Personal Auto Policy for Comprehensive and Collision Exposures in Decatur: Everything You Must Know in 2022
Last Updated: January 31, 2022
Personal auto policy for comprehensive and collision exposures seems simple if you read it at a first glance. However, there are many things to consider to understand in-depth these terms. According to Insurance Information Institute, personal auto insurance covers a variety of things like theft or damage of your car covers through property coverage.
Personal Automobile Policy (PAP)
Personal Auto Policy (PAP) is a standard auto insurance design. These policies cover liability, medical payments, vehicle damage, and damage caused by uninsured/underinsured motorists.
A personal auto policy is divided into six sections. Part A explains liability coverage, Part B explains medical payments coverage, Part C explains uninsured motorist coverage, and Part D presents personal auto damage coverage. Part E outlines the insured’s responsibilities following a collision, while Part F outlines other policy provisions.
PAP includes:
- Personal automobiles
- Vehicles weighing less than 10,000 pounds, such as pickup trucks or vans
Your personal auto policy should cover you whether you’re commuting to work, going on a road trip, or running errands. However, it may not protect you if you use your auto for business purposes, even if you are delivering food or you work for a rideshare company. These applications may necessitate the purchase of business insurance. It really is a great idea to double-check your policy to make sure you’re covered.
Comprehensive Coverage
The term “comprehensive” can be vague here. Comprehensive Insurance covers a wide range of circumstances that collision insurance does not cover. Because comprehensive insurance details can vary, it’s wise to carefully examine your auto insurance policy to know precisely what is covered. It is sometimes known as “other than collision.”
In general, comprehensive insurance will cover your vehicle in the following scenarios:
- Theft
- Vandalism
- Glass Damage
- Possible Damage from Flying missiles (defined as any flying object, such as an item falling off a vehicle) or falling objects (trees, boulders, etc.)
- Striking an animal
- Fire
- Floodwaters
- Natural disasters or severe weather can cause damage (e.g. hail, wind, tornado, or hurricane)
Collision Exposures/ Comprehensive Deductibles
You may have heard that having comp and collision insurance is “full coverage.” That can be misleading. Collision insurance covers a wide range of circumstances, but they do not cover everything.
Collision insurance protects your vehicle in the following scenarios:
- Your vehicle collides with another auto.
- Another auto collides with yours.
- When you collide with a solid object (e.g., tree, fence, house)
- Unintentional vehicle flipping, rolling or overturning
Collision insurance protects your vehicle from damage caused by accident, regardless of fault. To file a claim, you must first pay your deductible, after which your coverage will cover the remaining cost of repairs or total loss of your vehicle.
Conclusion
Collision and comprehensive coverage are optional physical damage insurance policies that protect your vehicle in the event of an accident or specific circumstances, such as theft or hitting an animal. These coverages are not the same as liability coverage, protecting you if you cause bodily harm or property damage to others.
Here, Collision insurance covers situations such as your vehicle colliding with another auto or colliding with a stationary object (such as a tree). On the other hand, Comprehensive insurance scenarios include vandalism, fire, and theft, as well as natural disasters like flooding and windstorms.
FAQs
What are the four parts of a personal automobile policy?
The Personal Auto Policy is categorized into four major parts: liability coverage, medical payments coverage, uninsured motorist coverage, and physical damage coverage.
What is covered under a personal auto policy?
An auto insurance policy covers your personal auto. Depending on your policy, this may include liability, medical payment coverage, comprehensive coverage, or collision coverage.
Is comprehensive and collision the same as full coverage?
Comprehensive insurance, distinct from collision insurance, protects your vehicle from hazards such as falling objects, theft, and vandalism. As part of so-called “full coverage,” collision and comprehensive insurance are frequently combined to protect a vehicle from most types of damage.
Should I add comprehensive and collision coverage?
Collision and comprehensive insurance only cover property damage to your own auto, not the property of another party, and are therefore not usually required by law. However, most advisors suggest getting both collision and comprehensive coverage because it is the best way to protect your car from a severe accident.
