Accident Claim Lawyers
InsuranceUpdated September 2026

Comprehensive coverage

In plain English: in the US and Canada, comprehensive coverage pays for damage to your own car caused by something other than a collision with another vehicle or object, such as theft, fire, a falling tree, hail, flood or hitting an animal. In the UK, "comprehensive" means something broader, explained below.

What it typically covers in North America

  • Theft of the car, and damage from an attempted theft or break-in
  • Fire, explosion, lightning and storms
  • Hail, flood and falling objects such as branches or debris
  • Vandalism and riot damage
  • Hitting a deer, moose or other animal
  • Glass damage, like a stone chip that cracks the windscreen, often with a separate or lower deductible

It pays up to the car's actual cash value, less your deductible. It doesn't cover your injuries, mechanical breakdown or normal wear and tear.

Animal strikes and swerving

This catches a lot of people out. If you hit a deer, the claim usually goes under comprehensive. If you swerve to avoid the deer and hit a tree instead, many insurers treat that as a collision, which may carry a different deductible and, in some cases, a different effect on your premium. Tell the insurer exactly what happened; don't reshape the story to fit a category.

The UK meaning is different

In the UK, a "fully comprehensive" motor policy is the highest level of cover. It includes damage to other people and their property, fire and theft, and damage to your own car even when you caused the crash. The lower levels are third party, fire and theft, and third party only. So a UK driver with comprehensive cover has what a North American driver would think of as liability, collision and comprehensive together. Details, such as windscreen cover and courtesy cars, vary by policy.

Canada's "all perils" option

Canadian policies often let you buy comprehensive and collision separately, or combine them as "all perils" cover with a single deductible. Some also offer "specified perils", covering only a listed set of risks. Your policy wording decides.

Example

A storm drops a large branch on your parked car in Alberta, denting the roof and breaking the rear window. You claim under comprehensive, pay your deductible and the insurer pays the rest of the repair. No one is at fault, so there's no third party to pursue.

Report theft and vandalism to police

Most insurers expect a police report number for theft or vandalism claims. Report quickly and keep photos, receipts and a list of anything taken from inside the car.

Next: collision coverage · deductibles · insurance hub.

Related terms

Gap InsuranceGap insurance pays some or all of the difference between what your car insurer pays for a written-off car and what you still owe on the loan or lease, or in some versions, what you originally paid.Independent Medical ExaminationAn independent medical examination, or IME, is an assessment by a doctor chosen and paid by the insurer or the defence, not by you.Insurance PolicyAn insurance policy is the contract between you and your insurer.Liability CoverageLiability coverage is the part of an insurance policy that pays other people when the policyholder is legally responsible for hurting them or damaging their property.

General information, not legal or medical advice. Rules differ between US states, the UK and Canadian provinces, so check the law where your accident happened. How we write and check · Legal disclaimer