Coverage explained
Liability, collision, comprehensive, UM/UIM, PIP, MedPay, gap, and the optional add-ons
Quotes become comparable the moment you know what each line item means. This is the full list of coverages you will meet on an American policy, in the order they usually appear on a declarations page.
Bodily injury liability pays other people's medical costs when you are at fault. Property damage liability pays for their vehicle or property. These are the coverages that state minimum laws describe, usually written as three numbers such as 25/50/25.
Minimums were set decades ago in many states and have not kept pace with medical or repair costs. Anything above your limit is a personal debt, which is why most consumer advocates suggest limits far above the legal floor.
Collision pays to repair your car after a crash, regardless of fault. Comprehensive pays for almost everything else that can happen to a parked or moving car: theft, fire, flood, hail, vandalism, falling branches, and animal strikes. Both carry a deductible you choose.
If you own an older car outright, there comes a point where the premium plus the deductible approaches the value of the car, and dropping physical-damage coverage becomes rational. On a financed car, the lender decides, not you.
Uninsured motorist coverage responds when the at-fault driver has no insurance or cannot be identified after a hit-and-run. Underinsured motorist coverage pays the shortfall when their limits are too low to cover your losses. Some states require carriers to offer both and require a written rejection if you decline.
Because a large share of American drivers carry no valid policy, this is one of the highest-value lines on a quote for the price.
PIP is no-fault medical coverage that also pays a share of lost income and, in some states, household help during recovery. MedPay is a smaller, simpler pot that covers treatment and health insurance deductibles. Gap coverage settles a loan balance after a total loss. Rental reimbursement and roadside assistance are convenience add-ons.
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