Hail damage can be a real problem for your car when it’s parked on public roads, causing costly repairs and headaches. In this article, we'll cover everything you need to know about comprehensive coverage for hail damage, including what it is, how it works, and what to do if you experience hail damage to your vehicle.
What is Hail Damage?
Hail damage in car insurance terms is the effect of hailstones impacting to your vehicle’s hood, windshield or other body parts. Hailstones can be as tinny as 1/4 inch diameter, and as big as 4 1/2 inches or even bigger. The damage caused by hailstones depends on their size and the force which they strike the surface of your car.
What is Comprehensive Coverage?
Comprehensive coverage is a coverage optuon that will protect your car against non-collision damages such as theft, vandalism, acts of God -fire, flood, hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes- or damages caused by animals.
How Does Comprehensive Coverage for Hail Damage Work?
If you have comprehensive coverage, you will only have to file a claim to your insurer. Your insurance policy will help pay for the cost of repairs to your car due the hailstorm. Your comprehensive coverage will include the repair costs of your vehicle caused by that hailstorm. The amount of coverage you have will depend on your insurance policy, and you will have to pay deductible before your insurance coverage gives you the check.
What is a Deductible?
When you go buy your car insurance, you have to set deductibles, that amount of money will be deduced when you file a claim. Depending on the amount of deductibles you set for your policy, you will pay more or less premiums (there are other factors that would also affect on your premiums). For example, you set $500 deductiles for your car, and for any reason a hailstorm started while driving. In the end your car suffers an estimate $2,750 in repair costs. Once your car inusrer finish the claim investigation, and it approves the flaim, your car insurer will send you a check worth $2,250 ($2,750 in repair costs minus $500 = $2,250 from your car insurance’s check).
How Can You Determine if You Need Comprehensive Coverage for Hail Damage?
Let’s say you live Nebraska, Colorado or Wyoming, these 3 states usually have the most hailstorms. If you live in one of these 3 states, you should consider adding comprehensive coverage to your policy. This way you will mitigate the repair costs of the hail in your car. You should also check the declaration page of your policy, if you see your policy already covers hail, then you can opt to add comprehensive coverage and get additional protection for your car or not.
What Should You Do if Your Property Sustains Hail Damage?
If your car has been damaged by hail, you should take the following steps:
Take pictures and videos of the damaged parts of your car by hail.
You should call a trusted body shop who could let you know how much the repair bill costs.
You must compare the repair costs from the body shop exceeds your deductibles or not. If you see the repair costs won’t exceed your deductibles, you should not file a claim.
Let’s say the damages cuased in your vehicle exceed your deductible, in that case, you can file a claim to your car insurer. Once you file the claim, an ajuster will verify the damaged parts of your car. In case the repair bills exceed 80% of the actual cash value of your vehicle, your car insurer will total your car.
If your car can be repaired, your car insrer will pay the repair and replacement bills minus the deductible.
In case your car has been totaled, your car insurer will pay the actual cash value of your vehicle minus the deductible you previously set. This way you can buy a new vehicle.
How Can You Prevent Hail Damage?
You can't prevent hailstorms happens in your city or state. In fact, if we could know the future, we will never lose. That’s why the easiest way to prevent hail damage is look for shelter in a gas station, a parking or any covered area you can find while driving.
Conclusion
Comprehensive coverage for hail damage is a great deal for your vehicle, specially if you live in Nebraska, Colorado or Wyoming. If you’re driving while it’s hailstorm starts, you have to look for shelter. You can always stop in a gas station or a parking until the hailstorm ends. If you need to file a claim with your insurer becuase your car was destroyed by hailstones, you must take pictures of the damaged parts of your vehicle, call a trusted body shop who can tell you how much your car will cost to be repaired. Compare the repair cost with the deductibles you must pay before filing a claim. If the repairing costs are way higher than your deductible, you must file a claim.
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