My wife and I were driving back from Kansas to Colorado yesterday and drove through a horrible hail storm. Our car sustained sufficient damage to the roof, hood, and one side. I am submitting a claim for this damage to my auto insurance company and was wondering if anyone had any experience with this type of claim and can provide me with some tips they would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
It all depends on two things:
1: What is your coverage?
Are you covered for hail damage? What is the deductible? Hail coverage is often covered under the comprehensive policy, not collision.
2: How good is your insurance company?
Some will fight you every step of the way when you try to make a claim. The good ones will help you as much as possible, and even find ways to get you money you didn't know that you deserved.
Ocalhoun as usual you are right on the money with some good questions.
I have some experience with this sort of thing!
OH and By the Way, I saw that T-Storm on the local news, golf ball and larger sized hail....OUCH!!
I haven't had a claim for hail damage since 1986 on my 1985 Trans Am. The argument with them at the time was to repair or replace the hood. There were a few dings on the drivers side door and fender, and ONE on the quarter panel so I agreed that repair would be acceptable, I asked them not to repair the section of the roof behind the T-Tops that only had 1 dent, just wasn't worth it for the amount of painting that was going to be done to repair an almost un-noticable dent.
The hood, it was hammered, hit the hail storm head on, coming down from Pennsylvania I lived back east at the time. I was just dead set against them turning the hood of my 9 month old Trans Am into a body putty panel, it would have had to be skimmed over it's entire panel to get it straightened out again, the insurance company (Nationwide) "reserved the right to repair rather than replace. I argued, and so did my agent, and when the body shop I took it to told them that to fix the hood they were going to have 20 hours in it, they backed off and replaced it.
Back then it was expensive the whole bill came to 4K a little more, and I paid the $500.00 deductable. Plus the paint is never right after they break the factory seal, and 5 years later the car needed to be repainted when I got divorced and sold it.
So my only caution is that they will reserver the right to repair panels that would be easier to replace, although this isn't the case with the roof as replacing the skin on the roof can get run into some hours. Problem is they turn your car into a BONDO MOBILE repairing all the dents 
Thank you for your responses. I've filed my claim with State Farm and they have given me a list of repair shops near my house that they have pre-approved. I haven't taken the car in yet, but according to my insurance agent, I should only have to pay the co-pay at the shop and they will bill State Farm for the remainder of the bill. I'll post again if this story changes.
| socceraggie wrote: |
| State Farm |
They're a good company, usually. A bit more expensive, sometimes, but you get what you pay for.
I totaled a car with their insurance, and ended up getting money for various things that I didn't ask for... didn't even know I was entitled to. A worse insurance company would not only make me ask for that money, they might make me sue them to get it.ocalhoun - Thanks for the good reference! They are pretty expensive but so far we have not had any problems with them. Of course we don't have that many claims but with my current financial situation, I'd rather plan for a monthly payment than deal with a bunch of crap when all I need is something to be paid for.
never had hail damage but we had a storm hit a town right near us and you can tell when somebody is from that town their cars are all dinged up over the hood and roofs....thank god i didnt get hit sounds like a pain in the ass
