Comprehensive and collision are two optional auto insurance coverages that both pay to repair or replace your own vehicle. They cover different kinds of events, and drivers often carry both.
Collision coverage pays for damage to your car from a collision:
- Hitting another vehicle.
- Hitting an object, such as a fence, pole, or guardrail.
- A single-car accident such as a rollover.
- It applies regardless of who was at fault.
Comprehensive coverage pays for damage from non-collision events — sometimes described as "everything else":
- Theft and vandalism.
- Fire.
- Weather and natural events such as hail, flood, or a falling tree.
- Hitting an animal, such as a deer.
- A cracked or shattered windshield from a road object.
What neither one covers: comprehensive and collision both cover your vehicle. They do not pay for another person's injuries or property damage — that is liability coverage, which is required in most states. They also do not cover your own medical costs.
Do you need both? Carrying comprehensive and collision together is often informally called "full coverage." Both typically have a deductible. If you are financing or leasing your vehicle, the lender or leasing company usually requires both. For an older vehicle worth relatively little, some drivers choose to drop one or both.
Compare your options with RMO auto insurance plans, and see how to file an auto insurance claim.