Comprehensive insurance is a type of automobile insurance that covers damage to your car from causes other than a collision. Comprehensive insurance will cover your vehicle if destroyed by a tornado, dented by a run-in with a deer, spray-painted by a vandal, damaged by a break-in, or crushed by a collapsing garage, among other causes.
Key Takeaways
Comprehensive insurance is designed to pay for repairs to your vehicle caused by things other than a collision.
If you finance a vehicle purchase, you may be required to purchase comprehensive coverage as well as collision coverage.
Purchasing comprehensive coverage may not make sense financially if you drive an older vehicle that’s already lost a significant amount of value.
Comprehensive insurance covers damage to your car from animals, falling trees, natural disasters, theft, and vandalism. It does not cover damage to other vehicles or people.
Raising your deductibles for comprehensive insurance could help to lower your premiums.
Understanding Comprehensive Insurance
Comprehensive insurance, collision insurance, and liability insurance are the three components of an automobile insurance policy. In most states, the law requires drivers to carry liability insurance, but collision and comprehensive insurance are optional if someone owns a vehicle outright.1 If a person has financed the vehicle, the auto loan company might require comprehensive insurance.2
What Comprehensive Insurance Covers
In terms of what comprehensive insurance covers, the list includes damages related to:3
Contact with animals, such as hitting a deer
Natural disasters, including earthquakes, floods, and hurricanes
Fire
Riots and vandalism
Vehicle theft, or theft of certain parts of the vehicle
Broken windshields
Fallen objects, including branches, rocks, or hail