Comprehensive Coverage Auto Insurance

If you need to get a clear idea of what exactly is comprehensive coverage on auto insurance, then this article will help you out. Reading through this article and knowing what comprehensive cover means, might help you decide if you really need it for you car.
If you are buying a new car, one thing that you need to take into consideration is an insurance cover. Buying a new car is a big investment and insuring it is a smart move that will cover the various types of damages it could face in the future. There are different types of insurance covers and one among them is comprehensive coverage.

Insurance companies offer a lot of options when it comes to covering auto insurance these days. The motto of insurance companies is to offer cover against every type of calamity that could befall the insured person or property. Although insurance companies offer all types of covers to compensate for losses, one cannot offer to opt for all. A good strategy is to think long term and decide first whether the piece of property to be insured is really worth it and are the investments in premiums going to be worth it. In case of a car, while deciding on insurance coverage options, determine the cash value of your automobile before you go ahead. That is the single most important parameter that will help you decide.

What is Comprehensive Coverage Auto Insurance?
Every standard insurance policy offered by auto insurance companies has two prime components. One part is liability insurance while the other part is insurance offered in case of damage to the car. Liability insurance covers the compensation costs in case your own car inflicts damage to any other car through collision. The other part is an insurance cover for any kind of damage inflicted on your own car. This second damage cover component has two further parts, which are 'Collision Cover' and 'Comprehensive Cover'.

One can choose between these two components or have both of them. If you make a comprehensive coverage vs collision coverage comparison, then the difference boils down to the fact that collision cover insures your car in case of damage through collision only, while comprehensive cover insured it for anything other than collision. Full Coverage Auto Insurance can compensate you in case of damage caused by any other reason other than an accident. It provides a total insurance solution for a car. The deductible limit, that is the amount of monetary damage limit, for which the insurer need not pay you, is separately decided for comprehensive coverage. The premium for an insurance policy will be directly proportional to the monetary value of the car.

What Does Comprehensive Cover Offer?
The next question that must be forming in your mind is what are the kind of damages, other than collision that the comprehensive cover can pay for. The various types of damages for which a comprehensive cover generally pays are:
  • Vandalism
  • Theft
  • Fire
  • Broken Windows
  • Damage Due to Falling Objects
  • Animal Damage
  • Storm Damage
  • Water Damage
  • Earth Quakes & Other Natural Calamities
When Should You Opt For Comprehensive Cover?
It all boils down to cash value of your car. If your car is expensive, then having a comprehensive car insurance cover and paying a heavier premium is justified. If the cash value of your car is not that high and has already depreciated substantially, then going for a comprehensive cover won't be a smart move. In that case, going for collision coverage only is a better option. The costs of repair or replacement in some cases for your car, that a comprehensive cover will pay for, have to be higher than the deductible limit for the policy. A lower deductible will have a higher premium.

Calculate the current value of your car, and the risk of non collision damages that exist. That will help you decide whether you need the comprehensive insurance coverage for your car.
By
Last Updated: 9/23/2011
Like This Article?
Follow:
Post Comment | View Comments
Your Comments:
Your Name: