Full Coverage vs. Liability Insurance in Nevada
After learning about the different coverage options available to Nevada drivers, you might be wondering what you need. Sure, you need the minimum liability insurance just to register your car, but do you really need add-on policies?
“Full coverage” and “liability coverage” represent the two extremes. We have already discussed liability coverage earlier in this article. It pays out compensation for bodily injury and property damage to other people when you are at fault for an accident.
But how do you cover your own injuries when you are to blame for the crash? Or how do you pay for your car when no one is to blame except possibly Mother Nature? To cover these losses, you will need full coverage.
We haven’t talked yet about two policies you can buy—collision coverage and comprehensive coverage:
- Collision. This insurance will pay to repair your vehicle if it is involved in an accident, regardless of who is at fault. You can’t use the property damage liability insurance mentioned above to fix your vehicle—that only covers damage to another driver’s car. But if your car is damaged in a crash, your collision coverage steps into the gap and pays for repairs.
- Comprehensive. Your vehicle might get damaged somehow other than in an accident. For example, your car might be damaged by fire, vandalism, or a falling tree branch. You might also lose your car because someone steals it. Comprehensive coverage steps in and pays for repairs or a replacement.
Insurance Coverage
If you purchase comprehensive and collision along with the required liability, then you will have full coverage in the event of an accident or other damage to your car. Throw in uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage and medical payments, and you are fully insured against loss and can sleep soundly at night.
However, full coverage will cost you. Remember to get quotes from an insurance agent before making a decision. In Nevada, the average comprehensive policy will cost around $152 and the average collision will cost $596 each year.
Also ask yourself some important questions:
- How old is your car? Experts recommend that you buy collision and comprehensive if your car is less than 10 years old.
- How much is your car worth? Your car might be more than 10 years old, but if it is worth $3,000 then you might benefit from full coverage.
- Do you need costly repairs? If so, then there is no reason to buy full coverage for the vehicle.
- Do you have the resources to pay to fix your car? If not, then you might want to carry full coverage, especially if you cannot afford a new car if your current one is damaged.
Another option if money is tight is to check whether you can buy collision or comprehensive coverage separately. If so, you might only want to buy one or the other, depending on what you think is the bigger risk. If you are worried about vandalism and crime in your neighborhood, you might purchase comprehensive. If you are worried you might crash your car, you should purchase collision insurance.