Collision and comprehensive are the two physical damage coverages on an auto policy. They sound interchangeable but pay for completely different kinds of damage.
| Coverage | What It Pays For | Common Triggers |
|---|---|---|
| Collision | Damage from your car hitting something | Accidents, hitting a guardrail, parking lot impacts |
| Comprehensive | Everything else | Theft, hail, deer strikes, fire, flooding, vandalism |
Collision Coverage
Collision pays for damage to your car from an accident: you hit another vehicle, another vehicle hits you, or you hit a stationary object. If your car was moving and something collided with it (or it with something), that's collision.
Comprehensive Coverage
Comprehensive covers everything else: theft, vandalism, fire, flooding, hail, a falling tree branch, a rock chip through the windshield, and - importantly - deer strikes. If the damage didn't involve a collision, it almost certainly falls under comprehensive.
When to Think About Dropping One
On an older vehicle with low market value, it's worth asking your agent to run the math on whether carrying both coverages makes financial sense. If the car is worth $4,000 and your combined deductibles are $2,000, the maximum insurance would pay on a total loss is $2,000.
Deer strikes are one of the most common reasons people discover they only have collision and not comprehensive. In North Carolina, the NC Wildlife Resources Commission estimates tens of thousands of deer-vehicle collisions occur each year, with October and November being peak months in the Triangle and across Wake County. Review your auto coverage options with an IronHaven agent.
