Not having the proper auto insurance could prove costly should you ever be caught in a hailstorm. We have broken down what type of insurance you need in order to be covered for auto hail repair plus other common insurance questions.
I only have liability insurance on my car. Is hail damage covered?
Unfortunately, liability-only auto insurance does NOT cover hail damage repairs to your car. Liability insurance only pays for the damage to another person’s property or the costs associated with their injuries. Liability coverage will not pay for damages to your vehicle or the costs associated with your injuries in accidents caused by you.
Auto Hail damage is only covered if you have collision or comprehensive coverage. In most cases, if you have collision coverage on your car then you also have comprehensive coverage. This is also known as full-coverage insurance. Collision insurance is pretty straight forward. It covers you, your vehicle and those involved in the accident. Comprehensive insurance covers all the other things that can go wrong. For example, things like fire, vandalism, glass breakage…etc. and hail would all be covered.
Do I really need full-coverage auto insurance?
This depends on your budget, the car you drive and where you live. While hail storms may be rare in parts of the country, it is a yearly (Sometimes more) occurrence in the Denver area where we are located. Hail damage severity can be anywhere from a few small dents to broken glass, mirrors and large dents. In areas like this, it may be worth the added expense to add comprehensive insurance to your policy if you only have liability coverage.
Should I wait to file an auto hail insurance claim?
No. This is especially true if you live in an area where hailstorms are frequent. We wrote a more detailed blog about it HERE. The biggest reason you don’t want to wait is damage from two hail storms can total a car that could have withstood one at a time. For example, if your car was damaged in a hailstorm and you got it fixed then got caught in another, you may be fine. If, however, you did not get it fixed after the first storm, the damage caused by both may be so severe that the insurance company totals your car.
Will I have to pay a deductible for every auto hail claim I make?
This all depends on where you take your vehicle to repair your auto hail damage. After you file an insurance claim, your insurance agent may recommend one of their preferred body shops to do the repairs. In these cases, you would have to pay your deductible for each repair. However, if you have been reading our blogs or following us on social media then you already know that at The Dent Company we will waive your deductible when we repair your auto hail damage. So, if you go through two hailstorms in a year, we will waive your deductibles both times.
Ok, but won’t my rates go up if I make multiple hail damage claims?
Unlike an accident, hail damage to your auto is considered an “Act of God” to the insurance companies. Also covered under this clause would be damage caused by tornados, earthquakes, floods, lighting, locusts…you get the idea. Basically, most natural disasters are covered since it is out of your control.
Need to check if you have auto hail insurance coverage?
Here is a list of some popular insurance carriers and their contact numbers.
Allstate Insurance | (877) 810-2920 |
American Family Insurance | (800) 692-6326 |
GEICO Insurance | (800) 861-8380 |
Farmers Insurance | (800) 493-4917 |
Liberty Mutual Insurance | (888) 398-8924 |
Nationwide Insurance | (877) 669-6877 |
Progressive Insurance | (800) 776-4737 |
State Farm Insurance | (888) 559-1922 |
The Hartford Insurance | (800) 243-5860 |
Travelers Insurance | (800) 842-5075 |
USAA Insurance | (800) 531-8722 |
We work with all insurance companies and will even handle the paperwork from start to finish. If you don’t know if your auto hail repair will be covered or you have additional questions, please do not hesitate to give us a call or send us an email. We will be happy to answer any questions you may have.