Updated June 2026
What Is Full Coverage Insurance?
Full coverage combines three distinct coverage types: liability (required by Georgia law), collision (pays for damage to your car in an accident you cause or when the other driver is uninsured), and comprehensive (pays for theft, weather damage, vandalism, and animal strikes). Carriers market it as a package, but you buy each piece separately and can drop collision or comprehensive independently. The liability portion is mandatory in Georgia and covers injuries and property damage you cause to others — it never pays to fix your own vehicle. Collision and comprehensive are optional unless your lender requires them, and both carry separate deductibles you choose when you buy the policy.
- You're stopped at a red light on Peachtree Street and misjudge the brake, hitting the car ahead at 15 mph. The other driver has $4,200 in vehicle damage and $2,800 in medical bills. Your liability coverage pays the $7,000 total to the other driver. Your collision coverage pays to repair your own vehicle minus your deductible — if you chose a $500 deductible and repairs cost $3,100, you pay $500 and the carrier pays $2,600. If you dropped collision to save premium, you pay the full $3,100 out of pocket.
- A severe hailstorm moves through Marietta and dents your hood, roof, and trunk while your car sits in your driveway. Repairs total $5,400. Your comprehensive coverage pays the full amount minus your deductible. If you carry a $1,000 deductible, you pay $1,000 and the carrier pays $4,400. Liability and collision don't apply — this is a weather event with no other vehicle involved, so only comprehensive responds.
- You're driving on Georgia Route 53 near Dawsonville at dusk and a deer runs into your front quarter panel. Damage totals $6,700. Comprehensive coverage pays for the repair minus your deductible because an animal strike falls under comprehensive, not collision. If you dropped comprehensive to reduce your premium and kept only liability and collision, you pay the full $6,700. Collision doesn't apply — the deer initiated contact, and collision only covers impacts with other vehicles or stationary objects you hit while driving.
Who Needs Full Coverage Insurance?
Retirees who financed a vehicle in the past five years and still owe a balance should keep full coverage — the lender will force-place expensive coverage if you drop it, and that policy protects the lender's interest, not yours. Drivers with a vehicle worth more than $8,000 and insufficient savings to replace it after a total loss benefit from collision and comprehensive, especially if annual premium is under 10 percent of the car's value. Retirees who live in areas with high deer-strike rates or frequent hailstorms may find comprehensive worth keeping even after dropping collision.
Calculate your vehicle's actual cash value using Kelley Blue Book or NADA, then multiply your annual collision and comprehensive premium by three. If that three-year premium total exceeds your vehicle's current value, you're paying more in coverage than you'd recover in a total loss, and dropping collision makes mathematical sense. Keep comprehensive if your deductible is $500 or lower and you park outside in an area with storm or wildlife exposure — comprehensive claims pay out more frequently than collision for low-mileage retirees.
How Much Does Full Coverage Insurance Cost?
Collision and comprehensive together typically add $60 to $140 per month to a liability-only policy, depending on vehicle value, deductible, and driving record. Annual cost ranges from $720 to $1,680 on top of liability premiums.
- Vehicle age and replacement cost — carriers charge more to insure a $32,000 vehicle than a $9,000 vehicle because collision and comprehensive pay based on actual cash value at the time of loss.
- Deductible selection — choosing a $1,000 deductible instead of $250 can cut collision and comprehensive premiums by 30 to 40 percent, but you pay more out of pocket per claim.
- Annual mileage — retirees driving under 7,500 miles per year qualify for low-mileage discounts with most Georgia carriers, lowering collision premiums by 10 to 20 percent.
- Garaging location — comprehensive premiums in metro Atlanta run higher than in rural counties due to theft and vandalism claim frequency.
- Mature driver course completion — Georgia statute O.C.G.A. 33-9-40.1 requires carriers to offer a discount to drivers who complete an approved mature driver improvement course, reducing total premium including collision and comprehensive.
- Claim history — filing multiple comprehensive claims for glass or hail damage in a three-year period raises renewal premiums even if you weren't at fault.