If you are looking for general auto insurance that will cover you in most events, then you should check out what comprehensive car insurance can offer. This is not coverage that you are required to have in most states, but it is good to have, and in some cases, if you have a loan for your vehicle, your lender may require you to have this type of insurance. When you have comprehensive coverage, you will be covered for a variety of things that may have been left out of your regular auto insurance policy.

Accidents Happen…Be Prepared!

No matter how good a driver you are, or how careful you are, accidents do happen. That’s why they are called accidents, because you don’t plan for them to happen. Having enough insurance coverage will protect you from most of the expenses that can arise following an accident, as well as damages from many other things. For example, if your vehicle is damaged by something other than an accident, such as fire or vandalism, you will be covered. Other situations that are covered include hitting animals (this is excellent coverage to have if you live in a rural area, because you never know when you could hit a deer or a moose), theft, severe weather, and even items such as tree branches falling onto your car and causing damages.

When Should You NOT Have Comprehensive Insurance?

Vehicle owners do not always need to have this type of insurance coverage. For instance, if you drive an older model vehicle that is not in the best of shape, you probably won’t want to bother having additional coverage for it. After all, the premiums and deductibles may cost more than the vehicle is actually worth in the first place, and the cost just isn’t worth it.

Who Should Have Comprehensive Insurance?

If you have a newer model vehicle, you will want to have as much insurance as you can afford in order to make sure that it is protected no matter what. Of course, this is just one reason why one should have this type of insurance coverage. Other reasons include:

• If you collect vehicles and want to make sure that they are safe at all times, even while being stored or transported. The cost of the premiums is a lot less than what it would cost to replace a collectible vehicle.
• If you want to make sure that you have as much coverage as possible so you don’t have a lot of out-of-pocket expenses following an accident you are at fault in.

Will You Have to Pay a Deductible?

The simple answer to this question is “yes”. Your deductible is the amount that you pay yourself for any damages resulting from an accident where you are at fault before the insurance company pays anything. As a rule, you choose the amount you wish to pay for a deductible. There are a couple of ways to look at it when you are trying to decide on an amount. You can choose to pay a higher deductible and have lower premiums, or pay higher premiums so your deductible will be lower. Normally, deductibles for this type of insurance policy range around $500.

What are the Benefits of Comprehensive Insurance?

If you are in an accident and your vehicle is totaled, it could cost a lot of money to replace it. If you have the right coverage, you will be glad that you paid the premiums, because they will have cost you a lot less than it would to get a brand new vehicle. This is just one of the many benefits to having comprehensive car insurance, and it is especially good to have if you have a newer model vehicle that cost a lot of money. One of the great things about this is that if you are at fault in an accident, your own damages will be taken care of, and your only expense is going to be the deductible. There may be many other benefits, including payments for rental cars if they are needed following an accident. This is something you will have to ask your insurer about.

Are there Any Downsides?

There may be occasions where not all expenses are going to be covered by your comprehensive insurance. It is important that you discuss every aspect of your policy with your insurer, to make sure that you understand everything. If you do not do this, you could be in for quite a shock if you ever end up needing to make a claim, and you find out that some of your bigger expenses are not covered. For instance, you can only claim collision coverage if you hit an animal. Your insurance will not pay for any damage caused to others if you are at fault in an accident, and you will need to have additional coverage to make sure that medical expenses will be covered. You are covered in most cases, but it is best to know in advance what is not covered.

Shop Around to Get the Best Rates

You can call a dozen different insurers, and get a dozen different rates for comprehensive car insurance. This is why it is necessary to get quotes from as many insurers as possible. Of course, it is best to try to stick with insurers in your area, unless you go with one of the national insurers that can be contacted at any time of the day or night via a toll-free number.

Getting quotes for insurance is easy. You can either call the insurers in your area, or if you have the time, visit each one. Of course, you can save a lot of time and energy by letting us do all of the legwork for you. Just let us know what you require for coverage, and we will use your zip code to get you the best rates from insurers where you live.