Comprehensive vs. Collision
Two coverages, two kinds of loss
Collision and comprehensive coverage both concern damage to your own vehicle, which is what separates them from liability coverage. They differ in the kind of event that causes the damage.
- Collision coverage may help pay for damage to your vehicle resulting from a covered collision — hitting another vehicle, or an object such as a guardrail or a pole.
- Comprehensive coverage may help cover certain non-collision losses, including theft, vandalism, fire, falling objects, weather-related damage, and animal strikes.
A useful way to hold them apart: collision is about impact while driving. Comprehensive is about most other ways a vehicle can be damaged or lost.
Why they are often bought together
Neither coverage is typically required by state law. They are commonly required by a lender or a lessor while there is a loan or lease on the vehicle, because the vehicle is security for that agreement.
Together, the two are often described informally as "full coverage". That phrase has no fixed legal meaning and does not indicate that every possible loss is covered.
Deductibles apply separately
Each coverage usually carries its own deductible — the amount deducted from a covered claim payment. A claim under collision and a later claim under comprehensive are separate claims, and each is generally subject to its own deductible.
Deciding what makes sense
Whether either coverage is available to you, and on what terms, depends on your state, your vehicle, your history and the insurance provider's underwriting requirements. A licensed insurance professional can walk through those specifics with you.
This article is general education about how auto insurance coverage works. It is not insurance advice, it does not describe any specific policy or provider, and it does not state what any policy will cost or cover. Road Cover is not an insurance carrier.