What is Full Coverage Car Insurance?

Full coverage auto insurance helps financially protect you if a covered loss involving your vehicle occurs. It typically combines collision, comprehensive and liability insurance.

“Full coverage car insurance will provide more extensive coverage for multiple types of losses, which can be a smart investment to protect your vehicle – especially if you recently bought or leased it – and other assets in the event of a collision,” said Justin Yoshizawa, director of product management – western region PPA at Mercury Insurance.

Full coverage isn’t a specific type of policy, but is usually a combination of required and optional coverages such as:

• Collision coverage: Pays for repairs to your vehicle, less the amount of your deductible, in the event of a collision and is typically optional, though a car lease or loan may require it.
• Comprehensive coverage: Covers repair costs, less the amount of your deductible, from events beyond your control, such as a tree branch falling on your vehicle, theft or vandalism. This is also typically optional, but may be required in the terms of a car lease or loan.
• Property damage liability: Covers damages the insured person is legally obligated to pay, including repairing the other party’s vehicle and other property damage to objects like buildings, fences and signal lights.
• Bodily injury liability: Covers damages due to injuries sustained by someone that the insured person is legally obligated to pay. These damages can include medical expenses, lost wages and legal fees, as well as pain and suffering.
• Uninsured motorist bodily injury: Pays for reasonable medical expenses, pain and suffering and loss of earnings for injuries to the driver and passengers that result from the accident.
• Uninsured motorist property damage: Pays for repairs to your car when the loss is caused by an uninsured motorist. In many cases, uninsured motorist property damage has a limit, so purchasing collision coverage ensures your car is fully repaired or replaced due to serious damage.
• Medical payments coverage: Helps to cover medical expenses arising from a covered collision, regardless of who is at fault.

Additional options to consider when looking for full coverage auto insurance are:

• rental car coverage  
• roadside assistance 

These can be helpful to have, but aren’t automatic inclusions. Talk to your insurance agent to determine which auto insurance coverage is right for you.