Two variants of auto insurance policies always appear when talking about car insurance: comprehensive and collision coverage. Do you know the difference between comprehensive and collision insurance? Is it necessary to include comprehensive and collision coverage in your auto insurance policy? Continue reading to learn a little more about comprehensive and collision insurance.
What Is Collision Car Insurance Coverage?
If your car is damaged in an accident, collision car insurance will take care of the repair or replacement of the vehicle. It is not mandatory but is very convenient.
Speaking of car insurance, the bare minimum car insurance required is liability coverage. It does not include collision coverage, but no state requires it. Still, with this minimum policy, after an accident, only third-party property damage or physical damage to other people will be covered. You have an entirely unprotected vehicle with liability-only insurance, so the car insurance company does not cover the repairs.
Collision insurance coverage is necessary to protect your car when an accident occurs. This insurance policy will cover you no matter who was at fault for the accident. After an accident, Collision coverage will cover the cost of repairing your car.
If the expenses resulting from a traffic accident amount to $5,000 for repairs, the insurance company will cover it, except for your deductible. Your car will be declared “totaled” when the repair cost exceeds the vehicle’s value. Therefore, you will receive a check from your auto insurance company, which will cover the car’s total value.
If you were not at fault for the accident, collision coverage would cover the cost of your car. Subsequently, the at-fault driver’s auto insurance company must reimburse that amount to your company. For example, your company will try to recover the $5000 they will pay to repair your vehicle. Therefore, there will be a claim on the insurance of the other driver involved in the accident.
In the widespread “hit and run” accidents, collision coverage covers the costs of repairs that should be made by the driver who flees from the scene.
What Is Comprehensive Coverage?
Now you know what Collision coverage is, you should see the difference between comprehensive and collision insurance. This optional car insurance policy protects you in any situation that may occur while driving your vehicles, such as vandalism, theft, or weather events.
This insurance policy is much more extensive than collision coverage, which only protects you in the event of a crash. Comprehensive car insurance coverage also contemplates situations unrelated to accidents that may occur daily.
When you buy comprehensive car insurance, you will also be covered in the event of:
- Hail
- Vandalism
- Fires
- Fallen objects (like tree branches)
- Flood damage
- Theft
Compare different Comprehensive Insurance quotes online to get good coverage while driving other people’s vehicles or rental cars.
How Important is it to Be Protected By Both Comprehensive and Collision Coverage?
Comprehensive and collision car insurance is an optional insurance policy you can choose to buy or not. Instead, minimum liability insurance is mandatory by law. Including comprehensive and collision coverage in your auto insurance policy will pay you much more than before.
If you are looking for very cheap car insurance with low down payments, you should know that it is indeed a more expensive insurance policy. Still, it also offers more extensive coverage and more benefits. Comprehensive and collision coverage covers you in almost any imaginable situation. This auto insurance policy gives you peace while protecting you against a collision, a robbery, or something similar. Your auto insurance company will cover all expenses except the comprehensive and collision deductible.