Is comprehensive coverage required by the law?

Asked by: Zechariah Kiehn  |  Last update: July 16, 2023
Score: 4.4/5 (48 votes)

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.

How important is comprehensive coverage?

Comprehensive coverage helps pay to repair or replace your car if it's stolen or damaged by something other than a collision. Comprehensive typically helps cover theft and damage from vandalism and natural disasters, falling objects, fire, hail, flood or animals.

Are comprehensive and collision coverage are often optional?

Unlike property damage liability insurance (which covers damage to other people's property) collision and comprehensive insurance are optional in California.

Is it worth having comprehensive insurance on an old car?

While the rule for older cars was to drop comprehensive coverage after six years or 100,000 miles, modern cars last longer and cost more to repair. Most experts now recommend keeping comprehensive insurance on your car if 10 percent of the car's market value minus the deductible exceeds the premium cost.

What insurance should you carry on an older car?

How much car insurance do I need for an older car? The only insurance you usually need is liability coverage and, in some states, personal injury protection. Full coverage is often recommended, but it becomes much less valuable financially with an older car.

What Is Comprehensive Coverage?

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Can a car be too old for full coverage?

According to ValuePenguin, if your vehicle is 10 years old or older, you may be paying too much for insurance if you have comprehensive or collision coverage.

What deductible should I choose for comprehensive?

Typically, insurance agents recommend that your comprehensive deductible be between $100 and $500. Comprehensive claims tend to be filed for less damage than collisions, so having a lower deductible is often logical.

Why do I need comp and collision?

Comprehensive and collision coverage applies to specific types of damage that could happen to your vehicle. Having comprehensive and collision coverage can provide vital extra protection, especially if you are leasing or financing your car or driving a high-value vehicle.

Does full coverage cover at fault accidents?

So what does full coverage car insurance cover? In most cases, it includes liability, comprehensive, and collision coverage. Collision and comprehensive will protect you and your vehicle if you get into an accident. If you're found at fault for an accident.

What is the difference between full coverage and comprehensive?

The difference between full coverage and comprehensive insurance is that full coverage is a car insurance policy that includes both comprehensive and collision insurance along with the state's minimum requirements. Comprehensive insurance covers damage to a car from things other than accidents, like theft or fire.

When should you drop collision?

You should drop your collision insurance when your annual premium equals 10% of your car's value. If your collision insurance costs $100 total per year, for example, drop the coverage when your car is worth $1,000 since, at that point, your insurance payments are too close to your car's value to be worthwhile.

Is comprehensive insurance full coverage?

Comprehensive policy covers damage to the car due to accidents, car theft, losses to a third party, damage to the car due to natural damages, personal injuries or death caused in an accident, damages caused in a fire. Comprehensive car coverage is full coverage.

How long should you keep full coverage on a car?

The standard rule of thumb used to be that car owners should drop collision and comprehensive insurance when the car was five or six years old, or when the mileage reached the 100,000 mark. (Plenty of websites weigh in on this.)

Can I claim personal injury if the accident was my fault?

Generally, if you are injured as a result of an accident that was your fault you will not be able to make a claim for compensation unless another person or organisation was also partly to blame for the accident.

What happens if you are at fault in a car accident?

If you were at fault, then your insurance company will pay for the vehicle repairs. You will pay the excess on your policy. This is the portion of any claim that you agreed with your motor insurer when you took out the cover.

Is hitting a deer an act of God?

Deer do not qualify as an “Act of God”

There is a common misconception that deer accidents are considered “Acts of God,” implying that any deductible is waived by an insurance company. There are even rumors that the state would refund you your deductible. In reality, that's not the case.

Is it better to have a $500 deductible or $1000?

A $1,000 deductible is better than a $500 deductible if you can afford the increased out-of-pocket cost in the event of an accident, because a higher deductible means you'll pay lower premiums. Choosing an insurance deductible depends on the size of your emergency fund and how much you can afford for monthly premiums.

Is a 500 deductible good for car insurance?

It's best to have a $500 collision deductible unless you have a large amount of savings. Remember, this deductible amount has to be paid every time you make a collision claim.

Is it better to have a high or low deductible for car insurance?

Determine the Value of Your Car

So, it's generally better to have a lower deductible if your car's not worth much. For example, let's say your vehicle's worth $1,500 and you have a $1,000 deductible on your insurance policy. If your car is totaled, the insurer will only pay $500 after you cover the deductible.

How can you reduce your insurance policy payment?

Listed below are other things you can do to lower your insurance costs.
  1. Shop around. ...
  2. Before you buy a car, compare insurance costs. ...
  3. Ask for higher deductibles. ...
  4. Reduce coverage on older cars. ...
  5. Buy your homeowners and auto coverage from the same insurer. ...
  6. Maintain a good credit record. ...
  7. Take advantage of low mileage discounts.

Are older cars cheaper to insure than newer cars?

Given that older cars are typically less valuable and more affordable, it seems natural that they'd be cheaper to insure. It's true that it might cost your insurance provider more to replace a newer car than an older car (except for classic or collector's cars). This could result in higher premiums for a newer car.

Can you insure a car over 20 years old?

Some insurance providers and vendors ask that classic cars should be at least 20 years old, some mention between 20-30 years. There are many exceptions, and sometimes cars that may not be technically considered classics can be accepted when it comes to insurance if they have a collectible or 'limited-edition' status.

How much cheaper is liability vs full coverage?

How much cheaper is liability than full coverage? Liability insurance is 64% cheaper than full coverage, on average. Liability car insurance costs an average of $720 per year, while full coverage car insurance averages $1,997 per year, according to WalletHub data for 2021.

Are newer cars more expensive to insure?

And getting insurance on a new car often will cost more simply because it's more valuable than an older one. One factor that goes into setting your auto insurance rates is the type of car you're buying. Generally, pricier cars cost more to insure because the cost to repair or replace them is higher.

What does comprehensive insurance mean?

Comprehensive insurance is insurance coverage that pays for the repair or replacement. Comprehensive car insurance typically covers third-party liabilities, damage from an accident, fire, natural calamity, theft, etc.