Does car insurance cover hail damage?
Comprehensive is what pays for hail, how the deductible works, and what to do in the days after a storm in South Texas.
Yes, if you carry comprehensive coverage. Hail is not a collision, so it falls under comprehensive, which is the part of the policy people drop first when they are trying to save money. In this part of Texas that is usually the wrong thing to cut.
How the claim works
- You file the claim and pay your comprehensive deductible
- The insurer inspects the vehicle, often at a catastrophe site set up after a large storm
- They pay to repair the damage, commonly through paintless dent repair
- If the repair estimate exceeds the vehicle's value, they total it and pay actual cash value
Does a hail claim raise my rate?
Comprehensive claims are not at-fault claims, and carriers treat them differently from an accident. A single hail claim usually has a much smaller effect than a collision. Repeated comprehensive claims can still affect your renewal, so a very small dent on a car you do not care about may not be worth a claim.
After a storm, in order
- Photograph the car from several angles, including the roof and hood, in daylight
- File the claim promptly, because catastrophe adjusters work through a queue and early filings are inspected sooner
- Do not sign a repair contract with someone who knocks on your door offering to cover your deductible, which is not legal in Texas and puts you in the middle of it
- Get your own estimate from a shop you chose
- Keep the receipts if you pay for a tarp or temporary storage
Windshields
Glass often has its own treatment. Many Texas policies repair a chip with no deductible and replace a windshield subject to the comprehensive deductible. If your car has cameras or sensors mounted at the windshield, tell the shop, because recalibration is part of a proper replacement.
Protecting the car before the storm
Covered parking is the only real prevention. If you have a carport or a garage, use it during the spring. Car covers help with small hail and do very little with large hail.
Check what you carry
Pull out your declarations page. If there is no comprehensive deductible listed, you have no hail coverage. Call (956) 687-3334 and we will fix it before the next storm. Se habla español.
Common follow-up questions
Will my rate go up after a hail claim?
Usually far less than after an at-fault accident. Comprehensive claims are weather related and carriers rate them differently, though several claims in a short period can affect renewal.
Can I keep the money instead of repairing the car?
If the car is paid off, generally yes, though the insurer may note the unrepaired damage and exclude it later. If there is a lien, the lender is usually named on the check.
Is flood damage covered too?
Yes, flood damage to a vehicle falls under comprehensive. That is separate from flood insurance on a home.
Want this looked at properly?
We are an independent agency in McAllen serving Hidalgo, Cameron and Starr counties. No cost to talk it through.
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