The Process To Follow When Your Vehicle Is Damaged By Hail

Hail storms, common in the spring, can come with serious consequence if your vehicle was parked outside during a hailstorm or if you were actively driving your vehicle when a hailstorm occurred. When your vehicle is damaged by hail, there are a few important steps you need to engage in.

Call Your Insurance Company

First, call your insurance company and let them know that your vehicle experienced hail damage. If your insurance plan covers hail damage, your insurance company will schedule a time for an adjuster to come out and look at your vehicle. You generally don't have to be present when the adjuster looks at your vehicle; they just need to know where your vehicle will be parked at a particular time so that the agent can inspect the vehicle.

The agent will come out and assess the damage. They will take pictures of the damage and use the pictures to write up an estimate for fixing your vehicle.

Call an Auto Body Repair Shop

Second, you need to call an auto body repair shop and set up an appointment. Let the auto body shop know that your vehicle sustained hail damage, and that you need a report for your insurance company. The auto body shop needs that information so that they can create a correctly formatted report to give to your insurance company for the estimate. Most auto body shops will not only create the paperwork, they will submit the paperwork to your insurance company for you. You can get estimates from multiple body shop, but technically, you only need to get an estimate from one auto body shop. So do your research and find a certified auto body shop that you want to work with and get your estimate from.

Keep in mind, the insurance company can suggest auto body shops that they have worked with in the past for you to use; however, they can't require you to work with them. You are allowed to use any certified business to handle your repairs.

Get Your Vehicle Fixed

Once your insurance company approves the quote from the auto body shop, it is time to get your vehicle repaired. Keep in time that it can take a while to fix your vehicle. Plan on not having your vehicle for up to a week or more, depending on the extent of the damage. Check in with your insurance company, as you may be able to have them pay for your rental while your vehicle is undergoing repairs.

If your vehicle was damaged in a spring hail storm, don't freak out. Call your insurance agent and meet with an adjuster. Then, find an auto body shop, like Superior Dent Solutions, and let them take care of the heavy lifting. They can fix your vehicle and get it looking like new again.