Does Car Insurance Cover Hail Damage?

What do peas, nickels, teacups, and grapefruit have in common? are all types of objects used to describe hail size, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Severe Storms Laboratory.

and while most hail storms are a mix of different sizes, a severe thunderstorm can typically generate hail between 1 and 1.75 inches in diameter (a quarter of a golf ball) with falling velocities between 25 and 40 miles per hour. imagine the damage it can do to your car. It is possible to file a claim for hail damage if you have adequate coverage as part of your auto insurance policy.

Reading: How much does insurance pay for hail damage

While quarter-size hail will primarily cause cosmetic damage, such as dents, gouges, and broken windows, larger hail fall faster and can cause bigger problems. Fortunately, there is a common type of coverage you can buy to protect your car from hail damage.

If you want your auto insurance to cover hail damage, you’ll need to purchase comprehensive insurance. Comprehensive insurance pays to repair your car if it’s damaged by severe weather, including hail. it also covers a number of other issues, including fire, flood, vandalism, theft, animal collisions, and falling objects (such as tree branches).

Comprehensive insurance is optional coverage, which means you have to pay more for it. If you don’t have comprehensive insurance and a hailstorm destroys your car, you’ll have to pay to repair the damage yourself or live with it.

is it worth making an insurance claim for hail damage?

Comprehensive insurance comes with a deductible, an amount that is subtracted from your claim check. Depending on the cost of repairs and the amount of your car insurance deductible, hail damage to your car may not be worth claiming.

Let’s say you have minor hail damage, which will cost $600 to repair. If your deductible is $1,000, your auto insurance company will pay $0 for your damages, so there’s no reason to file a claim. if your deductible is $500, you’ll get a $100 insurance check, so it’s a judgment call if you want a claim on your record for a payment of just $100.

However, if your car is severely damaged by hail and will cost $5,000 to repair, with a $500 deductible, you will receive $4,500 toward repairs. it’s worth making that claim because of the large amount you’d otherwise have to pay out of pocket for repairs.

A comprehensive claim rarely increases your auto insurance rates. however, if you need to make more claims in the next two years, the number of claims on your record could cause your auto insurance rates to go up.

How do I file a hail damage insurance claim?

If your car is damaged by hail and you have comprehensive insurance, contact your insurance company to file a claim. If your car has a broken windshield or windows, it may not be safe to drive. you can request a tow through your roadside assistance insurance if you have it.

Your insurance company will have an adjuster review the hail damage and calculate the cost of repair. your insurance company will send you a check for the repairs, minus your deductible. For example, if you have a $500 deductible and your repair bill is $1,500, you’ll get an insurance check for $1,000.

A body shop will generally repair hail damage in one of two ways:

repair of conventional vehicles. dents are removed and irregularities are filled with putty, then primed and repainted.
paintless dent removal. Special tools are used on the underside of vehicle panels to remove dents. this leaves the painted surface intact, but this method may not be effective for large dents or extensive hail damage.

can a hail damage claim cause my auto insurance rates to go up?

Filing a claim for hail damage will generally not cause your insurance rates to increase. But auto insurance companies look at your claim history to determine rates. If you file a hail damage claim, it will go to a database that stores previously filed insurance claims. if you have a long claims history, that could result in higher premiums.

Frequent hail can also affect insurance rates for everyone in a particular area. If your area is prone to bad weather conditions, insurance companies may set higher rates due to the likelihood of claims. so your location can affect your car insurance rates, whether or not you file a claim.

how much does it cost to repair a car damaged by hail?

The cost to repair hail damage to your car will depend on the severity of the damage. Repairing minor damage can cost only a few hundred dollars, while major hail damage can cost thousands.

the state farm report on hail claims in 2021 found that the average hail claim for vehicles was $5,000. That’s a 16% increase from the 2020 report that showed auto hail claims averaging around $4,300.

Hail damage repair costs will increase if the car’s paint is damaged and conventional dent repair is used. Conventional repair is more expensive than paintless dent repair because it requires more labor.

Some other factors that affect the cost of repairs include:

number of dents on your car
size of hail dents
location of dents and how accessible they are to repair
material of affected area—if the damaged panel is high-strength steel or aluminum, for example, there is an extra cost for repairs

how much does comprehensive insurance cost?

The average cost of comprehensive insurance is about $170, according to the most recent data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. Here’s a look at the average cost of comprehensive insurance in your state.

average cost of comprehensive insurance by state

how can i protect my car from hail damage?

Here are some things you can do to help protect your vehicle from hail dents:

get covered parking. if possible, park your car in a garage or carport.
use a car cover. If you don’t have a garage or carport, you can purchase car covers that are designed to protect a vehicle from hail damage. you can use blankets if you don’t have a hail car cover. you’ll need to find a way to protect the blanket from strong winds.
seek temporary shelter. If you don’t have a garage or auto hail coverage, consider paying to park in a local lot until the storm passes.

If you’re caught driving in a hail storm, find a safe place to stop. if possible, seek shelter under a structure with a strong roof or overpass. cover your face with clothing to protect it from possible broken glass.

top 10 states with hail insurance claims

texas is at the top of the league tables for hail activity and claims. that’s not what texas drivers want.

Does Car Insurance Cover Hail Damage? – Forbes Advisor