The main difference between comprehensive and third-party insurance is that comprehensive insurance covers damages to a vehicle due to various causes, while third-party insurance only covers damages to a third-party vehicle in a collision.
Comprehensive and third party insurance are two types of insurance plans a vehicle owner can use to protect against accidents. There are several differences between comprehensive and third party insurance, including the cause of the damage and the party damaged it.
Key Areas Covered
1. What is Comprehensive Insurance
– Definition, Features, Uses
2. What is Third Party Insurance
– Definition, Features, Uses
3. Difference Between Comprehensive and Third Party Insurance
– Comparison of Key Differences
Key Terms
Comprehensive Insurance, Third Party Insurance, Vehicle Insurance
What is Comprehensive Insurance
Comprehensive insurance is an automobile insurance that protects your vehicle against damage that’s not caused by a vehicle collision. In other words, this type of insurance protects your vehicle from various damages, such as theft, fire, explosions, and vandalism. Comprehensive insurance also provides protection from natural disasters like earthquakes, floods, storms, tornados, and wind, as well as other nature-related incidents such as trees falling on the vehicle and accidents involving animals.
Comprehensive insurance is not a mandatory requirement by the law. It is only optional. But you might require comprehensive coverage if you are financing or leasing your vehicle. If you own completely own your vehicle, the decision to go for comprehensive coverage is totally up to you. If your vehicle has a higher cash value or if you cannot afford to repair or replace it in case of an accident, this coverage might work for you. But if your vehicle is old or has a low value, and if you have a higher deductible, comprehensive coverage might not be worthwhile for you.
What is Third Party Insurance
Third party insurance is a very basic form of insurance that covers damage done to a third party vehicle. This insurance coverage does not provide coverage to the insurer. Since this insurance pays for the cost of repairs to the third party vehicle, it reduces the financial burden for the insurer in case of an accident. Moreover, in the event of an accident, the insurer must immediately inform the insurance company about the accident before filing for a claim.
Furthermore, third party insurance is a mandatory requirement for all vehicle owners by the law. The name third party is used to refer to this form of insurance because it involves someone other than the two main parties in an insurance company (the owner of the vehicle and the insurance company).
Difference Between Comprehensive and Third Party Insurance
Definition
Comprehensive insurance is an automobile insurance protecting your vehicle against damage that’s not caused by a vehicle collision, while third party insurance is a type of insurance that covers damage done to a third party vehicle.
Coverage
Third party insurance only provides coverage to the third party (injuries and damage to the vehicle), but it does not cover damage to the insurer and his vehicle. Comprehensive insurance, on the other hand, provides coverage to the insurer for various types of damage.
Cause of Damage
Comprehensive insurance covers damage due to various causes, including theft, vandalism, and natural disasters, while third party insurance covers damage due to collisions.
Legal Requirement
While third party insurance is a mandatory requirement, comprehensive insurance is not a mandatory requirement.
Insurance Premiums
Comprehensive insurance involves high premiums, but third party insurance involves low premiums. Therefore, comprehensive insurance tends to be more expensive.
Conclusion
The main difference between comprehensive and third party insurance is that comprehensive insurance covers damages to a vehicle due to various causes while third party insurance only covers damages to a third party vehicle in a collision. Moreover, third party insurance is a mandatory requirement by law, while comprehensive insurance is not.
Reference:
1. Kagan, Julia. “What Is Comprehensive Insurance?” Investopedia.
2. “What Is Third Party Insurance? Definition of Third Party Insurance, Third Party Insurance Meaning.” The Economic Times.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Vehicle Insurance Policy” By Marco Verch Professional Photographer (CC BY 2.0) via Flickr
2. “Car Accident” (CC0) via Pixabay
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