The Hail Shop USA

Auto Hail Repair Denver

How long do you have to claim hail damage on car?

Auto Hail Claim Time Limit – Statute of Limitations

Hail Claim Time Limits

The time limit for filing an auto hail damage claim should be stated in your policy. It is recommended that you double-check your insurance policy rather than make an assumption about filing time limits.

The  American Family Insurance website states the following in their FAQ section,
Q: “How long do I have to file my claim?
A: You should notify us as soon as reasonably possible. Please provide the date, time, place and details in addition to the names and addresses of the people involved with the claim.

Answer Financial says this,
“…most insurance policies do not put a specific time limit on how long you may take after an incident before you file your claim. Most policies state that claims should be filed “promptly” or “as soon as possible”, but that is usually not further clarified, so in theory, you could argue that a year later is still “as soon as possible” – especially if you can show extenuating circumstances as to why you decide or had to wait to file your claim.

Like many of the recent hail storms, if the storm was severe enough to damage many homes and vehicles in a large geographic area, the insurance company will usually extend the deadline for filing a claim.”

File Hail Claim As Soon As Possible

The Hail Shop USA does strongly suggest that you file a claim as soon as possible. It is not unusual for states in hail alley to see 2 or 3 damaging hail storms in a single season.  If your vehicle sustains hail damage in one storm and then again in a subsequent storm, a repairable vehicle can quickly turn into a totaled vehicle.

Hailstorm law usually puts the time to file at two years from the date of the hail event, although it may depend on the severity of the storm and the location of the natural disaster strike.

I have pre-existing auto hail damage, should I wait until the next storm to file a claim?

Waiting Out The Storm

A time and money saver or a not so good idea?

If my car has hail damage from an earlier hail storm, can I want to wait and see if it hails again before I file a hail damage claim with my insurance company?

It would seem like a logical thing to do, right? Especially if you live in a state that gets frequent hail storms like Texas, Oklahoma, and Colorado. But there are a few details you might not have considered if you are thinking about waiting for the next storm to roll through.

One hail storm might not total your vehicle but two? The likely hood of having your vehicle going from repairable to “totaled” in a matter of 5 minutes.

5 minutes? What does that mean?

Why you shouldn’t wait for the next storm.

Hailstorms usually don’t last long — only about 5 to 10 minutes — but they can cause a lot of damage in that time. Also, “the bigger it is – the harder it falls” makes a huge difference in the amount of hail damage a vehicle can take in a mere 5-10 minutes.

  1. In this example, we will say your vehicles pre-damaged fair value worth is $12,000.
  2. So let’s say the first storm only lasted a couple of minutes and the cost to repair was $2,000. You decide to hold off on the repairs and wait for the next hail storm to roll through.
  3. Sure enough, it happens again but this time, the damage caused $7,000 worth of repair bills.
  4. Now, your total amount of hail damage is $9,000.
  5. AND your vehicle is not considered totaled.

Instead of forgoing the first repair in order to save time and possibly try to save on a 2nd deductible, your vehicle is now unrepairable.

What happens with a “branded title” or a vehicle title that has been reported as “totaled?” – learn more by reading this great article about “branded titles.” What will happen to my title with hail damage?

Not Totaled but Now Auto Body Shop Bound

The next scenario is when your vehicle isn’t quite “totaled” but pretty darn close. If your insurance company deems your vehicle repairable but NOT by paintless dent repair – your next dent repair option lies in the hands of an auto body shop technician.

Replacement Panels

At a body shop, you face replacement panels. Replacement panels are used when the paint has been damaged or the dent damage is so severe that it just doesn’t make sense to try to push them out. When this happens, you run into the world of paint matching. When repainting comes into play – your factory paint warranty is now obsolete.

Drilling, Fillers & Paint-Matching

Another repair option at an auto body shop it the use of drills to accommodate dent pulling. With drills come BONDO, fillers, and again – paint-matching and no more paint warranty.

Worried About Paying 2 Deductibles?

At The Hail Shop USA – your deductible is always waived. This hopefully will help set your mind at ease. Our goal is to take the stress out of auto hail repair &  make the entire dent process as easy as possible.

Final Thoughts & Considerations

File Your Claim Promptly. Finally, filing your claim promptly avoids later confusion and makes the entire process much easier for everyone. In some cases, insurance companies may even make the process difficult if you have waited to file your hail claim for an extended period or waiting out the storm!

Second Opinion. Additionally, it is always a good idea to get an estimate or second opinion from a paintless dent repair shop near you because in most cases – your insurance adjuster’s estimate is almost always inaccurate. For example, their $900 estimate might actually be nearly 35-40% low.

Can hail damaged cars be repaired?

Auto Hail Damage? Can it be Repaired with PDR?

In most hail damage cases we see, yes – the dents left behind by hailstones can be repaired. The only caveat is the condition of the metal & paint of the panel that is damaged. If the paint is chipped, cracked, or damaged in any way – PDR can repair the dent but not 100% restored to its pre-damaged condition. Repainting will be required. If the metal has been folded or creased, the vehicle might need a panel replacement.

The benefits of paintless dent repair for auto hail damage repair is long but one of the top reasons insurance companies and car owners prefer this method is the damage is not reported on the CARFAX.

Hail Damage Repair on Car Roof

Hail damage on the roof of a vehicle is the most common location to find dents & dings after a hail storm. You can count on hail damage if the hailstones were over 1 inch in diameter. The severity depends on how long the hail fell and wind speed.

To learn more about hail damage and when hail causes damage here.

The good news is – yes, hail damage can be repaired on the roof of a vehicle. It is actually the easiest panel to reach using the paintless dent repair technique.

Hail Damage Repair on Car Doors

Hail damage can be found on car doors, especially when the hail storm is accompanied by strong gusts of wind. When hail is allowed to ride on the back of a heavy gust of wind, the impact on the panel can be hard.

But again, like the roof a vehicle, door panels are typically easy to remove and replace once the hail dents have been pushed out.

Hail Damage Repair on Trunk Lid

This repair is unique in that unlike car door panels, trunk lids have very pronounced body lines along the perimeter of the panel. We get lots of questions about hail dent repair on body lines.

Yes, they can be repaired but should only be performed by a professional PDR technician. Similarly to the car door panels, the underside or inside of the trunk lid can be dismantled to help get the technician behind the dent.

The biggest difference is what the inner panel looks like when it has been disassembled. The inner construction of a trunk lid somewhat resembles a metal maze as you can see in the photograph below.

But yes, hail damage CAN be removed from a trunk lid.

Hail Damage Repair on Front & Back Quarter Panels

The front and back panels of a vehicle are on the left and right sides of the hood and trunk. They are smaller panels but susceptible to hail damage just the same. Just like the other panels, the quarter panels can be removed but first, taillights need to be carefully removed to access a small hole underneath the panel. At this point, a technician can use one of their rods to get in through the hole and behind the panel. Sound tricky? For a skilled and talented paintless dent repair technician – no but for new tech or someone without much training – this is NOT for the beginner.

There are other tools in a PDR techs arsenal to help with this repair but again, the experience is mandatory to remove dents in quarter panels.

Can your hail damage be repaired with paintless dent repair?

The best place to start is scheduling an appointment with The Hail Shop USA. We will send one of our amazing dent specialists to your location (or you can stop by one of our locations) for a free dent repair evaluation and estimate. This process usually takes about 15 minutes.

Direct Repair – Get the Facts

Direct Auto Body Repair Shops

Before we address the big question of “What is Direct Repair?”, let’s take a minute to really break it down & put it into perspective.

Everybody wants a deal. There is nothing wrong with that. In fact, you should ALWAYS shop around. But does “finding the best deal” mean you should sacrifice quality? Just like all things in life, it really all depends on what the “best deal” is for.

For example, if you or someone in your family needs a root canal, are you necessarily looking for the best deal or are you looking for a well qualified, licensed endodontist with years of experience performing the procedure with a reasonable price tag?

The same goes for your vehicle. Why would you settle for a sub-par repair when you have paid for the extra insurance coverage to protect that investment? The answer is – because you probably have no idea what a “Direct Repair” shop is AND what it means for you.

Comprehensive Insurance Coverage

If you live in an area that gets frequent hail storms, you probably have comprehensive coverage for your vehicle(s). If you don’t, you might want to think about it. With comprehensive insurance coverage, your vehicle is protected under the policy. In other words, if it hails and your vehicle ends up with hail damage – your comprehensive insurance policy will cover the damages – minus your deductible. Comprehensive coverage is NOT full coverage. Full-coverage doesn’t cover hail damage.

If you have comprehensive coverage on your vehicles, you probably know it as it is considerably higher in cost than full-coverage but if your vehicle HAS been damaged in a hail storm, you already know the value of this level of coverage.

The average cost to repair a vehicle with hail damage is anywhere between $1.8K – $8K.

Now that we’ve covered what comprehensive coverage is and it’s value, let’s move on.

It’s Your Money. It’s YOUR Choice.

So, what happens when your vehicle has hail damage?

  1. First, you should document the damages yourself by either taking pictures or noting the number of dents per panel. You need to also document the date of the loss.
  2. The next step is to contact your insurance company. They will assign you an adjuster that will come to your home or office to access the damages.
  3. The adjuster will look at your vehicle and determine the amount and severity of the hail damage. They will also provide you with a dollar amount it will take to repair those damages.
    Note:     You will notice that the adjuster does not use any special lighting or tools to access your damage. They might even try to access the damage in the rain or on a very sunny day. All of these factors will affect the ultimate cost to repair.  As a reputable paintless dent repair shop AND the next step in the process, we will have to reassess the damage – mostly because your insurance adjuster will most likely miss 15-30% of the hail damage. That extra damage that was not accounted for will have to be renegotiated with the insurance company in order to get the additional funds to cover ALL of the hail damage repairs. This is called a SUPPLEMENT.
  4. Get a second opinion from a local paintless dent repair company. This is where the “Direct Repair” part is introduced into the equation. Some insurance companies more than others will offer and even encourage you to choose from their list of “Preferred Shops” or “Direct Repair Shops” in your area. They might even lead you to believe that the PDR shops or auto body shops on their “Direct Repair” list are your ONLY option.

What Is Direct Repair?

To answer the question of “What is Direct Repair,” we needed to set the stage so you know when to be wary of the “Direct Repair” delivery.

As mentioned above, everyone is looking for a deal. This doesn’t exclude your insurance company.

In the event of a hail catastrophe, or a hail storm that damages multiple vehicles and homes in a city(ies), insurance companies get inundated with hail claims. This is when your comprehensive insurance coverage swoops in to save the day and ultimately save you a lot of money on hail repairs. This is also when your insurance company has to come in and make good on their contractual promise to cover damages caused by Mother Nature.

This has the potential of being a MAJOR payout by your insurance company. This is where the “good deal” comes in.

Insurance companies will find paintless dent repair shops and auto body shops that will “work” with them on the cost of repairs. In return, they will “steer” their customers towards these shops.

What’s the Deal?

Like most “good deals,” someone is saving money. In the instance of “Direct Repair” shops and the insurance company that is negotiating a deal, it is the insurance company that is getting the deal.

The following list covers the top two deals your insurance company will get from their “Direct Repair” partners:

  1. Reduced cost of repairs.
  2. Supplement limits.

As a result, these “Direct Repair” shop partners are getting paid less for their work which in turn means less money for their PDR technicians. Because the shop still needs to make money to pay to keep their lights on, rent paid, and employees paid – the shop has to take on more “Direct Repair” deals. This results in lower quality work and rushed repairs.

This takes us back to, “It’s Your Money. It’s YOUR Choice.”

Where you take your vehicle for hail repairs is YOUR CHOICE. Your insurance company can not refuse to pay for your hail repairs simply because the paintless dent repair shop is not on their “Direct Repair” list of shops. In fact, the act of an insurance company “steering” their clients to a “Direct Repair” shop is unlawful and as a whole – effects the entire paintless dent repair industry.

What Can You Do?

Know your rights. The Hail Shop USA has gathered a list of articles that further explain the act of insurance “steering.” In conclusion, it is your choice where you decide to get your hail damage repaired, not your insurance companies. When it comes to hail repair, a “good deal” shouldn’t be the first thing that comes to mind. If you pay for comprehensive coverage, your hail damage repairs are covered under your policy.

Steering resources:

https://www.ican2000.com/statements/steering/index.html

http://www.bodyshopbusiness.com/when-does-insurer-steering-become-illegal/

http://ccbjournal.com/articles/12399/anti-steering-insurance-laws-state-censorship-consumer-information-treads-first-amend

http://www.seacoastonline.com/news/20180413/bens-auto-body-fights-price-fixing-by-insurers

Should I buy a hail damaged car?

Buying a Dealership Car With Hail Damage – Is It Worth It?

If you are looking into catching a hail of a deal at a dealership on a new vehicle with hail damage, there are a few facts you should consider. Everyone loves a deal but nobody loves a lemon. In this article, The Hail Shop USA hits a few of the big questions you should ask before driving away in your brand new dented car.

  1. What the deductible?
    If the vehicle still has hail damage, that usually means that the cost to repair exceeded the dealers deductible. Many times, the in-house paintless dent repair guy can fix the cars themselves for less than the cost of the deductible.
  2. Do repaired hail damaged vehicles hold the same “new car” value?
    In the first year of ownership, cars depreciate 30% – repaired hail damage or not. It is the condition of the vehicle when you go to sell it. Dealerships put the condition of your vehicle into 4 varying categories: Excellent, Good, Fair, Poor. If the repaired hail damaged vehicle required no repainting or panel replacement with aftermarket parts – the vehicle holds it’s “new car” value. These are questions that you need to ask before laying down on a hail-sale vehicle.
  3. Should I get a second opinion?
    Yes and yes again. The dealership is trying to push out the hail damaged vehicles. They might tell you the cost to repair will be $5k (give or take a few hundred) and then when you take it to your local paintless dent repair shop – they tell you the cost to repair the hail damage will be closer to $8k – OUCH! So, before you sign any paperwork, make sure you get a second opinion.
  4. Are the hail damage repairs on a “hail sale” covered under my insurance policy?
    Unfortunately, no. Fortunately, paintless dent repair is more affordable than you think. If the vehicle only has a few small hail dents on the roof or hood, you are looking at about $25 per dent to repair. The Hail Shop USA will work with you on price if you are paying for your hail repair out-of-pocket. Just give us a call and we can set-up a time to assess the damages and give you an estimate of how much it would cost for repairs.
  5. Should I be worried about the quality of the hail repairs done by the dealership?
    This is another situation where a 2nd look never hurt anyone. Some tell-tale signs of a shotty hail repair are overextended dents, paint touch-ups, and replacement panels.

    1. Over-extended dents: This happens when an inexperienced PDR technician “pushes” the dent out too far. Look for inverted dents that have some weird paint disfigurement. Overextended dents are VERY hard if not impossible to correct with PDR.
    2. Paint touch-ups: If you see what looks to be “shiny” or “dull” spots on the vehicle or paint that doesn’t quite match – the paint warranty has been breached.
    3. Replacement panels: The good thing about buying a hail-damaged vehicle from a dealership is that they use OEM instead of Aftermarket panel replacements. OEM will retain the value of the vehicle – Aftermarket will decrease the value of the vehicle. You can learn more about OEM and Aftermarket parts here.

In the end, if you purchase a hail damaged vehicle that has been repaired – the quality of the hail repairs is going to be obvious – properly repaired hail damage should be invisible.