{"id":2995,"date":"2014-10-02T16:14:37","date_gmt":"2014-10-02T23:14:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.costulessdirect.com\/?p=2995"},"modified":"2014-10-02T16:14:37","modified_gmt":"2014-10-02T23:14:37","slug":"how-to-handle-your-claim-when-hail-damages-your-car","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.costulessdirect.com\/blog\/how-to-handle-your-claim-when-hail-damages-your-car\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Handle Your Claim When Hail Damages Your Car"},"content":{"rendered":"

Environmental influences can sometimes leave you high and dry after inclement weather, and since it\u2019s often impossible to predict when harsh conditions will strike, it\u2019s hard to prepare. One of the most important ways you can prepare yourself, however, is arming yourself with information. Weather conditions like hail can seriously damage your property, and as the year comes to an end and the temperatures begin to drop, it\u2019s important to know how to file a hail-related claim.<\/p>\n

Carinsurance.com has a wealth of information on the topic, focusing mostly on frequently asked questions. These questions tackle questions like \u201cAm I covered?\u201d and \u201cShould I file a claim?\u201d, so we\u2019ve condensed the information they provide into an easy-to-read guide to hail damage and insurance.<\/p>\n

Does my insurance cover hail damage?<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve purchased comprehensive auto insurance<\/a>, otherwise known as \u201cother than collision\u201d coverage, you should be covered for hail damage, as well as vandalism and theft. It\u2019s an important policy to keep in mind while looking at car insurance quotes, because this kind of protection is vital to dealing with unpredictable conditions like weather. You\u2019ll still need to cover your deductible, but before you file a claim, consider how severe the damage really is. Ask yourself which costs more \u2013 the deductible or out of pocket repairs?<\/p>\n

Am I required to fix my car if I don\u2019t mind the dings?<\/strong><\/p>\n

It depends on whether or not you truly own your car. If you\u2019ve made all of your payments and the vehicle belongs entirely to you, then you\u2019re not obligated to repair it. It\u2019s your property, and if a few small dents don\u2019t bother you, you might choose to leave them. If you\u2019re still paying off a car loan, however, you\u2019ll legally obligated to maintain the value of the car since it\u2019s still technically the lien holder\u2019s asset.<\/p>\n

Will claiming hail damage raise my premiums?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Depending on your state\u2019s laws and insurance carrier\u2019s ratings system, it very well may, but in general, comprehensive claims like this shouldn\u2019t impact your rates at all. It was unpredictable and out of your control, so you\u2019re not penalized. Some states may raise your premium, however, so check for your own individual state. There are even some states that don\u2019t allow surcharges for claims like this, so you may be better off than you think.<\/p>\n

Does hail damage affect the title of the car?<\/strong><\/p>\n

If certain conditions are met, the hail damage can, in fact, be noted on your car\u2019s title, but only if both of the following are true:
\n–\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0The insurance company declared the damage a total loss
\n–\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Your state allows hail damage as he sole reason for a salvage title<\/p>\n

Failing either of those requirements, the damage will not be noted on your title, but many states do have a \u201chail\u201d designation for cars totaled by hail. Be careful, though. Even if the damage isn\u2019t on the title, it may still show up on electronic notification systems like Carfax.<\/p>\n

What if the car is hail-totaled and I choose to keep it?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ask your insurance company to buy the car for its salvage value. They\u2019ll send you a check for the difference between the car\u2019s value before and after the hail storm (minus your deductible). This may require an inspection, and your car\u2019s title will be \u201cbranded\u201d to reflect its previous state, making it difficult to insure.<\/p>\n

Does gap insurance cover my vehicle\u2019s lost value?<\/strong><\/p>\n

It does not. Gap insurance only covers you when your car is totaled, and it pays only the difference between the car\u2019s value before the crash and how much was still owed on it, minus deductibles.<\/p>\n

Have you ever had unexpected weather damage your car? Do you have any tips on dealing with the property damage? Let us know in the comments section!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Environmental influences can sometimes leave you high and dry after inclement weather, and since it\u2019s often impossible to predict when harsh conditions will strike, it\u2019s hard to prepare. One of the most important ways you can prepare yourself, however, is arming yourself with information. Weather conditions like hail can seriously damage your property, and as […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2996,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[697],"tags":[342,671],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.costulessdirect.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2995"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.costulessdirect.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.costulessdirect.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.costulessdirect.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.costulessdirect.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2995"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.costulessdirect.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2995\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.costulessdirect.com\/blog\/wp-json\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.costulessdirect.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2995"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.costulessdirect.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2995"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.costulessdirect.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2995"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}