comprehensive insurance covers what

Comprehensive insurance generally covers damage to your vehicle from non‑collision events like theft, fire, vandalism, severe weather, falling objects, and animal strikes, but it does not cover normal wear and tear or mechanical failures.

What comprehensive insurance usually covers

Most comprehensive auto policies are designed to protect your car from “everything other than a crash with another vehicle.”

Common covered events include:

• Theft of the vehicle or damage from attempted theft.
• Vandalism or malicious damage (keyed paint, smashed windows).
• Fire or explosion.
• Weather damage: hail, windstorms, hurricanes, tornadoes, lightning, floods.
• Falling objects, such as tree branches, rocks, or debris.
• Collisions with animals (for example, hitting a deer).
• Damage from riots or civil disturbances.

Coverage typically pays up to your car’s actual cash value (its market value minus depreciation), after you pay your deductible.

What it does not cover

Even though the name sounds broad, comprehensive insurance has clear limits.

Things usually not covered include:

• Damage from a collision with another vehicle or object (that’s collision coverage).
• Injuries to you or others (handled by medical payments, PIP, or liability, depending on your policy).
• Damage you cause to other people’s property (liability coverage).
• Routine wear and tear, rust, or mechanical/electrical breakdowns.
• Personal items stolen from inside the car (often handled by renters or homeowners insurance).

When comprehensive insurance applies

Comprehensive kicks in when a covered event damages your car and you file a claim.

Key points about how it works:

• You pay your chosen deductible first; the insurer covers the remaining repair or replacement cost up to the vehicle’s value.
• If repairs cost more than your car is worth, the insurer may declare it a total loss and pay you its actual cash value.
• Lenders and leasing companies often require comprehensive (and collision) while you still owe money on the vehicle.

Comprehensive vs. other “comprehensive” uses

The word “comprehensive” also appears in other insurance contexts, but it means “broad coverage,” not the exact same protections.

Examples:

• Comprehensive health insurance: broad medical benefits such as doctor visits, hospital care, prescriptions, and preventive services.
• Comprehensive coverage for other vehicles (boats, motorcycles, RVs): very similar idea to auto—non‑collision risks like theft, fire, and weather.

Quick HTML table of what’s covered

Here is an HTML table summarizing typical auto comprehensive coverage and exclusions (this is general; actual policies vary by insurer and country).

html

<table>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>Event / Item</th>
      <th>Typically covered?</th>
      <th>Notes</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>Theft of vehicle</td>
      <td>Yes</td>
      <td>Covers stolen car up to its actual cash value after deductible.[web:3][web:7]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Vandalism</td>
      <td>Yes</td>
      <td>Keying, broken windows, graffiti, etc.[web:3][web:7]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Fire or explosion</td>
      <td>Yes</td>
      <td>Includes garage or vehicle fires.[web:3][web:7]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Hail, storm, flood</td>
      <td>Yes</td>
      <td>Weather events like hail, wind, floods, hurricanes.[web:3][web:7]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Falling objects</td>
      <td>Yes</td>
      <td>Tree branches, rocks, debris damaging the car.[web:3][web:7]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Animal strike</td>
      <td>Yes</td>
      <td>Hitting a deer or other animal is usually comprehensive, not collision.[web:7][web:9]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Riot or civil disturbance</td>
      <td>Yes</td>
      <td>Covers riot‑related damage to your vehicle.[web:7]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Collision with another car</td>
      <td>No</td>
      <td>Handled by collision coverage, not comprehensive.[web:9]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Injuries to people</td>
      <td>No</td>
      <td>Covered by liability, medical payments, or PIP, depending on policy.[web:9]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Damage to others' property</td>
      <td>No</td>
      <td>Covered by property damage liability, not comprehensive.[web:9]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Wear and tear / maintenance</td>
      <td>No</td>
      <td>Brakes, tires, engine wear, and similar issues are excluded.[web:7]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Mechanical or electrical breakdown</td>
      <td>No</td>
      <td>Usually not covered unless you have a separate warranty or breakdown policy.[web:7]</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

TL;DR: Comprehensive insurance covers non‑collision damage like theft, weather, fire, vandalism, falling objects, and animal strikes, up to your car’s market value minus the deductible; it does not cover crash damage, injuries, or normal wear and tear.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.