Full coverage car insurance typically combines bodily injury liability, property damage liability, uninsured/underinsured motorist, personal injury protection, collision, and comprehensive coverage. This extra protection helps you in both at-fault and no-fault accidents, as well as if you collide with a driver that doesn’t have the proper amount of insurance to cover related expenses. 

Currently, no state requires drivers to carry full coverage car insurance, but you can select full coverage if you desire. Additionally, if you lease or finance your vehicle, your lender may require you to carry full coverage until your vehicle is paid off.  

Read more about full coverage car insurance

In many cases, your car insurance does cover rental cars. However, there are some common exclusions, including renting a car outside of the U.S. or renting a vehicle for business purposes. It’s always a good idea to check with your provider so you know the coverage details, limitations to coverage, and any scenario in which you’d be required to pay for rental car damages out of pocket. 

Typically you don’t need insurance to rent a car from a rental company because the cars are already insured. However, if you rent a car without having your own personal car insurance, you are typically responsible to pay for any damages out of pocket. So, although you don’t need insurance to rent a car, it’s advisable to select a car rental protection plan to cover costs in the event of an accident during your rental period.  

Most car insurance providers cover theft as an add-on to your insurance policy. Although all states have their own minimum insurance coverage requirements, no state currently requires drivers to carry comprehensive coverage. However, purchasing comprehensive coverage is the best option for those who want their car insurance to cover theft. If your car is damaged for a reason other than a collision, comprehensive coverage helps pay for the damage. This includes theft, vandalism, hail, flood, fire, etc.  Read more

Collision insurance coverage pays to repair or replace your car if it is damaged in an accident. This type of insurance helps cover damages if you are in an accident with another vehicle, person, or object, like a tree or a guardrail. It’s common for lienholders to require collision insurance if you lease or finance your car, but it often becomes optional once your vehicle is paid off. 

Collision insurance typically covers any type of damage to your vehicle due to a collision with another vehicle, an object, or a person. Collision insurance also covers a single-car accident, where the car is damaged from incidents such as rolling.  

Drivers with collision insurance must pay a deductible before the insurance “kicks in.” The cost of your deductible depends on your policy and the amount chosen when you purchase coverage. Collision insurance does not cover non-driving-related damages, such as hail or theft, damage to another person’s vehicle, or any medical bills. 

Read more about collision insurance

Getting car insurance is easy. Most states require drivers to carry liability insurance coverage. There are two types of liability car insurance: Bodily Injury Liability and Property Damage Liability.  

Bodily injury liability insurance helps cover costs associated with any injuries to another person caused by an accident where you’re at fault. 

Property damage liability insurance helps cover any damage to property (i.e., a vehicle, building, streetlight, etc.) caused by an accident where you’re at fault.  

In both cases, your liability insurance will not pay for your own property damage or bodily injuries caused by another driver. However, most states require all drivers to carry liability insurance coverage to some extent. 

Read more about liability insurance