What Does Nationwide Full Coverage Auto Insurance Cover?
A typical full coverage policy from Nationwide includes liability, collision, and comprehensive coverage. Click here to learn more.
Written by Andrew Biro
Reviewed by Kathleen Flear
A full-coverage auto insurance policy from Nationwide will at the very least provide basic property damage/bodily injury liability protection, collision coverage, and comprehensive coverage. Full coverage is not required by law, but you won’t be reimbursed for damages to your vehicle without it.
If this is your first time buying
car insurance
, you might be skeptical about whether full coverage is worth the added cost. Sticking with basic liability insurance is a much cheaper option. However, liability insurance won’t be enough if you’re ever involved in a serious accident.For that reason, companies like Nationwide offer full-coverage auto insurance policies that typically include additional collision and comprehensive coverage. In the following article, we’ll break down what’s included in Nationwide’s full-coverage policy and help you determine whether it’s worth purchasing.
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4.7/5 rating on the App Store | Trusted by 5+ million customers and 7 million cars4.7/5 app rating | Trusted by 5M+ driversWhat does Nationwide full coverage insurance cover?
Before we get started, we need to establish that “
full coverage
” isn’t actually a type of car insurance. When a company offers “full coverage” or if your lender requires you to purchase a “full-coverage policy” in order to finance your vehicle, they are typically referring to any policy that includes at least three types of coverage:- Liability coverage: If you are determined to be at fault in an accident, liability coverage will help pay the other driver’s medical and repair bills. Some level of liability insurance is required by law in 49 states.
- Collision coverage: Regardless of who is at fault, collision coverage will help pay for the damages sustained by your vehicle after colliding with another vehicle or stationary object, or if your vehicle rolls over.
- Comprehensive coverage: If your vehicle is damaged by a variety of non-collision events—an animal, extreme weather, theft, or vandalism—comprehensive coverage will help pay for the damages.
In the general sense, a full-coverage insurance policy from Nationwide typically includes
property damage liability coverage
, bodily injury liability coverage
, collision coverage, and comprehensive coverage.Depending on where you live and your state’s insurance requirements, Nationwide’s full coverage policy may also include
medical payments coverage
, uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage
, and/or personal injury protection (PIP)
.Does full coverage actually cover everything?
Despite its name, full-coverage auto insurance doesn’t actually provide coverage for everything.
Insurance providers and lenders may use the term “full coverage” to refer to any auto insurance beyond basic liability coverage. The biggest difference between the two is that full-coverage insurance actually allows you to file a claim for your own vehicle.
Nationwide customers are able to choose from a wide selection of optional coverage options to combine with their full-coverage policies to make for a more all-encompassing insurance plan. For a full breakdown of these coverage types, check the table below.
Other types of Nationwide auto insurance coverage
Type of coverage | What it entails |
|---|---|
Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage | If you, a passenger, or your vehicle are injured/damaged in an accident caused by an uninsured or underinsured motorist, this type of coverage will help pay medical expenses, loss of income, and any other damages owed to you. |
Personal injury protection (PIP) | Personal injury protection (PIP) is a “no-fault” coverage—this means that, regardless of which driver was at fault in a covered accident, the policy will cover some of the medical expenses incurred by those in the policyholder’s car. In some cases, PIP may even help cover rehabilitation costs, funeral expenses, and service replacement costs. |
Provided you have full coverage insurance with Nationwide, rental car coverage will help offset the cost of alternative transportation (e.g. a rental car or even public transit) following a comprehensive or collision claim while your vehicle is being repaired. | |
Medical payments coverage | Purchasing medical payment (MedPay) coverage from Nationwide will help cover any medical or funeral expenses incurred if you, a passenger, or a family member are injured or killed in an automotive accident. |
If you purchase towing and labor coverage, Nationwide will reimburse any towing expenses incurred after a breakdown and will cover the cost of repairs at the site of said breakdown. You can only add towing and labor coverage to a policy that already has comprehensive coverage. | |
In the event that your vehicle is totaled in a covered accident or stolen and never recovered, gap coverage can help cover the “gap” in what you owe on the vehicle and the car’s actual cash value (ACV). If you’ve financed your vehicle with a car loan, your lender may require you to purchase gap coverage as a precaution. |
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Is full coverage car insurance from Nationwide worth it?
As long as you have a high credit score and a clean driving record, full-coverage car insurance from Nationwide is definitely a worthwhile purchase—but you should still take some time to compare car insurance rates from other providers before making a concrete decision.
There isn’t a single state that requires full coverage by law, but
many lenders consider it a requirement
, so if you drive a financed or leased vehicle, you may not have a say in whether you purchase it. But even if you own your vehicle outright, it's typically worth buying a full coverage policy to protect against a total loss
, unless your car itself isn’t worth more than a couple thousand dollars.Benefits of full coverage Nationwide car insurance
When you purchase full coverage insurance from Nationwide, you will:
- Meet any requirements set by your lender or leasing company
- Have the ability to file a claim for a totaled vehicle
- Be reimbursed for damages incurred in covered accidents
Especially if you own a new or high-value vehicle or if you live someplace where auto thefts, severe weather, accidents, and/or vandalism is common, a full-coverage insurance policy is typically worth the added cost.
Drawbacks to full coverage Nationwide car insurance
While having the protection of full coverage is usually better than a liability-only policy, there are a few negative aspects to note, including:
- Having to pay a deductible before receiving reimbursement for a collision or comprehensive claim
- Full-coverage policies are significantly more expensive than basic liability coverage
- After you file a claim, your premiums will usually go up
If you want full-coverage insurance but are leery about the price, check what insurance discounts you’re eligible for. Nationwide offers discounted rates to drivers who have completed a defensive driving course, drivers with an accident-free record, policyholders who bundle their home and auto insurance policies, and more.
Does Nationwide have the best full-coverage auto insurance?
It’s probably not accurate to say that Nationwide has the “best” coverage, largely because Nationwide’s coverage doesn’t differ greatly from that of other insurance providers.
What really matters about the provider you choose is the price for the coverage you’re getting. No two insurance companies use the same exact factors to calculate their rates, which means a full-coverage policy at, say, Allstate, isn’t going to cost the same as a full-coverage policy at Nationwide.
If you have a
clean driving record
and a good credit
score, you’ll likely be quoted a relatively low rate from Nationwide—but if you have something like a DUI
on your record, Nationwide has some of the highest full-coverage rates around. As a BBB-accredited business, Nationwide has high ratings when it comes to customer satisfaction and customer loyalty, and many have reported above-average satisfaction with how their claims were handled, which means your claim is likely to be fulfilled in a timely manner.
Even so, it’s still a good idea to shop around and compare at least 3-5 quotes from different companies before deciding on Nationwide. You may find that another provider offers the same coverage at a lower price.
"I decided to tryJerrybecause my car insurance had been increasing drastically with each policy renewal. Jerry found me multiple ways to save after entering just a few pieces of info! I’m saving almost $70 a month after choosing Nationwide.” —Ish M.
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FAQs
At what point is full coverage not worth it?
While there’s no definite cutoff, full-coverage auto insurance typically isn’t worth buying if you drive a higher-mileage vehicle that has depreciated significantly in value. You don’t really need full coverage if the cost to replace your vehicle is less than the premium charged by your insurance provider.
What is the difference between full coverage and liability coverage?
Liability insurance only covers the cost of medical and/or repair costs incurred by another driver in an accident where you are at fault—in short, the most basic type of auto insurance coverage there is. Full coverage car insurance includes liability coverage as well as comprehensive and collision coverage, allowing you to file claims on your own vehicle.
What is a deductible?
A deductible is the amount you will have to pay on an insurance claim before your comprehensive or collision coverage kicks in to pay the rest. Typically, deductibles go hand-in-hand with collision and comprehensive coverage policies, but they can also apply to uninsured motorist damage or personal injury protection.
