How to read your auto insurance policy
What the parts of a auto insurance policy mean, so you know what your own document says before you talk to your insurer, agent, or attorney.
An auto policy bundles several separate coverages that pay in different situations. Liability pays for injuries and property damage you cause to other people in an at-fault accident; it does not pay for your own injuries or your own car.
Collision pays to repair or replace your own vehicle after a crash regardless of fault, and comprehensive pays for non-crash damage like theft, fire, hail, or a fallen tree, each minus your deductible. Uninsured motorist coverage steps in when an at-fault driver has no insurance, and often when their limits are too low.
The parts to find on a auto insurance policy
- Bodily injury liability
- Pays for injuries you cause to other people in an at-fault accident, up to your policy limits. It does not pay for your own injuries.
- Collision
- Pays to repair or replace your own vehicle after a crash, regardless of fault, minus your deductible.
- Comprehensive
- Pays for damage to your vehicle from non-crash events like theft, fire, hail, or a fallen tree, minus your deductible.
- Med-pay
- Medical payments coverage: pays medical bills for you and your passengers after an accident, regardless of fault, up to a set limit.
- Uninsured motorist
- Covers your injuries when the at-fault driver has no insurance. Many policies also cover an underinsured driver whose limits are too low.
What UnderstandMyPolicy shows you
Upload your own auto insurance policy and it reads the document and explains what it says, with every answer cited to the page and clause. It reports what your policy states, not whether your coverage is enough — that is a conversation for you and a licensed agent or attorney.