Types of car insurance coverages

Personal injury protection (PIP): Required in a few states

Personal injury protection may cover medical bills and related expenses, like lost wages, medications, and prosthetic devices, for you and any passengers in your vehicle who are injured in an accident, regardless of fault. PIP is not offered in every state but is required in a few states.

Medical payments (MedPay): Optional

Medical payments coverage is available in most states. Like PIP, MedPay can help pay for medical expenses for you and your passengers due to injuries from an accident, regardless of fault. MedPay covers only medical bills, whereas PIP may also cover other types of losses, including lost wages.

Uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage: Required in some states

If you're hit by a driver with no auto insurance or insufficient coverage, uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage may pay for injuries to you and your passengers (UM/UIM bodily injury) and damage to your vehicle (UM/UIM property damage). Some states require UM/UIM coverage while others consider it optional.

Collision coverage: Required by car lenders

Auto collision coverage is not required by law in any state, but it's usually required by your lender if you lease or finance your vehicle. It helps pay to repair or replace your vehicle after a collision, regardless of fault, after paying the coverage's car insurance deductible. Collision covers multi-vehicle accidents and single-vehicle collisions with objects, like running into a telephone pole or hitting a guardrail.

Comprehensive coverage: Required by car lenders

Comprehensive car insurance coverage protects your vehicle against damage caused by an event outside of your control, including theft, vandalism, weather-related damage, and falling tree limbs, after paying your comprehensive deductible when applicable. Like collision, it's not required by any state, but it's usually required by your lender if you're leasing or financing your vehicle.

Gap insurance: Optional

Gap insurance helps pay for the difference between what's owed on the vehicle and its actual cash value. Due to the fact that new cars lose their value quickly, your car's value may drop faster than your loan balance. This coverage is considered optional unless it's required by lenders for leasing or financing a vehicle. Progressive offers a similar coverage called "loan/lease payoff coverage."

Rental reimbursement coverage: Optional

If your vehicle is damaged or totaled after a car accident, rental car reimbursement coverage can pay for a rental car while your vehicle is being repaired or replaced, regardless of fault.

Roadside assistance: Optional

This coverage provides roadside assistance if your vehicle is disabled on the side of the road, including help with flat tires, a dead battery, or an empty gas tank.

Rideshare coverage: Often required for rideshare drivers

Standard car insurance policies exclude coverage if you drive for a rideshare service, so rideshare coverage may be added to your auto policy to extend protection beyond what's offered by your rideshare company. Some insurers may require rideshare coverage if you drive for a rideshare company.

What are the three main types of car insurance?

The three main types of car insurance are often considered: liability, comprehensive, and collision. This is because liability is required by law in most states, and comprehensive and collision coverage are required for most car loans and leases.

But your state might require other coverages (like PIP and UM/UIM), so don't assume you should just get those three for "full coverage" car insurance. When you get a quote, the insurer will include all the coverages required for your situation. Use this car insurance calculator for a personalized estimate of the coverages you need.

Is buying more than minimum coverage insurance necessary?

No, it's never necessary to buy more than what's legally required by your state and contractually required by your car lender or insurer. However, there are circumstances when it makes sense to buy more than the required amount. For example, if your state doesn't require UM/UIM, but you wouldn't have enough to cover expensive health care costs of a car accident caused by an uninsured motorist, it may make sense to add that coverage.

Get the right car insurance coverage for you and your vehicle