So, here are some loose descriptions to help you on your way down the auto insurance road.

• Liability Coverage(s)– It’s the “my bad” coverage. Liability coverages got your back when you damage other people or other people’s things. So, if you’re messing around with your iPod (…or just messin’ around) while driving and you crash through someone’s white picket fence, liability insurance is there with some nails and a hammer putting it back up. If you jack up someone’s ride, covered. Your own car and everything inside your car, including people, are on you though. So if your best friend goes through the windshield, you better grab the first aid kit and start picking the glass out of their arm. A majority of states will make you have at least this type of coverage.
  • Bodily Injury Liability – This type of insurance covers hurting other people that are not physically in your car. (Note: a person flying out of your car still counts as them being in your car, so please buckle up.) If you tappity tap someone with your car and that person breaks his/her leg, this covers that. If you rear end someone and suddenly his/her neck feels oh-so-sore, this insurance takes care of. Most states require this type of insurance, but keep in mind that bodily injury liability will not be helping you out when your arm is mangled beyond recognition. During an accident, this insurance will be cuddling the people you hit and asking them if they need a blanket and chicken soup. (Yes, I hear chicken soup heals everything.)
  • Uninsured Motorist Bodily Injury – This type of liability helps when the person at fault can’t help you or more specifically, has no or very little insurance. It’s kind of a “sorry dude, I’ve got no money sort of thing,” which of course, doesn’t help you at all as you’re in a body cast sucking down Jello from a straw at the local hospital. It’s not like you can chase them down from the hospital bed. In this case, this liability will help you with your bills, up to your insurance limit.
  • Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Property Damage Coverage(s) – Although not available in all states, this insurance covers any property damage that an uninsured or underinsured person (meaning their insurance does not cover a whole heck of a lot) causes. So, if in a drunken attempt to reenact an Evel Knievel jump, a bunch of frat brothers crush through the flat screen T.V. in your living room in possibly the best HD ever, besides being ultra pissed, you’ll have this insurance to cover what they can’t.

• Physical Damage Coverage(s)– These insurance coverages are not usually required by states. State governments want to know that you can cover other people if you get into an accident. They don’t particularly care if you can’t cover yourself. These types of coverage watch your own back and stuff (i.e. YOUR CAR). So if it’s your fault, you and your car are safe, and if they aren’t insured, you know at least you are.
  • Comprehensive Coverage – This is “the world hates you” type of coverage. It covers the things other than car accidents like natural disasters, theft, vandalism, and even when a deer commits suicide via your car. There are all kinds of weird things lurking out there to ruin your day. Sure, when someone falls off a building, it’s sad, but think about the awkward turtle moment the guy who owns the car is having. Terrible, but you know, he’s thinking “How am I going to fix my car?” What about when your car goes all Wizard of Oz in a tornado, and instead of the Wicked Witch of the West flying around, it’s your car? Yep. Welcome to Suckville. Population: you. Comprehensive can differ wildly in what it includes, but it takes into account the other kinds of disasters.
  • Collision Coverage – This is the “my car!” type of coverage. This covers any damage done to your vehicle by you hitting something (like wrapping your car around a telephone pole) or another car hitting you. However, insurance companies will only pay as much as the car’s worth. So, if Ol’Blue got damaged and the repairs cost more than Ol’Blue is worth, they will only pay you the cash value, which is how much you could sell it for before it was scrap metal. If they determine your car is worth $1,000 and the repairs cost $1,500, you are only getting $1,000 minus your deductible. Sorry, but it’s time for Ol’Blue to go out to pasture.

• Personal Injury Protection – This insurance is required in no-fault states, but it is still an option in other states as well. No-fault states mean that to a certain extent there is no need to prove who’s at fault for the accident. This means that everyone’s own auto insurance takes care of themselves, at least in terms of medical bills. The driver, passengers, and any pedestrians that were hit are covered under this insurance. It takes care of medical, hospital, and funeral expenses.
• Health Insurance – This is not really auto insurance, but it’s just a note that if you get injured, your health insurance should be able to pay for your bills. Any money you get from auto insurance companies will be on top of what your health insurance is already paying.

Remember that insurance companies want to make money, so there will always be a heck of a lot of insurance that you can purchase. The more coverage you have, the more protected you are, but higher premiums accompany that coverage. Chances are that you don’t need car insurance that protects against gigantic octopi. You have to weigh the dangers and how much you can afford, so you can make the best decisions for your circumstances.