Comprehensive insurance covers damage from events other than a crash , like theft, vandalism, hail, fire, flood, or hitting an animal, while collision insurance covers damage to your car from a crash with another vehicle or object, even if you’re at fault.

Simple way to remember it

  • Comprehensive = non-crash damage.
  • Collision = crash damage.

Examples

  • A tree branch falls on your car: comprehensive.
  • You hit a guardrail or another car: collision.
  • Your car is stolen: comprehensive.
  • You back into a pole: collision.

How they’re similar

Both are optional in most cases and both help pay to repair or replace your vehicle, usually minus your deductible. If you finance or lease a car, your lender may require both.

Quick rule of thumb

If the damage happened because of a collision , think collision coverage. If it happened because of weather, theft, animals, fire, vandalism, or falling objects , think comprehensive coverage.

TL;DR: collision covers accidents you drive into; comprehensive covers almost everything else that can damage your car.