Hail Damage Insurance Claims: Did You Know?

If you have comprehensive vehicle insurance then hail damage is covered by your policy. Unfortunately insurance companies want to minimize their financial exposure in any way possible when you file a claim. That is why you need a partner to manage your insurance claim and ensure you receive the full cost of your repairs. 

According to a survey one major insurance company paid out $3.5B in hail damage insurance claims in 2022. But that doesn’t mean they paid full value for those claims. On average, initial insurance claims are only 30% of the total repair value. 

Insurance companies issue low-ball offers because they know you just want your hail damage nightmare to be over, so you take the first offer and go away. Here are the reasons why you shouldn’t do that and other facts about hail damage claims. 

Initial Insurance Estimates

Initial insurance estimates are designed to just get the ball rolling on your claim. Most insurance companies simply have clients take a video of their damage in their driveway and then provide an estimate based on the video. 

A video of your hail damage will miss dents that will not be accounted for on the insurance company’s estimate. At our repair shop, your vehicle will be properly inspected under high-intensity PDR lights to ensure that every dent is accounted for to give you an estimate that’s 100% of the repair value. 

Do not give your insurance company an excuse to issue you a low-ball hail damage estimate. Schedule a free 1-hr custom estimate with us and receive a full estimate of your hail damage repair cost. 

The Unfortunate Reality of Generic Repair Shops

The sad truth is that insurance companies want you to get repairs at one of their partner body shops. These repair shops have an agreement with the company to help them limit their financial responsibility for your claim. They also have a cost threshold (repair costs beyond a certain amount). If your repairs are going to exceed this threshold, then the company will deem it a total loss. 

To avoid hitting the threshold, these partner repair shops will often cut corners in order to repair your vehicle at a reduced rate. This means they will repair with bandaids rather than correctly. And, these shops are not specialized in hail damage repair, so why go to them? Would you see a foot doctor if your back hurts? 

Most Generic Repair Shops Cannot Perform PDR

The most effective hail damage repair method is called PDR (paintless dent repair). It requires experienced technicians and proper tools to perform. Most generic repair shops do not have the tools or skills to execute PDR. They will either: 

• Contract out your repair
• Or replace parts (which decreases vehicle value)

When they replace parts, they will use scrapyard or pre-owned parts to keep costs low. 

Express Auto Hail Repair has the knowledge, tools, and skills for PDR. It is our specialty. And if we need to replace parts, we always go right to the manufacturer!

Don’t Get Stuck with Your Deductible

If you get your vehicle repaired in a generic repair shop that is working for the insurance company, they will make you pay your deductible. 

When you choose Express Auto Hail Repair, you can opt in (for a limited time) to our Pay $0 Deductible Program. We will also handle your insurance claim to ensure you are getting everything you deserve. 

Book your free 1-hr Custom Estimate or call 702-706-4747. 

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