In 2020 alone, Texas experienced 601 hailstorms. That’s 1.6 times more than the second most hailstorm-hit state, South Dakota, which only had 377 hail events. All in all, 4,611 hailstorms occurred that year throughout the US, except in AK, DE, HI, and DC.
Unfortunately, hailstorms cost the US about $10 billion in losses each year. That includes damages to property, such as vehicles.
For that reason, it’s vital to know if your car insurance policy will cover hail damage. We’ll share the answers in this guide, so be sure to read on.
Does Your Car Insurance Cover Hail Damage?
If your auto policy has comprehensive coverage, then yes, it should cover hail damage.
Comprehensive coverage is the part of your policy that covers non-collision events. These include natural disasters, such as hail, hurricanes, and tornadoes. Vandalism, falling objects (again, like hail), theft, and fire are typical inclusions, too.
Don’t All Auto Policies Come With Comprehensive Coverage?
No. In fact, only about 78% of insured drivers in the US purchased it in 2018.
One reason is that comprehensive coverage is optional and is not mandatory by law. After all, most states only require bodily injury and property damage liability coverage. If you only purchased a liability-only policy, then you don’t have comprehensive coverage.
In that case, your car insurance won’t cover hail damage.
How Does Comprehensive Coverage for Hail Damage Work?
Let’s say your ride sustained hail damage, but fortunately, you have comprehensive coverage. In this case, you must report it to your insurance provider right away to start the claims process. Your insurer will then have a claim adjuster work with you during the damage assessment.
Part of the process includes you looking for an auto body shop to repair the hail damage. Your chosen shop will then give you a detailed breakdown of the estimated repair costs. From there, the adjuster will let your insurer know how much the repair quote is.
Your insurer will then cover the costs to fix your hail-damaged car. However, you likely need to pay for a deductible first before your coverage kicks in. This depends on the structure of your policy, but in most cases, the deductible for a hail claim is usually $500.
Regardless of how much your deductible is, it’s an out-of-pocket expense you must cover. If you don’t pay it, your comprehensive coverage claim won’t push through.
What if you don’t have expendable cash to pay for the deductible?
A viable workaround is to look for an auto body shop offering deductible assistance. A few examples are StormWise, Dent Direct, and Vivid Auto Body – hail repair service from these shops won’t require you to pay any deductible. Instead, they’ll shoulder your deductible so that you can get your car fixed right away.
Be a Savvy Driver: Get Comprehensive Coverage for Hail Protection
Keep in mind that hailstorms are some of the hardest-to-predict weather phenomena. So much so that even a three-day forecast may not be enough to foresee them.
As such, it’s best to get comprehensive coverage now to protect your car (and your wallet) from hail damage.
Interested in more informative guides like this? Then feel free to have a look at our other recent news and blog posts!
