How Collision & Comp Auto Insurance Coverages Benefit You

by Joseph Welusz on July 4, 2009

Auto Insurance Coverage

Excluding basic liability coverage the most carried types of car insurance coverage are Comprehensive and Collision coverage. In this article we will explain what is included in each type of coverage and what there differences are. So, when it’s time to get free insurance quotes you’ll be ready.

Collision Coverage

Will pay for damages to your car from hitting another object, such as another car, tree, house or mailbox. This coverage is relatively expensive compared to the other coverages listed in your car insurance policy. Collision coverage is not required by law but may be by your financing or leasing company.

If you have an old car and it is not worth at least $2000, you might want to consider not buying collision coverage. You will likely pay more for the coverage than you would get if you filed a claim. This is because insurance companies are only required to pay for the lessor of either what the car is worth or the costs to fix it. They might deem you vehicle worth less than what it will cost to fix.

Comprehensive Coverage

This coverage will pay for almost all other damages to your vehicle including, theft, vandalism, severe weather, flood, fire, the hitting of an animal and glass including your windshield. This coverage isn’t as expensive as collision coverage and is chosen by many consumers. This coverage is also optional and not required by law.

When considering collision and comprehensive coverage, you should consider your deductible. A deductible is an amount of money you agree to pay as part of a claim before the insurer is committed to pay the rest of the claim. For example, if you carried collision coverage with a $200 deductible and you had a $500 loss, you would have to pay $200 and the insurance company would have to pay the remaining $300.

Basically, deductibles reduce your premiums because you agree to deduct a set amount from the claim your insurer otherwise would have to pay. Insurance companies offer deductibles because they reduce the number of small claims, which are costly for them to handle.

If you lease or purchase a new car and have a loan, the lending company will might insist you have collision and comprehensive coverage with deductibles no higher than $1000 each. The reason the require this coverage is to make sure the car is worth something in case you default on your payments and they have to resell your car to recoup there money.

If you decide or are required to buy comprehensive and collision coverage you can reduce your cost by agreeing to higher deductible but remember that will be the amount you need to pay before the insurance company pays there share. As the car gets older many people choose to only have comprehensive coverage to protect themselves against other than collision claims. This will help them secure cheap car insurance on an aging vehicle.

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