Collision Insurance vs. Comprehensive Insurance in Missouri
Ryan Bradley | July 7, 2023 | Car Accident
Collision insurance and comprehensive insurance are two types of auto accident insurance. While neither of these is mandatory by law in Missouri (the way that liability insurance is), both of them have their uses. It is important to understand the difference between the two.
It is also beneficial to understand the primary use of these two types of insurance. Not everybody needs collision insurance, not everybody needs comprehensive insurance, and some people need one but not the other.
Table of Contents
Collision Insurance
Collision insurance pays for collision damage to your car regardless of who was at fault for the accident. It even covers you if the accident was your fault. Following are some examples of some of the collisions that this type of insurance covers:
- You hit a telephone pole, a tree, or other stationary object.
- You back into another car in a parking lot.
- Another car backs into yours in a parking lot, and the driver doesn’t even leave a note.
- You back into a building.
- You damage your car by running into a curb.
- Your car rolls over into a ditch, totaling it.
- A drunken driver causes a car accident by colliding with your car.
- You damage your car by hitting a pothole.
Obviously, carrying collision coverage makes little sense if you are driving a car that is worth less than your insurance payments over the course of a year. It makes the most sense if you are driving an expensive car. If you have financed or leased your car, the financing bank or the leasing company might require you to carry collision insurance.
Collision insurance covers damage to your car but not injuries to your body, such as brain injury. It also doesn’t cover damage that you cause to others that is your own fault, nor does it cover loss or damage to personal belongings you carry in your car.
Comprehensive Insurance
Although “comprehensive” means “complete,” comprehensive insurance is not really complete. What comprehensive insurance covers is damage to your car that is not caused by a collision with another vehicle. Following are some examples of some of the types of damage that comprehensive insurance covers:
- Your windshield suffers a crack when a rock or a hailstone hits it. Cracks produced in this manner can grow in size over time.
- Your car suffers serious flood damage.
- You hit a deer on a country road.
- High winds damage your car.
- A thief breaks the window of your car.
Some of the damage that comprehensive insurance covers arises from mishaps that you would never have imagined before purchasing the insurance. That is why it is a good idea for people with expensive cars. Banks that finance cars often require comprehensive coverage as well as collision coverage if you finance or lease your car.
How To Obtain Collision or Comprehensive Insurance
Just about any Missouri auto insurance company will offer both collision and comprehensive insurance. Decide what’s right for you and talk to an agent about it. Shop around; prices vary.
Read Your Insurance Policy Carefully
Check your insurance policy carefully before you sign on the dotted line. Make sure you understand the contractual language. If your car is expensive enough, you might even invest in a lawyer to look over the language of your policy for you to avoid nasty surprises later.
Purchase Insurance Before an Accident, Not Afterwards
An unfortunate aspect of human nature is that we tend to ignore problems until they actually happen. In Missouri, more than 15% of all drivers don’t even carry the mandatory minimum insurance, much less optional insurance such as collision or comprehensive insurance.
Don’t be caught without insurance after a car accident. Purchase appropriate insurance now, before it’s too late. Otherwise, you might have to file a claim against another driver after an accident–a driver who might lack insurance coverage. Under such circumstances, the assistance of a car accident lawyer might become necessary.
Contact Our Car Accident Law Firm For Help Today
For more information, please contact Bradley Law Personal Injury Lawyers at your nearest location to schedule a free case evaluation today.
St. Louis Office
1430 Washington Ave Suite #226 St. Louis, MO 63103
(314) 461-1805
Kansas City Office
1509 NE Parvin Rd, Suite A., Kansas City, MO 64116
(816) 408-3448
Or if you would prefer to reach out to us online, please visit our contact us page.