When you choose to protect yourself with full coverage auto insurance, you aren’t signing up for one specific policy, per se. Instead, you are shielding yourself with combined coverage options. The most common types of coverages at play in full coverage auto insurance are:
Liability Insurance
Bodily injury liability
Bodily injury liability covers the cost of any medical injuries or deaths you may have caused in an accident. It does not cover your own injuries, only the drivers or passengers of the other vehicles involved in the accident.
Bodily injury liability is always required to operate a vehicle in the United States.
Property damage liability
Similar to bodily injury, property damage liability covers any property affected by an accident you caused. This could include cars, mailboxes, fences, houses, and even pieces of public property.
Property damage liability is required for every vehicle in the United States.
Uninsured Motorist Coverage
Uninsured motorist bodily injury liability
Although liability insurance is required for all vehicles, it is possible to find yourself in an accident with an uninsured or underinsured driver. This coverage protects you and covers any medical costs should you need treatment after the accident if the at-fault driver is either uninsured or has liability limits that are too low to cover those costs.
Uninsured motorist bodily injury liability is required in some states, but it is not required in Georgia.
Uninsured motorist property damage liability
If you are in an accident with an uninsured or underinsured at-fault driver, this policy covers repair costs to your damaged vehicle.
Uninsured motorist property damage liability is required in some states, but it is not required in Georgia.
Collision Coverage
Collision coverage covers the cost of repairs if you are involved in a collision with another vehicle or a single-car accident with an object like a tree, pole, or building. Collision coverage applies even if you are at fault in the accident.
Collision coverage is optional across the United States, although some car lending or leasing companies may require it.
Comprehensive Coverage
Comprehensive coverage covers the cost of damages made by outside forces like extreme weather, hitting wildlife, theft of your car, or vandalism to your car.
Comprehensive insurance is optional across the United States, although some car lending or leasing companies may require it.
Medical Payments Coverage
Medical payments coverage provides a limited payment to the injured driver and/or passengers of your vehicle when you’ve been involved in an accident, regardless of fault. Typical limits of coverage are $5,000 or $10,000 per person.