Despite what you might see on commercials, price isn’t the only difference in auto insurance policies. What they cover can be a big difference too. And while you probably know there can be differences in deductibles, did you also know collision doesn’t provide coverage for all collisions? Did you know that comprehensive doesn’t mean it covers “everything” comprehensively? Let’s dive into these coverages and what really makes them different.
Collision Auto Coverage
Collision insurance for your vehicle is meant to cover damages to your car resulting from a collision with another vehicle or an object. Here’s what that typically means:
- Vehicle Collisions: If you hit another car or another car hits you, collision insurance may help cover the repair costs to your vehicle.
- Object Collisions: It also covers incidents where your car crashes into stationary objects, such as fences, trees, guardrails, or buildings.
- Single-Car Accidents: If you experience a single-car accident, such as skidding off the road and hitting a barrier, collision coverage applies.
It typically does not cover:
- Damage to another driver’s vehicle.
- Medical expenses resulting from collisions (those are handled by your personal injury protection [PIP] or health insurance).
Comprehensive Auto Coverage
While collision insurance focuses on accidents, comprehensive auto insurance offers broader protection for your car against (mostly) non-collision-related incidents. Here are some situations where comprehensive coverage would be needed:
- Natural Disasters: Damage from events like tornadoes, floods, earthquakes, or hailstorms would fall under comprehensive insurance.
- Theft and Vandalism: If your car is stolen or vandalized, comprehensive coverage may assist with the associated costs.
- Animal Collisions: As opposed to vehicle collisions, accidents involving animals (e.g., hitting a deer) would be covered under comprehensive insurance, not collision.
- Falling Objects: Damage from debris or objects falling onto your car (e.g., tree branches, rocks, etc.) is included.
- Fire and Explosions: Should your vehicle catch fire or be damaged in an explosion, comprehensive insurance would be needed for coverage.
It typically does not cover:
- Injuries or damage to another vehicle.
- Medical expenses for you or passengers (that would still fall under your PIP or medical insurance).
Choosing between collision and comprehensive insurance – or deciding to acquire both – depends on your individual circumstances and how much risk you want to take for your financial burden. Our agents can help talk you through the differences and both and give you the options to make sure you’re purchasing the coverage(s) you want and need.