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Yes, car insurance covers hail damage if you carry comprehensive insurance coverage. If you have a liability-only car insurance policy, hail damage won’t be covered. Liability insurance only pays for injuries or property damage you cause in an accident and is almost always required by law. Comprehensive car insurance is optional coverage for damage caused by anything other than a collision, like natural disasters and other events outside your control, including theft, vandalism, wildlife, and weather events.
Glass claims, such as damage to your car’s windshield, are also covered by comprehensive insurance. The cost of glass repair and replacement is typically less than the cost of a comprehensive deductible, which is most commonly $500 or $1,000. A windshield repair or replacement averages between $100-$400. So, to encourage drivers to fix glass issues that can become serious hazards, many insurers waive the deductible for windshield claims. In some states, $0 deductible glass coverage is required by law. Consult your agent or policy to see if your deductible applies to windshield damage caused by hail.
Should I claim hail damage on my car?
Whether or not you should file a car insurance claim for hail damage depends on the extent of the damage and the cost of your deductible. The average hailstorm claim is around $3,000, and the most common comprehensive deductible is $500 or $1,000. But hail damage may not be much greater than the cost of your deductible.
Let’s say you have a $1,000 deductible and a repair estimate for $1,500. Ultimately, your insurance company is only going to pay $500 of the bill. It could be more efficient to pay the whole bill yourself and avoid dealing with the insurance company altogether, especially if you’ve had other recent claims.
Does a hail-damage claim raise insurance rates?
If you make a hail-damage claim, it will go on your insurance record. Claim frequency does affect how much you pay for car insurance, but one comprehensive claim usually won’t raise your rate. That’s because insurers consider claims covered by comprehensive insurance to be beyond your control. If you haven’t had any other claims in the last three to five years, you shouldn’t see a rate hike, but your premium may go up if you have.
People also ask
What is comprehensive insurance?
Comprehensive insurance is coverage that helps pay for the cost of damage to your vehicle when you're involved in an accident not caused by a collision. Comprehensive car insurance covers losses from things like theft, vandalism or extreme weather events.
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show lessDoes car insurance cover natural disasters?
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Geico comprehensive coverage pays for damage to your car that is not caused by a car accident. Comprehensive coverage by Geico will cover non-accident related damage caused to your car, like theft, vandalism, flooding, fire, and natural or man-made disasters.
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