The beginning of storm season also signals the time to watch out for severe weather potentially affecting your vehicle—most commonly in terms of hail damage. When drivers realize their car has sustained damage because of a natural disaster, it’s easy to be frustrated because of many reasons. For one, it will require a call to your insurance or an out-of-pocket cost if you have a high deductible. Additionally, the damage may appear superficial, but it still affects the overall safety of your car.
When you’ve discovered hail damage to your vehicle, you should first go over your insurance plan to see if you have coverage. A typical comprehensive insurance plan includes hail damage, but it’s always a good rule of thumb to check. You might need to call a representative if you’re not sure when looking over your own documents.
The overall cost of the job will depend on the extend of damage. If your windshield was cracked or shattered, for example, that will be an added cost to the auto body repair. Then, your vehicle will have to be thoroughly inspected to note the severity of the damage, the areas affected, and how big each dent is. In some cases, a method known as paintless dent repair can be used, but sometimes typical repairs may also be needed. A section of auto body that suffered from a large amount of damage may be better off and a better investment to completely replace.
Once you’ve confirmed you have hail damage and it’s covered by your insurance, call the agency to start a claim. They’ll have a list of auto body shops to recommend, but you don’t have to choose one of them if you already have a go-to or want to find another shop. Bring your vehicle in for an estimate, and the shop should also have staff on hand who can communicate with the insurance for the estimate.
So then the big question: why get it fixed?
Modern vehicles are specially designed with safety measures in the body and frame that help absorb impact in the event of a collision. Depending on where the hail has struck your vehicle, it could compromise the general safety of the driver and passengers. Additionally, dents affect the overall value of your car. If you plan to sell, you’ll probably have to get the hail damage repaired or reduce the price to accommodate.
Superior Collision Center is located in Eagan, MN and can take care of all your auto body needs including hail damage. Give us a call if you’ve been in a collision or need other auto body repairs.