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Does car insurance cover hail damage?

  • Auto Insurance
  • Renee Martin
  • 7 minutes

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Do you live in an area that’s prone to frequent hail storms? Here’s why you should get comprehensive car insurance to cover hail damage.

A severe hail storm can quickly dent or crack your car’s windshield. Replacing dented body panels or a cracked windshield could cost you a lot of money if you don’t have auto insurance. According to data from a leading insurance provider in the country, the average car insurance claim for hail damage was more than $4,000 per vehicle in 2020.

Does car insurance cover hail damage? The answer is it depends. Your car insurance policy may cover hail damage, but you must check your specific policy and coverage options. If you have comprehensive coverage, it may cover hail damage to your car, but you may not be covered if you only have liability coverage.

However, if you have comprehensive coverage as part of your policy, you won’t have to pay that much money because it will usually cover hail damage. Unfortunately, you will probably have to bear the repair cost alone if you do not have comprehensive coverage. Hence, carrying comprehensive car insurance with a lower deductible might be a good idea if you live in an area prone to hail storms.

Read: Comprehensive insurance: All you need to know

Does car insurance cover hail damage?

Hail damage on a car can be an absolute nightmare. It’s like being caught in a hail storm without an umbrella or stranded in the desert without water. It’s not a situation you want to be in. But the question on everyone’s mind is, does car insurance cover hail damage?

The answer is it depends. Your car insurance policy may cover hail damage, but you must check your specific policy and coverage options. If you have comprehensive coverage, it may cover hail damage to your car, but you may not be covered if you only have liability coverage.

When does car insurance cover damage from hail storms?

The most basic car insurance policy (i.e., minimum liability car insurance) does not cover damage caused due to a hail storm. To protect your vehicle in severe weather conditions, it is best to go for comprehensive car insurance.

In addition to covering damage caused by hail, comprehensive coverage will also help protect your car against other types of damage that do not entail a collision. This includes, among other things, vandalism, theft, and falling debris. When you file a comprehensive claim, you will often be required to pay a deductible ranging from as little as $50 to as much as $2,000.

Read: What is a deductible in car insurance?

If you do not have comprehensive auto insurance, your insurance provider will not pay for the damages. Only comprehensive insurance can cover hail damage. Adding comprehensive coverage typically costs an additional $100 to $300 per year. Considering that a hail storm can cost you thousands of dollars, it’s not a bad price to pay. This is especially true if you reside in a region prone to hail storms, such as Nebraska, Colorado, or Wyoming.

Is it necessary to make a car insurance claim after a hailstorm?

The level of damage sustained by your car after a hail storm determines whether you need to file a claim or not. 

Read: How to file a car insurance claim – A Way.com guide

The average hail storm claim is around $3,000, although, in lesser circumstances, it may not be more than your deductible. Assume your deductible is $500, and hail damages your windshield. You can repair most windshield chips for less than $130.

In this scenario, paying for the repairs yourself would be more cost effective than filing a claim with your insurer and paying the $500 deductible. Even if the cost of repairs is somewhat more significant than your deductible, filing a claim can cause your rates to rise. It may be less expensive to pay more than your deductible to avoid paying more in premiums in the long term.

How to file a hail damage insurance claim

If your car does get hit by hail, don’t panic. Take photos of the damage, and immediately file a claim with your insurance company. Remember, don’t be like the guy in “Dumb and Dumber,” who kept driving through the hail storm only to end up with a destroyed car.

Filing a claim for hail damage is the same as filing a claim for car insurance. You should contact your insurer as soon as possible, either online or by phone. Remember that if there is a significant storm in the region, many of your neighbors will likely call to file a claim, so your claim may take longer to complete.

The sooner you call, the sooner your insurance carrier can assist you. Your car insurance company will send a claims adjuster to inspect the damage and determine how much they will pay when filing a claim. Searching for the best car insurance in your state? Tap the banner below and obtain the best car insurance quotes in under 10 minutes!

The cost of hail damage repair can vary depending on the severity of the damage. Getting an estimate from a reputable repair shop before filing a claim with your insurance company is always a good idea.

How to prevent hail damage to your car

But what can you do to protect your car from hail damage? You can’t control the weather, but you can take precautions like parking in a covered garage or under a carport. You can also purchase a hail protection car cover or a carport if you live in an area prone to hail storms.

If you live in a hail-prone state, such as Nebraska, you should take precautions to protect your car from hail damage. The most important step is to keep your car in a garage or covered car park, which will keep it safe for the most part. Click here to find the best parking for your car.

You can also buy a car cover to keep in your car. If you are on the road or parked away from home and a hail storm strikes, you may immediately place the cover over your car to reduce hail damage. Hail storms usually last only a few minutes, so you shouldn’t be stranded for long.

We also recommend downloading a weather app that can send you alerts when a hail storm is approaching, giving you enough time to pull over into a covered location or put up a cover. If you can keep the damage to your car to a minimum, you may be able to forego repairs entirely or cover the expense out of pocket without having to file an insurance claim.

Will a hail damage claim increase my insurance rates?

You should only file a claim if the hail damage to your car far exceeds your deductible. The good news is that a comprehensive claim will not necessarily result in a premium increase because insurers consider severe weather, such as hail storms, to be beyond your control. In general, the more claims you file, the more your rates will rise.

The claims process varies by insurance, but in general, filing a claim for hail damage is comparable to filing a claim for any other sort of automotive damage. If you want to file a hail damage claim, contact your insurer as soon as possible so that they can assist you through the steps of getting an estimate and having your car repaired.

Final thoughts

Although comprehensive insurance is optional, it is widespread. According to the Insurance Information Institute, nearly 80% of all insured drivers purchase comprehensive coverage in addition to liability insurance.

Your car insurance may cover hail damage if you have comprehensive coverage. But checking your specific policy and coverage options is always a good idea. And remember, protect your car from hail damage as much as possible because you never know when the skies will start to hail down on you.

Obtaining comprehensive insurance is a wise investment if you reside in a place with regular hail storms, such as Texas, Wyoming, Nebraska, or other states in the West and Midwest’s so-called Hail Alley. It can help protect your vehicle from costly hail damage while saving you money in the long term.


Check out our blogs for info on finding top-rated airport parking, the best parking spots in your city, and affordable car washes near you.


 

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