What Car Insurance Coverage Do I Need?

Decide how much liability coverage is enough for similar type of drivers.

Full coverage car insurance rates by state

Full cover car insurance is auto insurance that includes all the different elements of auto insurance including:

  • Personal Injury Protection.
  • Collision and Comprehensive.
  • Bodily Injury Liability.
  • Uninsured Motorist.
  • Property Damage Liability.

It basically covers all your corners and gives you the most protection under the umbrella of car insurance.

Full coverage auto insurance can be misunderstood and many people believe that it means you are 100 percent covered for all damages and injuries in any accident. This is not necessarily true. What full coverage really means is that you have both liability insurance and comprehensive and collision insurance coverage.

Some good reasons to get full coverage auto insurance are if you recently purchased a new car or newer car and you drive a bunch.

The maximum limits can be applied to your insurance policy for all of the different kinds of coverage. You can do this when you open and activate a new auto insurance policy.

There are types of auto coverage that help pay for people and their property in case of an accident. There is also types of car insurance coverage that assist in helping pay for damage to your car and injuries you may get while in an auto accident.

Damages to someone else’s property that you hit with your car is covered through property damage liability and bodily injury liability will take care of medical bills and fatalities that you are responsible for in a car accident.

Collision and comprehensive insurance cover repairs to your vehicle if you got into a collision with another vehicle or object and also covers repairs needed to your car caused by things other than a collision. An example of that is theft.

It’s always important to understand how you are covered by your auto insurance policy and know how to file a claim and receive payment of a claim. Know what your auto insurance covers and what it does not cover so there will be no confusion if an incident should happen.Other types of car insurance include:

  • Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage.
  • Personal injury protection (PIP).
  • Medical payments coverage (MedPay).
  • Gap Insurance.

The Cost of Full Coverage Auto Insurance

Obviously, basic auto insurance coverage is less expensive than full coverage auto insurance as you are getting less coverage with basic car insurance. The price is more mainly due to MedPay and personal injury protection coverage. Getting the average between several states the difference of annual costs from basic coverage and full coverage amounts to be roughly $2000. Even though it is significantly higher to pay for full coverage, depending on your situation, it may be right for you.

The easiest way to calculate how much full insurance coverage for your vehicle is to get a free quote from any car insurance company.

StateLiability Only - State Minimum50/100/50 BI/PDFull Coverage $1,000 deductibleFull Coverage $500 deductibleFull Coverage $250 deductible
Alaska $426 $434 $1,350 $1,533 $1,677
Alabama $638 $695 $1,772 $2,003 $2,194
Arkansas $616 $678 $1,717 $1,921 $2,089
Arizona $600 $696 $1,467 $1,635 $1,782
California $723 $911 $2,268 $2,574 $2,771
Colorado $646 $725 $1,598 $1,783 $1,938
Connecticut $1,097 $1,278 $2,270 $2,424 $2,555
DC $1,054 $1,139 $2,209 $2,531 $2,797
Delaware $1,520 $1,553 $2,528 $2,816 $3,021
Florida $1,058 $1,372 $2,410 $2,548 $2,680
Georgia $743 $804 $1,823 $1,988 $2,156
Hawaii $386 $422 $980 $1,095 $1,187
Iowa $403 $451 $1,177 $1,347 $1,539
Idaho $546 $601 $1,369 $1,514 $1,667
Illinois $543 $602 $1,307 $1,499 $1,649
Indiana $633 $691 $1,498 $1,711 $1,912
Kansas $526 $581 $1,372 $1,603 $1,783
Kentucky $607 $663 $1,641 $1,814 $1,937
Louisiana $909 $1,143 $2,626 $2,819 $2,988
Massachusetts $866 $996 $1,678 $1,950 $2,088
Maryland $958 $1,023 $1,795 $2,003 $2,163
Maine $513 $519 $1,192 $1,367 $1,524
Michigan $2,446 $2,145 $3,208 $3,535 $3,819
Minnesota $864 $868 $1,574 $1,784 $1,962
Missouri $506 $576 $1,355 $1,534 $1,708
Mississippi $639 $701 $1,684 $1,856 $1,995
Montana $467 $502 $1,698 $1,987 $2,189
North Carolina $385 $426 $918 $979 $1,030
North Dakota $512 $527 $1,475 $1,793 $2,053
Nebraska $472 $508 $1,269 $1,480 $1,659
New Hampshire $587 $629 $1,331 $1,514 $1,656
New Jersey $1,086 $1,462 $2,377 $2,550 $2,735
New Mexico $612 $652 $1,513 $1,675 $1,809
Nevada $641 $786 $1,636 $1,770 $1,891
New York $891 $973 $1,725 $1,923 $2,095
Ohio $579 $602 $1,235 $1,392 $1,524
Oklahoma $712 $805 $2,182 $2,476 $2,717
Oregon $1,007 $1,072 $1,697 $1,855 $1,989
Pennsylvania $560 $626 $1,427 $1,614 $1,772
Rhode Island $1,026 $1,113 $2,014 $2,226 $2,417
South Carolina $654 $717 $1,572 $1,741 $1,859
South Dakota $431 $467 $1,309 $1,550 $1,766
Tennessee $656 $717 $1,625 $1,810 $1,949
Texas $783 $818 $1,983 $2,182 $2,317
Utah $629 $685 $1,359 $1,485 $1,610
Virginia $536 $600 $1,275 $1,418 $1,541
Vermont $487 $541 $1,315 $1,470 $1,591
Washington $671 $713 $1,516 $1,651 $1,773
Wisconsin $578 $653 $1,649 $1,874 $2,123
West Virginia $669 $773 $1,633 $1,886 $2,072
Wyoming $410 $429 $1,345 $1,587 $1,792

Benefits of Full Coverage

The benefits of full auto insurance coverage are that you know you are likely to be covered in all ways if a car accident should happen. If you only have partial coverage or basic auto insurance, your benefits are limited. You can rest assured that any injuries will be financially taken care of, and any repairs to your car or another’s property will also be covered by full car insurance.

In the long term, full auto insurance coverage can save you out-of-pocket expenses in the case of accidents or bodily injuries. Full coverage is a great way to know you will be able to afford any damages to you or others’ car.

Ways to Save Money for Full Coverage

Full coverage auto insurance can be expensive yet there are ways to manage the cost.

One way to reduce the amount you will likely spend on full coverage is to get more than one quote prior to accepting a policy. It’s important to shop around and find the best deal for what you are receiving. You can compare and contrast auto insurance companies and see what they are offering and at what price.

Another option is for you to pay a higher deductible. If you are willing to do so, you can get a big cut in your rates. Even though the deductible will be higher you can save a portion of the money you will save and put it towards the deductible if necessary.

Avoid gaps in auto insurance coverage as it could disqualify you from insurance discounts. Be sure to pay your bill on time and be careful when changing to a new insurance company to be sure no lapse of car insurance occurs.

If you have a lower mileage than the average driver, you may be qualified for a discount. Make sure you ask your car insurance provider about mileage discounts to see if you qualify.

It’s never a bad idea to ask your auto insurance provider if other discounts are available to you. These could include:

  • Your car’s specific safety features.
  • Anti-theft devices.
  • Student, or senior discounts.

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