Hail damage can come when you least expect it – literally. Hail season actually starts in the summer when, of course, everyone would love to be outside. But what happens if you leave your car out for some summer sun and these chunks of ice put a damper on your road trip? Can your car insurance help melt away your worries? Or will you have to put your driving plans on pause? Let’s find out.
Does my car insurance cover hail damage?
As with most car insurance policies, you’ll have to look at your specific plan to find out if your auto insurance covers hail damage. If you have comprehensive coverage, your insurance may be able to help you pay to repair hail damage to your car. However, if you’re sliding by on your state’s minimum requirement for auto insurance, you may be out of luck. States usually don’t require drivers to have comprehensive coverage.
What types of coverage does a state require for car insurance?
You may know that your state requires you, as a driver, to have car insurance. Unfortunately, the minimum requirement for auto insurance in many states does not include comprehensive coverage. This is because most states only require drivers to have enough coverage to help the other driver if you’re found responsible for a car accident. These types of coverage are usually called bodily injury liability and property damage coverage.
Bodily Injury Liability
The bodily injury liability portion of your car insurance is built to help you pay for any medical bills that the other driver may have if you’re found to be at fault in an accident. This can include hospital visits, doctor’s appointments, special treatments, medications, and more. Your liability coverage can also help you pay for any legal fees you might have if the other driver decides to sue you for the accident.
Keep in mind, though, that liability coverage won’t help you cover your medical bills, regardless of if you’re at fault in an accident or not. Typically, your health insurance or medical payments coverage can help you take care of your medical bills (which is also not a baseline coverage required by most states).
Property damage
The property damage portion of your car insurance is also to help the other driver. However, this part is to help you pay for repairing the damages to their car if you’re at fault for an accident. If you want your auto insurance to help you pay for damages for your car, regardless of whether or not you’re in an accident or at-fault for an accident, you’ll need collision and comprehensive coverage.
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What is comprehensive coverage?
Here’s the thing – other vehicles aren’t the only things that can damage your car. Owning a vehicle can come with all kinds of risks, especially during summer storm season. Things like hurricanes, falling trees, and garage fires can happen a lot more often than you think.
That’s where comprehensive car insurance can come in. Comprehensive car insurance can typically help you cover damage to your car due to things like:
- Fire
- Theft
- Animal strikes
- Falling objects
- Vandalism
And, like we said, comprehensive coverage can also help you cover hail damage.
However, comprehensive coverage is not the part of your auto insurance that can help you pay for damages to your vehicle if you’re in an accident.
What is collision coverage?
Collision coverage is what you’ll need to help you cover damages to your car if you’re in an accident, whether you’re found to be at fault (or responsible for the accident) or not.
Additionally, be aware that collision and comprehensive insurance are usually included together in a policy. Though, a carrier may offer both coverages separately from each other. So, the best way to know what your policy covers and how it works is to look over everything with your agent.
Should I file a claim for hail damage on my car?
It all depends on how much hail damage there is to your car. For your car insurance to start paying on any damages to your car, you must first fulfill your deductible. Your car insurance deductible is the amount that you’ve agreed to pay for repairs before your insurance starts paying the rest of the bill. So, if the cost to repair the hail damage to your car is less than your deductible, it may not be worth it to file a claim.
For example, let’s say you’ve selected a plan with a $500 deductible. If the cost to repair the damage to your car is $300, then your insurance probably won’t help you pay for the repair because the total bill is less than your deductible.
When shopping or renewing your auto insurance, you may talk to your agent about lowering your deductible. Keep in mind, though, that lowering your deductible usually means paying a higher premium (or monthly payment). So, carefully consider the types of damage your car is at risk for and what you can afford before selecting your premium and deductible amounts.
It may sound a little stressful to account for these factors yourself – but that’s why we’re here! Our insurance agents are professionals at getting to know you and your specific situation so that they can give you quotes on the car insurance you need at a price that fits your budget. To get started, all you have to do is give us a call, fill out our online form, or LiveChat with an agent today to get multiple, free quotes on the car insurance you need.