When it comes to the summer weather in Colorado, the only thing you can expect is that it’s going to be unpredictable. Hail is particularly hard to predict and dangerous – thousands of cars suffer from hail damage across the United States every year.
Colorado ranks as one of the states that gets the most hailfall in the country.
If you live in Colorado, knowing where you stand with your insurance policy is vital. It could protect you from substantial expenses related to property damage caused by severe weather conditions. For instance, it’s easy to underestimate how much damage hail can do to your car.
Here’s everything you need to know about your car insurance policy and the potentially high costs of paying for repairs caused by hail.
Your Coverage Type
Whether or not your car is protected from the damage caused by hail will depend on your insurance coverage.
If you are paying for liability insurance only, unfortunately, any damage that your car suffers due to hail will not be covered. Liability insurance means that you only get your insurance payout if another vehicle was involved and caused damage to your car.
To ensure that your car is covered for hail damage, you need to have comprehensive coverage. That’s true whenever you’re claiming damage to your car caused by weather extremes.
You mustn’t wait until the last minute to get your car covered either because many insurance providers will deny coverage if you’re buying in the final days before hail season.
Don’t make the mistake of thinking that liability or collision insurance will cover the cost of hail damage.
Who Needs Insurance Protection from Hail Damage in Colorado?
There are a few elements to consider when it comes to hail damage insurance protection. Some people will have a bigger loss than others if they don’t have insurance coverage for hail damage:
New car owners
Newer cars, in particular, will be better off and safer with a more comprehensive range of cover options, especially those newer models manufactured since 2015. That’s because newer cars have a higher value, and the chance of getting totaled is smaller than older cars, even with severe hail damage.
Luxury vehicle owners
The same logic applies to luxury cars and exotic cars. Not only do those cars often high in value, but they also require specialized skills and knowledge to repair. Some owners of luxury vehicles prefer their cars to be repaired with only original equipment manufacture (OEM) parts. If that’s the case with you, be sure to check your insurance and make sure you have an OEM part requirement in the insurance coverage.
People that don’t have garage parking options
You should also pay more attention to the threat of hail if your car is kept parked outside more than inside. Hail comes down in different sizes and at different speeds, and that means leaving your car parked in the street means facing unpredictable levels of damage after any hailstorm. Having the right coverage is vital if you want to keep costs down in the event of having to pay for car repairs after the latest hailstorm.
People with a car lease/financing
Leasing and financing a car is similar to a long-term car rental contract, which requires you to return the vehicle in an almost perfect condition. This means you will need insurance protection for uncertain events like hailstorms.
How Much Does Insurance Cover Hail Damage?
Of course, paying for repairs is always going to be frustrating, especially if you find that your insurance policy doesn’t cover weather damage.
When it comes to hail damage, the average claim tends to be around $6.500 in Colorado.
However, more often than not, if you have comprehensive insurance, there’s not much out-of-pocket cost for a full-auto hail repair. That’s because most specialty paintless dent repair (PDR) shops like Stormwise will cover your deductible so that you don’t have to stress about filing for an insurance claim to fix hail damage.
It’s also good to know that the vast majority of insurers will not raise their prices after a hail damage payout – as hail damage is out of your control.
Know Your Rights
Even with the right insurance policy, there are still some potential risks to avoid if you are planning to claim damages to your car caused by hail.
The most common mistake that drivers make when they involve their insurance company in a claim is using an unqualified repair shop. The fact is that you don’t have to use the repairers that are recommended by your insurance company, no matter what they might tell you.
Types of Hail Damage
The good news is that hail damage, although it can occasionally result in a write-off, is generally very repairable. Depending on the severity of the hailstorm, you might expect to see a variety of issues that will require repairs:
Small dents
If a hailstorm is heavy but consists of smaller hail drops, the result will be lots of smaller dents across your car’s body. This type of damage can be very extensive, even if the dents themselves are shallow. That’s because smaller hailstones can achieve faster speed, sometimes as high as 20mph. They will also come down in larger quantities, and that means a much higher risk of damage.
Deeper dents
When a hailstorm is massive and is made up of larger chunks of ice, the damage can be much more significant. Dents will be deeper and harder to repair. Many customers come to us after they become frustrated by other service providers who can’t seem to solve their repair problems. Â
Damage to paint, lights, windows, and other parts
A hail storm can cause a variety of damages other than dents. Sometimes, a hailstone is big enough to actually crack a windshield, dent roof moldings, and break tail lights.
In Colorado, hail is a very real issue from April to September. If you want to avoid paying for costly repairs out of your own pocket, make sure that you have a comprehensive insurance policy that will keep you, your car. Your bank balance a lot more protected against the severe weather conditions in this part of the country.
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