Which type of insurance must you have for your car?

Asked by: Dr. Dorian Feil  |  Last update: February 11, 2022
Score: 4.5/5 (15 votes)

Most states require you to have at least a minimum amount of insurance coverage for any injuries or property damage you cause in an accident. Collision coverage, which is optional, covers damage to your own car in an accident. Comprehensive coverage, also optional, protects against other risks, such as theft or fire.

What type of insurance does a car need?

Typical Components Of An Auto Insurance Policy
  • Liability Coverage. Auto liability coverage is mandatory in most states. ...
  • Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Coverage. ...
  • Comprehensive Coverage. ...
  • Collision Coverage. ...
  • Medical Payments Coverage. ...
  • Personal Injury Protection.

What types of insurance is mandatory?

Compulsory insurance is insurance that must be legally owned to do an activity, such as auto insurance and driving a car. Other types of compulsory insurance include workers' compensation and professional liability insurance.

What type of insurance is most important?

Health insurance is arguably the most important type of insurance. A 2016 Kaiser Family Foundation/New York Times survey found that one in five people with medical bills filed for bankruptcy. With a stat like this, investing in health insurance can help you prevent a significant financial hardship.

What are the 3 main types of insurance?

Insurance in India can be broadly divided into three categories:
  • Life insurance. As the name suggests, life insurance is insurance on your life. ...
  • Health insurance. Health insurance is bought to cover medical costs for expensive treatments. ...
  • Car insurance. ...
  • Education Insurance. ...
  • Home insurance.

Car insurance explained | What you need to know

37 related questions found

What are the 3 main types of car insurance?

The three types of car insurance that are universally offered are liability, comprehensive, and collision insurance. Drivers can still purchase other types of auto insurance coverage, like personal injury protection and uninsured/underinsured motorist, but they are not available in every state.

What is basic car insurance?

Basic car insurance is a policy that only includes liability coverage. It helps cover the damage you may cause to other people and their property. That can include medical bills, repair or replacement of property and legal fallout. Almost every state has minimum basic auto insurance limits for their drivers.

What are the five types of vehicle insurance?

5 Common Types of Car Insurance Coverage
  • Liability Coverage. Why do you need liability coverage? ...
  • Collision Coverage. Collision coverage is optional with most insurance policies. ...
  • Personal Injury Protection Coverage. ...
  • Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Protection. ...
  • Comprehensive Coverage.

Is basic insurance full coverage?

However, most basic car insurance includes liability protection. In fact, most states require a certain limit for these policies. They may also want you to have uninsured/underinsured protection and comprehensive coverage. To make sure you get full protection, you'll want to talk with your insurance provider.

What is a comprehensive insurance?

Comprehensive coverage helps cover the cost of damages to your vehicle when you're involved in an accident that's not caused by a collision. Comprehensive coverage covers losses like theft, vandalism, hail, and hitting an animal. ... Comprehensive coverage is an optional coverage you can carry to help protect your vehicle.

How do I know what type of insurance policy I have?

Visit the website of the RTO where your car is registered and fill up the registration number of your car in the given section and click “proceed” to find the policy details. 2. Visit the website of the State Transport Department and enter the registration number of your car to get the car insurance plan details.

Which is the cheapest type of car insurance?

Third party insurance is the minimum level of insurance you need by law. You'd expect third party only insurance to be the cheapest option as it offers the least protection of all the types of cover available, so you might be surprised to learn otherwise.

What are the types of comprehensive insurance?

Types of car insurance
  • Comprehensive.
  • Third Party Fire and Theft.
  • Third Party Property Damage.
  • Compulsory Third Party.

What car insurance covers most?

While different states mandate different types of insurance and there are several additional options (such as gap insurance) available, most basic auto policies consist of: bodily injury liability, personal injury protection, property damage liability, collision, comprehensive and uninsured/underinsured motorist.

What insurance covers other cars?

Third Party Car Insurance offers cover for damage caused to someone else's vehicle or property, if you're liable for it. It can also, for an additional premium, include cover for loss of, or damage to, your car caused by fire or theft.

Does comprehensive insurance cover green slip?

CTP is for people only and does not cover damage to any vehicles, yours or someone else's. Comprehensive covers damage to your vehicle and others' vehicles and property, but does not cover people. ... Other insurers who do not offer CTP or green slip insurance may offer third party property insurance.

How can I get cheaper insurance?

8 Ways to Get the Cheapest Car Insurance Rates Possible
  1. Don't assume any one company is the cheapest. ...
  2. Don't ignore local and regional insurers. ...
  3. Ask about discounts. ...
  4. Work on your credit. ...
  5. Skip comprehensive and collision coverage for an older car. ...
  6. Raise your deductible. ...
  7. Consider usage-based or pay-per-mile insurance.

Do older cars have cheaper insurance?

Do Older Cars Cost More to Insure? Your rates for comprehensive coverage or collision coverage on an older vehicle may be lower than what you'd pay for those same coverages on a newer car that's worth more. ... Older cars are typically worth less, as their value depreciates over time.

How many types of insurance are there in vehicle?

Amount of insurance coverage - Motor insurance plans can be divided into three types based on the amount of insurance protection offered: Third-party liability insurance - This is the most basic form of car insurance and hence, it is also the cheapest.

What is basic liability premium in car insurance?

Your car insurance premium is the sum of the following 3 covers: Third Party Cover. In India, it is mandatory to have a TPL cover if you own a car. Third Party Liability (TPL) covers any damage to a person or property by your insured vehicle that results in financial loss or loss of life to the said person.

Is it mandatory to get insurance for your vehicle?

In India, and all over the world, getting your car insured is a compulsory by law, not an option. The Motor Vehicle Act of 1988 makes it mandatory for all vehicle to be covered under an appropriate insurance policy before they can ply on the road.

Is it better to have collision or comprehensive?

The main difference between comprehensive and collision insurance is the scenarios they cover. Collision insurance pays for damage to your car if you hit an object or another vehicle, while comprehensive coverage pays for theft or damage from causes such as bad weather, fire or fallen trees.

What does collision and comprehensive insurance cover?

Collision coverage helps pay to repair your car if it's damaged in a collision with another vehicle or object, such as a fence. ... Comprehensive is a separate coverage from collision. It helps cover different types of losses that are usually not the result of driving the vehicle, such as theft, hail or fallen trees.

Is comprehensive insurance required by law?

Understanding Comprehensive Insurance

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.

What happens if I don't have comprehensive car insurance?

If you don't add comprehensive and collision, your vehicle will have no coverage under your car insurance policy. If you're at fault in an accident, collision coverage is the only way to make a car insurance claim for your vehicle's damage or total loss. Without it, you'll have to pay out of pocket yourself.