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Hi Stuart,
Think of a game of billiards when the first player breaks the triangle. The balls go everywhere. In the same way, C/2013 A1 impacting Mars would scatter stuff widely.
THe difference between billiards and the comet impact is that space is vast and the ejecta (even though millions of tonnes in weight) is tiny by comparison.
What this would do is increase the risk of impact (by micrometeors) to space vehicles. The obvious question is ... by how much ? but to that I have as yet no answer. Gut feelings say ... considerably increased risk. But guts are notoriously inaccurate calculators.
Regards,
Tony Barry
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