Getting the Most from Comprehensive Cover

Like many other products, selecting the right car insurance (it's easy for females; go to this website) for your needs depends on a number of factors. The right policy is, of course, the one that best fits your situation. Liability insurance is the minimum required cover in the UK, and it will cover both the cost of the damages to the third party involved, and covers the policy holder's vehicle to a limited extent under certain conditions. At this time, reports estimate that nearly 75% of all policies sold in the UK are comprehensive cover including short term car insurance policies.

Comprehensive car insurance can be a good investment, because of the added protections. Like liability insurance, it will cover the costs of damages to third parties involved in the accident. It also covers any damage to the policy holder's vehicle resulting from vandalism, theft, accident, or fire. Some insurance companies will offer a policy holder with full comprehensive a replacement vehicle of the same make and model if the damages are too much to cover with repair costs. They may do this to avoid any disagreements over the fair market value of the vehicle. They also have the options of writing off the cost and awarding to you a sum that is equal to the fair market value of the vehicle less any deductions.

What Does Full Comprehensive Cover?

Even with the full comprehensive insurance, every possible situation is not automatically covered. What follows is a list of common options that can be included within a comprehensive policy, or can be chosen item by item. The trick is to become familiar with the terms, what they are, what they are not, and then look for them when shopping for a policy. Only some full policies will include these optional covers automatically.

The most famous of these optional items is breakdown cover. It is important to notice how far this cover extends; in some policies, it is restricted to the UK. Others will extend to all of Europe. Some policies have the option of including legal expenses into the cover; for some, having this on the policy is a must. Another popular feature is the courtesy car hire. If your vehicle is in for repairs, this optional cover allows you to have a temporary vehicle to drive until the repairs are completed.

Third Party Cover -- Included or Excluded?

Third party insurance is frequently confused with comprehensive cover; the word 'comprehensive' can mislead. It is good to know the difference rather than finding out that you are driving uninsured when you thought you were covered! It happens quite a lot.

With third party, it is possible to be covered while driving another person's car, with permission of course. This is a feature that is sometimes but not always included in the comprehensive policy. Making sure you know that the full comprehensive policy might have optional covers, including third party, but does not always have them. This may be another reason for the confusion; comprehensive may sound like it covers just about everything, but there are quite a few items that it does not cover.

Another item that may or may not be included in a full policy is Windscreen Endorsement. The beauty of this cover is that there is no affecting the holder's no claims bonus. There is really no way around it; accurate information requires that you learn the insurance terminology and what they mean. If you assume too much, you may find yourself in a situation the insurance does not cover. Not only is this expensive, it can result in the beginning of a criminal record, in some cases.
 

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