collision
kuh-LIZH-uhn
/kəˈlɪʒən/
In auto insurance, a specific type of coverage that pays for damage to your vehicle resulting from a crash with another vehicle or a stationary object (like a tree, guardrail, or telephone pole).
Collision coverage applies regardless of who is at fault for the accident. It is specifically focused on the physical impact of your car with another object.
The story behind the word. The Latin root 'laedere' means to strike or injure. When two things 'collidere', they literally strike each other with force. In the insurance world, this physical clashing of metal and pavement became a standardized category of financial protection.
Word relationships
- crash: A crash is a general term for a violent impact, while collision is the formal insurance and legal term used for policy coverage.
- impact: Impact refers to the force of one object striking another, whereas collision implies two or more objects coming together violently.
Commonly confused with
- comprehensive: Collision covers physical crashes while driving; comprehensive covers non-collision damage like theft, fire, or weather.
Word family
- collide (verb): To crash together violently.
Collocations
- collision coverage
- head-on collision
- avoid a collision
- collision damage waiver
Example sentences
- "His collision coverage paid for the repairs after he accidentally backed his car into a concrete pillar." Car Accident
Memory hook
Collision is for when you 'collide' with something solid. Collision covers the crash.
When not to use
Do not use to describe hitting an animal; insurers classify animal strikes under comprehensive coverage, not collision.
Fun facts
- The Latin root 'laedere' (to strike/injure) is also the origin of the English word 'lesion' (a physical injury or wound).
Related words
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