Is Full Coverage Really Full?

Liability, comprehensive, collision, full coverage — what’s the difference?

Liability coverage will pay to repair damage that’s caused to others by you. Comprehensive coverage encompasses all accidents that are not listed as a collision, and collision coverage includes protection for at-fault or no-fault accidents. Full coverage insurance is a combination of liability, comprehensive, and collision insurance.

Damage from external factors such as accidents or vandalism are included in full coverage car insurance. Because full coverage utilizes each of the three types of coverage, premiums will most likely be higher. Full coverage is useful for new and/or expensive vehicles such as sports cars, financed or leased vehicles, cars driven for long commutes, and even your location if the area is prone to accidents or theft.

Find full coverage insurance rates in your area by entering your ZIP code in the free tool above.

What is Full Coverage Insurance?

Full coverage is not a type of car insurance coverage. Instead, full coverage auto insurance is a combination of liability, comprehensive, and collision insurances.

Liability insurance is covers bodily injury, medical payments of personal injury protection, and property damage.

• Bodily injury: coverage for injuries you caused to someone else
• Medical payments or personal injury protection: applies to coverage for the medical treatment of injuries including medical payments, and funeral costs
• Property damage: covers damage caused to someone else’s property by your vehicle

Comprehensive coverage covers damage to your car not caused by collisions with another vehicle, but rather damage caused by:

• Animals
• Natural disasters
• Fire
• Vandalism
• Theft of the entire car, or parts of the car
• Falling objects
• Broken windshields

Collision coverage is applied to any damage caused by impact with another object. Some examples of what is covered under collision coverage are: at-fault and no-fault accidents, collisions with a mailbox, and damages caused by driving over a pothole.

Read more: Comprehensive vs Collision: What You Need to Know

How much is full coverage insurance?

Full coverage car insurance rates can vary anywhere from as low as $100 per month to as high as $200 per month.

Even though full coverage is more expensive, it’s worth consideration if your vehicle is new and/or expensive, financed or leased, or you drive a long commute each day. More reasons to consider full coverage is if your location is a high-risk area for theft or extreme weather, or if you can’t afford repairs or replacement costs out of pocket.

Liability vs. Full Coverage Insurance 

The major difference between liability coverage and full coverage is that liability can be your state’s minimum required coverage amount and full coverage includes not only liability, but comprehensive and collision as well.

Typically, liability insurance includes bodily injury, medical payments, property damage, and uninsured motorists. Each state determines how much coverage is the minimum requirement. Often liability coverage is the least expensive option for car insurance. 

On the other hand, full coverage insurance has higher premiums. You can pick and choose how much or little of each type of insurance is right for you. The insurance for full coverage is useful for:

• Damage you cause to others
• Medical treatment
• Uninsured motorist
• Damage to your car
• Natural disasters
• Theft

Is full coverage car insurance right for you?

Determining if full coverage is right for you depends on how much or little coverage you feel is necessary.

Full coverage insurance is a combination of liability, collision, and comprehensive. If you feel that only one or two of those options works for you then full coverage may be an excessive amount of coverage. On the contrary, if you’re interested in the maximum protection, then full coverage may be an insurance option you should consider.

Locate affordable full coverage rates near you by typing your ZIP code in the free tool below.