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While comprehensive coverage isn’t legally required, if you have a new car, it’s a good idea.
No one wants to pay more for auto insurance than they have to, but if you don’t choose the appropriate coverages, you could end up paying later for damages. Take comprehensive car insurance, for instance, which covers damages to your car from incidents other than collisions. If your car got stolen and you lacked comprehensive coverage, you’d have to spend your money on a new car, with no help from your insurance provider. Not ideal.
Here’s what comprehensive coverage covers, and why it’s important.
Comprehensive insurance covers damages to your car for incidents aside from collisions, such as theft and vandalism. While comprehensive coverage is not legally required, if your vehicle is leased or financed, you may be required to buy it. But what does that include and not include?
If your car got damaged under a covered comprehensive claim, first, you would pay your comprehensive deductible. Then, your insurance provider would cover the rest of the costs up to the limit you’ve selected. Beyond your limit, you’ll be responsible for the costs out of pocket.
The average monthly cost of comprehensive coverage in the U.S. is $14.32, or $171.87 annually. See below for your state’s average, as costs for comprehensive auto insurance vary by state.
State | Average monthly cost for comprehensive coverage in 2019 |
---|---|
Alabama | $180.11 |
Alaska | $155.11 |
Arizona | $208.38 |
Arkansas | $240.54 |
California | $96.53 |
Colorado | $298.01 |
Connecticut | $134.01 |
D.C. | $136.31 |
Delaware | $221.94 |
Florida | $153.00 |
Georgia | $180.37 |
Hawaii | $106.29 |
Idaho | $142.89 |
Illinois | $144.65 |
Indiana | $138.86 |
Iowa | $221.72 |
Kansas | $286.48 |
Kentucky | $168.11 |
Louisiana | $252.34 |
Maine | $115.26 |
Maryland | $168.01 |
Massachusetts | $149.86 |
Michigan | $162.01 |
Minnesota | $214.55 |
Mississippi | $238.95 |
Missouri | $223.94 |
Montana | $313.27 |
Nebraska | $269.19 |
Nevada | $119.19 |
New Hampshire | $120.48 |
New Jersey | $129.97 |
New Mexico | $222.43 |
New York | $172.85 |
North Carolina | $138.40 |
North Dakota | $264.98 |
Oklahoma | $270.19 |
Oregon | $109.76 |
Pennsylvania | $171.18 |
Rhode Island | $141.03 |
South Carolina | $211.29 |
South Dakota | $347.61 |
Tennessee | $168.07 |
Texas | $285.56 |
Utah | $127.15 |
Vermont | $148.88 |
Virginia | $149.42 |
Washington | $121.13 |
West Virginia | $225.50 |
Wisconsin | $168.52 |
Wyoming | $335.043 |
Most people driving need comprehensive coverage. However, there are some exceptions.
Even cars that aren’t being driven need insurance for theft, vandalism, and weather-related incidents.
Let’s dive deeper into the deductibles and limits behind comprehensive insurance.
If you’re not familiar with how deductibles work, the deductible is the amount that you have to pay toward a covered claim before your insurance provider will contribute.
Your comprehensive coverage has its own deductible, which you will select. Make sure that if you got a covered claim tomorrow, you could afford your deductible. On average, comprehensive deductibles are $500, although they can be anywhere from $0 to $2,000.
While higher deductibles mean lower premiums, keep in mind that you’ll be responsible for the deductible if you have a comprehensive claim. Make sure it’s something you can afford immediately.
After you’ve paid your deductible, your limit is the maximum amount your insurance provider will pay toward a covered claim. We recommend setting as high a limit as you can reasonably afford to pay for premiums. Typically, the limit is your vehicle’s actual cash value.4 Learn about how insurance companies value cars.
If your car has depreciated in value since you purchased it, you may not get what you paid for it back under a comprehensive claim. That’s why some people purchase gap insurance, which ensures that you get back what you paid for.
Although they’re not the same thing, comprehensive coverage is often grouped with collision coverage. Both cover damages to your vehicle, but there are some key differences to be aware of.
First, let’s define collision coverage. Collision coverage covers damages to your vehicle from a car accident in which you were at fault. It also covers damages from rolling cars and potholes. However, it doesn’t cover normal wear and tear or mechanical damage.
Let’s compare collision and comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive coverage is not the same as full coverage. Rather, it falls under full coverage’s umbrella along with liability coverage (property damage coverage and bodily injury coverage), collision coverage, and medical payments coverage. Learn more about the differences between full coverage and liability insurance.
If you’re not sure whether comprehensive insurance is right for you, speak to your insurance agent or broker. However, unless you want to pay out of pocket for theft, vandalism, or weather events like hail, comprehensive coverage is a necessity.
We’ve received a flood of questions about comprehensive coverage. Here are our expert answers.
Comprehensive coverage includes any weather-related incidents, theft, and vandalism.
Comprehensive coverage isn’t the same as full coverage, but it is part of full coverage along with liability, collision, and medical payments coverage.
Hitting a deer is covered by collision coverage, as it’s a type of collision.
Comprehensive claims won’t raise your insurance costs because the events weren’t your fault, by definition. In contrast, some collision claims will raise your insurance costs, if you were involved in an at-fault accident.
Exclusions: What your policy won’t cover. Nasdaq. (2013, Jun 28).
https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/exclusions%3A-what-your-policy-wont-cover-2013-06-28
What are Auto Insurance Policy Exclusions? Simmons and Fletcher. (2022).
https://www.simmonsandfletcher.com/car-accident-lawyer/auto-insurance-claims/auto-policy-exclusions/
2018/2019 Auto Insurance Database Report. NAIC. (2022).
https://content.naic.org/sites/default/files/publication-aut-pb-auto-insurance-database.pdf
What Is Comprehensive Insurance? Allstate. (2021, Nov).
https://www.allstate.com/tr/car-insurance/what-is-comprehensive-auto-insurance.aspx