bike, moped, or scooter and the battery. Do not repair, sell, or throw away the device. Its class label, motor, and battery can matter for coverage.
- Take photos. Photograph the scene, the vehicles, the device and its label, and your injuries.
Learn more about our e-bike, scooter, and moped accident practice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does PIP cover bicycle accidents in Massachusetts?
Yes. M.G.L. c. 90, § 34A treats bicycle operators as pedestrians, so a bicyclist hit by a car can claim PIP from the car’s policy. If the car was uninsured, a household auto policy may pay.
Does PIP cover moped accidents?
Not under the standard Massachusetts auto policy. It excludes anyone operating or occupying “a motorized bicycle or moped.” You can still bring a bodily injury claim against the at-fault driver.
Do I need e-bike insurance in Massachusetts?
Massachusetts law does not require insurance for a Class 1 or Class 2 e-bike. If you are hit by a car, you have a strong argument for PIP from the car’s policy, though no appellate court has decided it.
Is moped insurance required in Massachusetts?
No statute currently requires it, though mopeds must be registered with the RMV. Proposed bill S.3168 would require moped liability insurance. It is pending and is not law.
Does PIP cover electric scooter crashes?
This is unsettled. There is no Massachusetts case on point, and insurers may rely on the policy exclusion for vehicles not subject to registration.
Talk to a Lawyer
If you were hurt riding a bike, e-bike, moped, or scooter, call Scalli Murphy Law at (617) 387-7000 or contact us online for a free consultation.
This article is general information about Massachusetts law, not legal advice for your situation.