My Car Was Hit With Hail, Now What?

9/12/2018

A PDR technician repairs hail damage on a car.

An inside look at paintless dent removal and the hail damage car insurance claim process.

Each year in the U.S., car insurance companies issue policies covering more than 200 million vehicles. With about 75% of those policies considered to be full coverage, most owners of a vehicle damaged in a hailstorm can rest easy knowing that the cost to repair any car hail damage will be paid for by their insurance company.

Between the mobility and independence they provide and the often significant financial cost of owning one, for most consumers an automobile is one of their household's most beloved assets. Aside from a collision with another object or vehicle, few things diminish the value of a car as quickly as a hailstorm. And while many people get very upset after seeing their hail damaged car covered with dents, most are relieved to learn that their auto insurance policy provides coverage for hailstorm damage as, thankfully, around 80% of vehicle owners in the U.S. carry comprehensive coverage on their auto insurance policies. Unlike coverages for a collision or liability damage, comprehensive auto insurance protects against vehicle damage caused by no fault of the owner, such as theft or vandalism, flooding, and hail.

Once a hail damage car insurance claim has been filed, an adjuster from the insurance company will inspect the dents and other car hail damage to determine an approximate auto hail repair cost. These days all major insurance companies will usually only pay for a hail damaged car repair to be performed using Paintless Dent Repair, or PDR for short. (Check out What is PDR?) Using a PDR dent repair price chart, the insurance adjuster will estimate the hail damaged car's repair cost using paintless dent removal if possible, or in some cases, traditional auto body repair methods, along with the cost to replace any hail damaged moldings or glass and any other expense required to restore the vehicle to pre-loss condition. However, because hail damage car insurance claim inspections are usually performed hurriedly due to the influx of claims needing processed, and in less than optimal visual conditions, the auto hail repair estimates produced by most insurance adjusters are usually for much less than it will actually cost to repair the hail damaged vehicle. Because of this many insurance companies will issue a check on the spot on hail damage car insurance claims for the amount calculated by the claims adjuster, in hopes that the insured will use the insurance money for other things and they will not have to pay the full amount owed to have auto hail repair service performed.

For most vehicle owners still making payments on their vehicle, not repairing car hail damage will be a huge mistake financially down the road. For more insurance claim do's and don'ts and great auto hail repair insider tips check out our hail damage car insurance claim FAQ's. Most insurance companies will try to steer you to one of their "in network" shops at this point, but you are actually free to have your hail damaged car repair done at a facility of your choosing, which usually results in a much higher repair quality, and often a much lower cost. For instance an independent PDR dent repair shop does not have to follow the insurance company's pricing policies, and can usually reduce or even waive a customer's deductible amount. At Dealer's Hail & Specialty, we have worked hard to create a flawless customer experience which is underscored by our commitment to restoring your hail damaged car to full, pre-loss value with zero out of pocket costs to you!