Auto

motor vehicle insurance, also called automotive insurance, a contract by which the insurer assumes the risk of any loss the owner or operator of a car may incur through damage to property or persons as the result of an accident. There are many specific forms of motor vehicle insurance, varying not only in the kinds of risk that they cover but also in the legal principles underlying them.

Liability insurance pays for damage to someone else’s property or for injury to other persons resulting from an accident for which the insured is judged legally liable; collision insurance pays for damage to the insured car if it collides with another vehicle or object; comprehensive insurance pays for damage to the insured car resulting from fire or theft or many other causes; medical-payment insurance covers medical treatment for the policyholder and his passengers.

According to the Insurance Information Institute, in the United States in the early 21st century, about two-thirds of the money spent on premiums for private passenger auto insurance went to claims. More than half of this amount covered car damage. The rest covered personal injuries. The remaining third of the money spent on premiums covered insurance companies’ expenses—such as commissions, dividends to policyholders, and company operations—and contributed to their profits.