Tis’ the season for crazy storms that rip through the country and leave nothing but damage and debris in their wake. If you and your vehicle have been affected by these damaging storms, it can be a bit overwhelming. Hail damage can be anything from a few small dents on the top of your car to large dents covering your vehicle, or even cracks in your windshield glass. Depending on the intensity of the damage, the steps may vary a bit.
The first thing you will want to do is assess the damage. How big are the dents? How many are there? Where are they located? Then take a look over your car insurance policy. If you have liability only coverage, the hail damage will not be covered by your policy, unfortunately. If you have comprehensive coverage, your insurance company will cover the damage after the deductible. You will also want to take a look at how much your deductible is for comprehensive coverage.
After figuring out the amount of your deductible, you may want to take it into a reputable auto repair shop to get a quote for the cost of repairing the damage. If your hail damage is minimal, you may not want to file a claim, as the cost to repair the damage will likely be less than your deductible. If the auto shop quotes more than your deductible, go ahead and file a claim with your insurance company.
Don’t be worried about filing a claim and raising the cost of your insurance. Hail damage is considered a natural cause and will not raise your premium. If any shop tells you otherwise, they are not telling the truth and will likely not be a good choice for your auto repairs.
After you have filed your claim, your insurance company will probably have a preferred method of how to proceed. They will either have your bring the car to them to be inspected, or they will send you to a trusted repair shop for the inspection. They will then quote the price of the damage and provide a list of trusted repair shops that you can choose from to get the damage repaired.
When looking at the selected shops, try to research which auto repair companies offer paintless dent repair. Depending on the extent of your damage, this is most likely the best option for your needed repairs. Paintless dent repair keeps the shop from having to repaint any damaged panels. Repainting often devalues your vehicle, while paintless dent repair does not. If the option is there, it is often suggested you take that route, unless your damage cannot be fixed by this method.
Filing claims and repairing your vehicle can be a bit of a scary task. It is often overwhelming to figure out the correct procedures and the dos and don’ts of dealing with auto repair shops. By following the above steps, you will hopefully have a quick and painless experience, with a shiny repaired vehicle in no time.
Written by Marc Laferierre, owner of Dents Unlimited. Dents Unlimited offers the best dent repair Columbia MO has to offer for hail damage.
