TOP TEN FACTS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT COMPREHENSIVE AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE
- Comprehensive coverage is not required by Maryland law. Comprehensive Insurance is optional auto insurance coverage that protects your car against damage not resulting from a collision, as well as from theft.
- Comprehensive does not cover any damage as a result of a collision.
- Comprehensive insurance does not cover personal injuries, medical expenses or lost wages
- Comprehensive insurance can help you pay for your car’s repair, or even help you replace it entirely in the case of a total loss, due to any of the following:
- car theft
- vandalism
- disasters
- fire
- explosion
- vandalism, fires,
- rockslides on twisting mountain roads
- Hitting or being hit by an animal including deer, cows, bears, moose and birds.
- Natural disasters.
- Floodwaters
- Damage due to natural events or severe weather (e.g. hail, wind, tornado, earthquake flood or hurricane)
- Glass damage and windshield
- flying or falling objects
- civil unrest or riot
- theft
- what does Comprehensive Automobile Insurance not cover?
- comprehensive insurance won’t help if you hit an object, require towing or roadside assistance,
- rent a car,
- have personal property stolen from within your vehicle Personal property is usually covered by homeowners or renter’s insurance.
- Collision: which covers the cost of repairing or replacing your car if it collides with another car or object, or rolls over (property damage liability covers damage to other cars/objects)
- on-site services, including: tire changing, gas, oil, and water delivery, Battery services, Lockout services
- The cost of comprehensive insurance coverage, on the other hand, varies depending on the deductible you select.
- The higher the deductible, the less you’ll spend on your premium — but the more you’ll spend out of pocket if you file a claim.
- But regardless of your deductible, the amount of coverage comprehensive provides depends on one factor: your car’s actual cash value (ACV). (Unless it’s a collector car, in which case you’ll have the option of establishing an agreed value based on the vehicle’s collectability.) Actual cash value equals the purchase price of your car minus depreciation and your deductible. So comprehensive coverage will pay an amount up to the actual cash value of your car to either repair or (in the case of a total loss) replace it. If the cost of repairs exceeds your car’s ACV, your car insurance company will declare it a total loss and pay the sum of the car’s ACV to help you replace it — unless you opt to retain salvage (i.e., keep the totaled car), in which case the salvage value will also be deducted from your payout.
- No states require comprehensive coverage, but those who finance or lease their car will probably find that their lender or lessee requires it. Lenders and lessees are the official owners of the vehicle, so they want to make sure they’re adequately protected in case of an incident.
- Comprehensive coverage claims do not normally count as responsible accidents. Responsible accidents would fall under the liability or collision portion of your auto insurance and not the comprehensive coverage section.
- When deciding whether to purchase Comprehensive Automobile Insurance consider the following:
- The value of your car is an important consideration when determining whether you need collision and comprehensive coverage. If your car is:
- Older and/or low-value, it may not be worth purchasing these coverages, since they will only pay up to the estimated fair market value of your car.
- Newer and/or high-value, having these coverages can save you from paying out significant costs to repair or replace your car (if totaled).
- if you drive a lot of miles, or if you park your car in a location that is especially susceptible to theft or vandalism, you might want to have comprehensive coverage.
- Having both comprehensive and collision on your vehicle protects you against many situations, but not everything. It doesn’t cover the following situations:
- Wear and tear
- Mechanical failure (not related to an accident)
- Electrical failure
- Custom equipment that wasn’t listed and specifically covered on the policy or custom-equipment endorsement
- Additional damage caused by failing to take preventative measures
- Intentional actions
- Criminal actions (damages during your attempt to evade police)
- Confiscation or destruction of your vehicle by law enforcement
- Nuclear exposure or explosion
- Bio-chemical attack
- War
For more info on car accidents, CLICK HERE.