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What to Do if You Spot Hail Damage on Cars?

VWB Blog 2 years ago 6

So, you’ve been driving your car in bad weather conditions? Well, these tend to leave some farewell gifts, like hail damage to your vehicle.

It may not seem like much, but hail damage to your automobile may cause a lot of severe and expensive problems. Car paint, glass, and plastic may get damaged by it and other vehicle parts. Damages may mount up rapidly, leaving you saddled with a high cost to fix them.

If you’ve been dealing with hail damage on cars and you’re unsure what to do about it, no worries. We’ve got your back. Keep on reading for our full breakdown of everything you need to know about the next steps for fixing hail damage.

Dealing With Hail Damage on Cars 101: Document Everything

Repairing your hail-damaged car is quite likely to involve your insurance company.

Suppose you can capture the storm in action on camera. You should take as many photos as possible of the damage to your vehicle, crossover, SUV, or truck if it has been hit by hail. Take the pictures and keep them safe.

Contact Your Insurance Agent

This may be the most evident of all the steps and the least enjoyable of them all. As soon as the incident happens, contact your insurance provider and begin the claims process.

Even if your policy does not cover bodily harm, the glass may still be covered by your coverage. For the sake of clarity, ask your agent whether you may go immediately to repairs and capture their response through email. Be sure to start taking notes as soon as you meet someone for the first time.

Get Repairs Started

After your agent has granted the go-ahead for repairs, call your preferred repair shop in your area. You are searching for a reputable car body company. Try searching on Google and checking out the Google Reviews area to see what other customers have to say.

You may also require glass repair. A collision repair company is an excellent place to start if the glass around it needs repair. For a glass repair company, your autobody shop is just as wonderful a venue as any other to carry out their task.

Understanding Insurance Coverage for Hail Damage

If you have comprehensive coverage, your insurance carrier will most likely pay for hail damage to your car.

You’ll have to pay the deductible on your policy before the insurance company begins to pay out for storm damage, which the insurance business calls “acts of God.” Repairing a few minor damages from hail may be more expensive than a $500 or $1,000 deductible, so you’ll have to foot the bill.

In contrast, if golf-ball-sized hail damaged or shattered your car’s glass, you might be looking at thousands of dollars in repairs.

If this is the case, the insurance company should cover most of the expenses.

An Insurance Claim for Hail Damage

It’s best to speak with your insurance agent as soon as possible.

If the hail damaged your car, it’s likely that many other automobiles in the area were, too. Insurers and claims adjusters are likely to be quite busy, so you should strive to get ahead of the queue.

How to Take Care of Hail Damage

Paintless dent repair (PDR) is typically the best option for minor dings.

PDR includes using specific equipment to push out a dent from the inside without destroying the paintwork. The use of dent pullers may be necessary for larger dents on the outside.

Panels may be brought back to their original form with these tools, which look like plungers, but do so without damaging the paint. PDR is a specialty at many car body shops.

What About Major Damage?

Even golf-ball-sized hail may cause significant dents, damage paint, and distort doors, hoods, and trunk lids enough to make them difficult to open and shut again after a rainstorm.

They were capable of breaking windows. An auto-body shop usually is required for this kind of damage since it entails pounding out dents, filling up areas, sanding, and priming, as well as repainting the vehicle in its original color.

There are several flaws to correct, and the time and effort required by a company to complete the operation swiftly escalates. To save money, insurers may replace a body panel rather than fix it.

It’s a good idea to acquire more than one estimate since each PDR and body shop may interpret hail damage differently. There’s a chance that one shop may catch something that the claims adjuster or another business overlooked.

How to Protect Your Car From Hail

First things first, covered parking is a must.

You may save a lot of time and money by using a covered parking space, particularly in the middle of the country. There is a map on DisasterSafety.org that shows which states experience the most hail on average.

Residents of the states highlighted in light blue may want to look at their parking alternatives.

Let the Hailstorm Pass You By

Temporary shelter is another alternative for those who lack access to covered parking. In the event of a storm, you may be able to park in the garage of a nearby mall.

If you don’t have a location to keep your car out of the rain, look into storm shelters.

Use a Hail Vehicle Cover

When life gives you excellent transport car protection on the market, go and buy them.

Take cover over your vehicle if you don’t have a shelter choice, and a storm is on its way. During hail storms, winds may build up rapidly, so be careful you duct tape everything down. You can buy unique vehicle coverings for this, but you may also use your own blankets.

Hail Damage: Car Protection Tips

If you live in a state that frequently experiences rough weather events, you’ll find that hail damage on cars is a common sight. Hopefully, our guide has shed some light on what to do in this situation.

But adequately protecting your car doesn’t stop here. Head straight to our automotive section to read our extensive explainers and guides that can help you take care of your car for years on end.

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