What does full coverage car insurance cover? This question is about Full Coverage Car Insurance Guide

Full coverage car insurance usually includes collision and comprehensive insurance alongside any state-mandated coverage. As such, full coverage may cover bodily injury, property damage, uninsured motorist, PIP, collision and comprehensive claims. What Common Components of Full Coverage Car Insurance Cover Type of Insurance What It Covers Liability Injuries to other people and damage to other people’s property caused by the policyholder Collision Damage to the policyholder’s car after an accident Comprehensive Damage to the policyholder’s car after something besides an accident, like vandalism or theft Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist The policyholder’s injuries or damage to their property if a driver without insurance or without enough insurance was at fault Personal Injury Protection Injuries to the policyholder after an accident regardless of who was at fault, plus indirect expenses like lost wages MedPay Injuries to the policyholder after an accident regardless of who was at fault Since some states require more types of coverage than others, the exact standards for “full coverage” insurance differ. Most states require all drivers to have a minimum amount of liability insurance, but some states have requirements for personal injury protection or MedPay, too. Some also require a specified amount of uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage. To learn more, check out WalletHub’s guide to full coverage insurance .

Ad Disclosure Ad Disclosure

What does full coverage car insurance cover?

Answer Question Report Abuse

This question is about Full Coverage Car Insurance Guide

WalletHub, Financial Company

@WalletHub • 02/18/22 This answer was first published on 08/11/21 and it was last updated on 02/18/22.For the most current information about a financial product, you should always check and confirm accuracy with the offering financial institution. Editorial and user-generated content is not provided, reviewed or endorsed by any company.

Permalink Report Abuse

Full coverage car insurance usually includes collision and comprehensive insurance alongside any state-mandated coverage. As such, full coverage may cover bodily injury, property damage, uninsured motorist, PIP, collision and comprehensive claims.

What Common Components of Full Coverage Car Insurance Cover

Type of Insurance	What It Covers
Liability	Injuries to other people and damage to other people’s property caused by the policyholder
Collision	Damage to the policyholder’s car after an accident
Comprehensive	Damage to the policyholder’s car after something besides an accident, like vandalism or theft
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist	The policyholder’s injuries or damage to their property if a driver without insurance or without enough insurance was at fault
Personal Injury Protection	Injuries to the policyholder after an accident regardless of who was at fault, plus indirect expenses like lost wages
MedPay	Injuries to the policyholder after an accident regardless of who was at fault

Since some states require more types of coverage than others, the exact standards for “full coverage” insurance differ. Most states require all drivers to have a minimum amount of liability insurance, but some states have requirements for personal injury protection or MedPay, too. Some also require a specified amount of uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage.

To learn more, check out WalletHub’s guide to full coverage insurance.

Find Cheap Car Insurance

Use the filters below to be matched with the right companies in your area.

Zip Code

Age

Credit Score

Currently Insured

Are you a homeowner or a renter?

Select

Homeowner

Renter

Have you been in an accident in the past 3 years?

Yes No

Do you have a DUI?

Yes No

Do you need SR-22?

Yes No

Answer Question

Common Definitions for Full Coverage

Policies that include liability, collision, and comprehensive coverage

Policies that have the state-minimum insurance plus any coverage required by a lender or lessor

Policies that provide anything more than the minimum required liability coverage

Policies that cover anything and everything in the event of an accident

Although the definition of full coverage insurance may be different depending on whom you ask, the definition shouldn’t matter too much. You should always decide what car insurance to purchase, and how much, based on your own individual coverage needs as well as your budget.

Full coverage insurance costs can vary wildly depending on your state and what car you drive, since coverage types like collision and comprehensive are based on a car’s actual cash value. To learn more, check out WalletHub’s guide to full coverage car insurance and compare the cheapest full coverage car insurance companies.

show less

Does full coverage cover at fault accidents?

Yes, full coverage does cover at-fault accidents. Damage to your own vehicle after an at-fault accident is covered by your collision insurance, while the other driver’s vehicle damage and medical expenses will be covered by your liability insurance. Your own medical expenses are covered by your health insurance, personal injury protection… read full answer or MedPay, if applicable.

What to Do if an At-Fault Accident Occurs

File a police report as soon as possible.

File a claim with your insurer under your collision insurance policy for your own vehicle’s damage.

The other driver will file a claim with your liability insurance to cover their property damage and medical expenses.

Work with an insurance adjuster to finalize your claim.

Full coverage car insurance normally includes comprehensive and collision insurance and at least the minimum insurance coverage required by state law. Full coverage policies are designed to provide protection for car accidents and non-accident-related damage to ensure the policyholder is covered regardless of fault.

To learn more, check out WalletHub’s guide to full coverage car insurance.

show less

Is comprehensive insurance the same as full coverage?

No, comprehensive insurance is not full coverage, but it is often referred to as full coverage insurance when purchased together with collision insurance and any state-mandated types of coverage. Comprehensive insurance covers non-accident-related vehicle damage caused by things like vandalism or a natural disaster.

Comprehensive Insurance vs. Full Coverage

… read full answer Aspects	Comprehensive Insurance	Full Coverage Insurance
Average Annual Cost	$162	$1,997
Required by State Law?	Never	Never
Includes Collision Insurance?	No	Yes
Includes Liability Insurance?	No	Yes
Includes PIP?	No	Sometimes
Includes Uninsured Motorist Coverage?	No	Sometimes

Full coverage is a catch-all term for a few different types of car insurance policies and is a phrase more commonly used by consumers than car insurance companies. Some define full coverage as a policy that protects the policyholder from anything and everything in the event of an accident, while others say it is any policy with anything beyond the minimum coverage required by law.

To learn more, check out WalletHub’s guides to comprehensive insurance and full coverage insurance.

show less

WalletHub Answers is a free service that helps consumers access financial information. Information on WalletHub Answers is provided “as is” and should not be considered financial, legal or investment advice. WalletHub is not a financial advisor, law firm, “lawyer referral service,” or a substitute for a financial advisor, attorney, or law firm. You may want to hire a professional before making any decision. WalletHub does not endorse any particular contributors and cannot guarantee the quality or reliability of any information posted. The helpfulness of a financial advisor's answer is not indicative of future advisor performance.

WalletHub members have a wealth of knowledge to share, and we encourage everyone to do so while respecting our content guidelines. This question was posted by WalletHub. Please keep in mind that editorial and user-generated content on this page is not reviewed or otherwise endorsed by any financial institution. In addition, it is not a financial institution’s responsibility to ensure all posts and questions are answered.

Ad Disclosure: Certain offers that appear on this site originate from paying advertisers, and this will be noted on an offer’s details page using the designation "Sponsored", where applicable. Advertising may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). At WalletHub we try to present a wide array of offers, but our offers do not represent all financial services companies or products.

Ask a Question

140

Ask Question

Ask Your Question

WalletHub Transparency

We are committed to being fully transparent with our readers. Opinions expressed here are the author’s and/or WalletHub editors'. WalletHub editorial content on this page is not provided, commissioned, reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any company. In addition, it is not any company’s responsibility to ensure all questions are answered.