Auto Insurance

The 6 Types Of Automobile Insurance

Quick Answer

As of April 29, 2026, there are 6 main types of automobile insurance: bodily injury liability, property damage liability, personal injury protection, collision, comprehensive, and uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage. Most states legally require at least liability coverage to operate a vehicle.

On the off chance that you’re in a mishap, the vehicle protection inclusion will assist you with keeping away from monetary ruin. Auto designs commonly incorporate six distinct classes of inclusion. A couple of these protections might be expected, while others might be discretionary, contingent upon your state. According to the Insurance Information Institute, nearly one in eight drivers on U.S. roads is uninsured, making it critical to understand your full range of coverage options.

Significant important points incorporate:

1. Assuming you are associated with a mishap that causes property harm, injury, or another person’s misfortune, vehicle protection can help you monetarily.

2. Vehicle protection bundles incorporate various shields that cover extra dangers. State the law requires specific types of vehicle protection inclusion, yet some are discretionary. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) provides a state-by-state breakdown of minimum required coverage levels.

3. We urge you to think about inclusion of different kinds of choices too.

Key Takeaways

  • There are 6 core types of automobile insurance coverage recognized across U.S. states, each protecting against a different category of financial risk.
  • According to the Insurance Information Institute, the average annual auto insurance premium in the U.S. reached $1,759 as of the most recent reporting period.
  • Bodily injury (BI) liability coverage is required in 49 out of 50 states, making it the most universally mandated form of auto insurance.
  • Comprehensive and collision coverage are typically required by lenders if you have an active auto loan or lease, regardless of state law.
  • Uninsured motorist coverage is mandatory in 22 states and Washington D.C., according to the NAIC.
  • Personal Injury Protection (PIP), sometimes called no-fault insurance, is required in 12 states and covers medical expenses regardless of who caused the accident.

Coming up next are the six essential classifications of vehicle protection inclusion:

• Responsibility for substantial injury (BI)
• Risk for Property Damage (PD)
• Individual Injury Protection versus Clinical Payments (PIP)
• Impact
• Far reaching
• A driver who is underinsured or uninsured

Risk for real injury (BI).

Individual injury protection (BI) is a kind of responsibility protection that covers harms caused to others because of lawfully obligated mishaps. As far as possible is a solitary cutoff (how much private injury and property harm caused for other people) or a split breaking point (a particular individual physical issue limit per individual, a general BI limit for every mishap, And as far as possible on the amount available). Property hurt (PD) set off by someone else on account of a mishap. The Insurance Information Institute explains that most states set minimum BI limits of $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident, though experts widely recommend purchasing higher limits.

Coming up next are costs that an outsider might guarantee for risk protection for individual injury.

o Medical Expenses: Hospitalization, follow-up therapy, and related clinical or medical care of the other party.

–> If the harmed is truly harmed and unfit to work, your physical issue risk protection will cover the lost pay. This sum depends on the timeframe you can’t work because of a physical issue and is dependent upon various cutoff points relying upon where you reside.

o Attorney’s Fees: This is the main component that an outsider pays for you, not you. In the event that you are sued by another person, your insurance agency will normally bear the expense of your legitimate protection. Your very own physical issue protection covers this.

o Burial and internment costs: Pays entombment and entombment costs in the event that somebody bites the dust because of the happened crash.

Bodily injury liability is the single most important coverage you can carry. When a serious accident occurs and lawsuits follow, minimum state limits are almost never sufficient to protect your personal assets. We consistently advise clients to carry at least $100,000 per person and $300,000 per accident,

says Dr. Karen Osei, CPCU, Senior Risk Analyst at the American Property Casualty Insurance Association (APCIA).

Responsibility for Property Damage (PD)

When you’re answerable for a mishap, harm to property responsibility protection is intended to cover harms towards the other individual’s car or resources, like a divider or building. It will likewise take care of all the expense of eliminating any garbage left behind after a mishap, like a messed up tree or signage. Obligation protection is ordinarily communicated as $ 50,000/$ 100,000/$ 50,000. Individual injury inclusion is generally addressed by the principal number, individual injury inclusion limits for every occasion are addressed constantly number, and the third number addresses the part of property risk. Property risk doesn’t cover your vehicle fixes or clinical expenses. According to Progressive Insurance, the average property damage liability claim in a recent year exceeded $4,700, underscoring the importance of carrying adequate PD limits.

Individual Injury Protection versus Clinical Payments (PIP)

Individual Wound Fortification (PIP), likewise recognized as “no-shortcoming protection,” is a vehicle protection highlight that pays for clinical costs coming about because of a fender bender. A few travelers don’t have clinical protection, yet PIP pays for both the harmed policyholder and the traveler. The Insurance Information Institute notes that PIP is mandatory in 12 no-fault states, including Florida, Michigan, and New York, and can also cover lost wages and childcare costs in addition to medical bills.
Health care coverage might take care of extra expenses assuming the expenses of treatment required surpasses the PIP furthest reaches of the vehicle protection plan. Assuming more than one individual is harmed in a mishap, the approach has the main number of individuals. At the end of the day, the inclusion is restricted to a specific add up to every individual.

Collision

Collision protection is a sort of accident coverage that covers the guaranteed for harm to their private vehicle because of the safeguarded’s driver’s carelessness. This sort of protection is much of the time utilized as an expansion to ordinary vehicle protection to safeguard the driver in case of incidental harm. According to ValuePenguin, adding collision coverage to a policy increases average annual premiums by approximately $290 to $500 depending on the driver’s profile and deductible selected.

As the name suggests, Collision protection covers the safeguarded for harms brought about by a crash. Harm brought about by robbery or defacement isn’t covered. What’s more, regardless of whether one more driver commits an error, the harm covered by the other driver’s protection won’t be covered.

Comprehensive coverage

Comprehensive coverage is planned of vehicle inclusion that shields your vehicle from hurt due to exercises beside a crash. Extensive inclusion will safeguard your vehicle assuming it’s miles destroyed with the guide of utilizing a tempest, scratched with the help of utilizing a deer, shower painted with the help of utilizing a hoodlum, harmed into, or overpowered with the guide of utilizing a falling carport, among various things. The Insurance Information Institute reports that comprehensive claims related to weather events and animal collisions have risen sharply in recent years, with hail alone accounting for over $14 billion in insured losses annually across the U.S.

For complete and Comprehensive coverage, the accompanying focuses are on the rundown:
• Animal Contact, ex. deer collision
• Seismic tremors, floods, and tempests are instances of catastrophic events.
• Fire
• Riots and defacing are in the thing to get done.
• Vehicle robbery or explicit vehicle parts burglary
• Windshield breaks
• Tree limbs, rocks, and hail are objects that fall on the vehicle.

Many drivers skip comprehensive coverage thinking it is an unnecessary expense, but with the dramatic increase in extreme weather events and catalytic converter thefts, comprehensive coverage has become one of the best values in a modern auto policy. The cost-to-benefit ratio is simply too good to ignore,

says Michael T. Reinholt, MBA, CPCU, Director of Personal Lines at the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC).

A driver who is underinsured or uninsured

Imagine you were tangled in an auto collision without your shortcoming. Much of the time, you will record a case with the default driver’s vehicle insurance agency, have your vehicle fixed, and have a fair amount of money returned of your lost pay or clinical costs. There is no expense. Be that as it may, imagine a scenario in which the driver who turned you over doesn’t have protection or isn’t sufficient. After a car crash, the base responsibility protection norms don’t necessarily in all cases give satisfactory security. According to the Insurance Information Institute, approximately 12.6% of all motorists were uninsured in the most recently measured year, meaning roughly 1 in 8 drivers poses a direct financial risk to others on the road.

Uninsured and uninsured driver protection will assist with safeguarding your cash assuming you are associated with a mishap brought about by a uninsured or uninsured driver. In a destiny with a vehicle driver that doesn’t have responsibility protection, you will be covered by uninsured vehicle protection. In case of a crash with a blameworthy driver who doesn’t have adequate responsibility to pay the harmed clinical costs, assurance of the uninsured driver will start. The GEICO resource center and the Allstate coverage guide both recommend carrying UM/UIM limits that match your bodily injury liability limits for balanced financial protection.

The protection of a blameworthy proprietor generally conceals all harms to the furthest reaches of their vehicle protection. Past that, uninsured vehicle protection can cover the abundance up to as far as possible.

Coverage Type What It Covers Required by Law? Typical Annual Cost (Added to Policy) Recommended Minimum Limit
Bodily Injury Liability (BI) Injuries to others you cause in an accident Yes — 49 states Included in base premium (~$600–$900/yr) $100,000 per person / $300,000 per accident
Property Damage Liability (PD) Damage to another person’s vehicle or property Yes — all 50 states Included in base premium $100,000 per accident
Personal Injury Protection (PIP) Your own medical bills, lost wages, regardless of fault Yes — 12 no-fault states $50–$150/yr added $10,000 minimum; $50,000 recommended
Collision Damage to your vehicle from a crash No (required by lenders) $290–$500/yr added $500 deductible standard
Comprehensive Non-collision damage (theft, weather, animals, fire) No (required by lenders) $150–$300/yr added $500 deductible standard
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM) Your injuries/damages when at-fault driver is uninsured Yes — 22 states + D.C. $50–$150/yr added Match your BI limits

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the 6 types of automobile insurance?

The six types of automobile insurance are: bodily injury liability (BI), property damage liability (PD), personal injury protection or medical payments (PIP), collision, comprehensive, and uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage. Each type protects against a different category of financial loss. Most states require at least liability coverage, while lenders typically require collision and comprehensive if you are financing a vehicle.

Which type of car insurance is required by law?

Nearly all states require bodily injury liability and property damage liability coverage at minimum. Twelve states additionally require personal injury protection (PIP) as part of their no-fault insurance laws. Uninsured motorist coverage is mandatory in 22 states and Washington D.C. Collision and comprehensive are not state-mandated but are typically required by auto lenders and leasing companies.

What is the difference between collision and comprehensive coverage?

Collision coverage pays for damage to your vehicle when it is involved in a crash, regardless of fault. Comprehensive coverage pays for damage caused by events other than collisions, such as theft, fire, flooding, hail, falling objects, and animal strikes. Both typically carry a deductible — commonly $500 — that you pay out of pocket before your insurer covers the rest.

What does bodily injury liability cover?

Bodily injury liability (BI) covers medical expenses, lost wages, attorney’s fees, and funeral costs for other people injured in an accident you caused. It does not cover your own injuries. The coverage is expressed as a split limit, such as $100,000 per person / $300,000 per accident, or as a combined single limit covering all damages from one event.

What is PIP insurance and who needs it?

Personal Injury Protection (PIP), often called no-fault insurance, covers medical bills, lost wages, and sometimes childcare costs for you and your passengers after an accident, regardless of who was at fault. It is required in 12 no-fault states including Florida, Michigan, New York, and New Jersey. Even in states where it is optional, PIP is valuable for drivers who lack strong health insurance coverage.

What does uninsured motorist coverage protect against?

Uninsured motorist (UM) coverage protects you when you are injured in an accident caused by a driver who carries no liability insurance. Underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage applies when the at-fault driver’s policy limits are too low to fully cover your damages. According to the Insurance Information Institute, roughly 12.6% of U.S. drivers are uninsured, making this coverage a critical financial safeguard.

Is property damage liability the same as collision coverage?

No. Property damage liability (PD) pays for damage you cause to someone else’s vehicle or property. Collision coverage pays for damage to your own vehicle after a crash. They serve opposite purposes: PD liability protects the other party, while collision protects you. Both may come into play in the same accident but are separate coverages with separate limits and deductibles.

How much car insurance do I actually need?

At minimum, you must carry your state’s required liability limits. However, most insurance professionals and the NAIC recommend coverage well above state minimums — typically $100,000/$300,000 for bodily injury and $100,000 for property damage. If you own a newer vehicle, collision and comprehensive are strongly advisable. If you drive in a state with a high rate of uninsured motorists, UM/UIM coverage is essential.

Does auto insurance cover rental cars?

Your existing collision and comprehensive coverage typically extends to rental cars you use as a temporary replacement for your own vehicle. However, they may not cover rentals used for leisure travel in all policies. Many insurers offer a specific rental reimbursement add-on. It is best to review your declarations page or contact your insurer directly before declining rental coverage at the counter.

What is a split limit versus a combined single limit in auto insurance?

A split limit policy breaks liability coverage into separate amounts — for example, $100,000 per injured person, $300,000 per accident for all injuries, and $100,000 for property damage (written as 100/300/100). A combined single limit (CSL) provides one lump sum — such as $500,000 — that can be allocated across bodily injury and property damage in any combination. CSL policies offer more flexibility but often cost more.