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.