Other cities that have declared a ‘catastrophe’ location are Wentzville & St Peters.

In today’s article, we will cover what to do if your vehicle has been damaged in a hail storm, both from your insurance company’s perspective and from an auto body shop or paintless dent repair shop.

Steps to Take After A Catastrophic Hail Storm

Insurance Company & Auto Hail Damage Claims

1. Mobile Catastrophe Claim Teams. State Farm and American Family have on-location adjuster stations set up around O’Fallon, one in the Home Depot parking lot and another in the CarShield overflow lot. You will need to schedule an appointment before you visit.
2. File a hail claim as soon as possible. Contact our local agent, file a claim, and schedule a time to visit a Mobile Catastrophe location or your address. You will need the date of the occurrence, your policy number, and your vehicle make/model/year.
3. Be prepared for a ‘total loss.’ Due to the size of the hail, wind conditions, and the amount of time the hail fell in O’Fallon, Wentzville, and St. Peters, many vehicles are being written as a total loss. Adjusters are issuing checks for ‘total-loss’ vehicles on-site. Learn more about a ‘total loss’ determination and your options.
4. Repair checks issued on-site.  For the vehicles that can be repaired, insurance companies are issuing checks on-site to expedite the hail damage repair process. As convenient as this may sound, take a minute to read more about how this might affect you and the repair of your vehicle.
5. Crash wrap is provided. This storm also broke windshields, sunroofs, and side mirrors. You can pick up some crash wrap at these on-site catastrophe centers.

The Hail Shop Hail Catastrophe Advise

1. Mobile Catastrophe Claim Teams. Mobile Catastrophe Claim Teams are convenient for getting your vehicle estimate fast. With convenience does come a few draw backs. Number one, adjusters are not experienced hail damage inspectors. In a majority of Catastrophe parking lot estimates, damage is missed and NOT written into your initial estimate. This essentially means that the insurance company is agreeing to pay for the damage ‘seen.’ On average, 30-45% of hail damage is missed upon further inspection at a O’Fallen paintless dent repair or auto body shop.
2. File a hail claim as soon as possible. Filing a hail claim ASAP is suggested. After a major catastrophic event that resulted in widespread & severe damage, there will be thousands of claims. Dent repair shops get backed up fast. Repair times become longer.
3. Be prepared for a ‘total loss.’ Multiple factors contribute to a ‘total loss’ claim. The cost to repair windshield damage, multiple dents per panel, paint damage, dents on the body lines, and interior damage (broken sunroofs = water damage to the interior) can add up fast. If your vehicle is written as a ‘total loss,’ we suggest you do your research. Check CarFax to get an idea as to the fair-market-value. You do have the right to negotiate the settlement check amount.
4. Repair checks issued on-site.  As mentioned in point 1, be prepared to get a check that doesn’t cover the cost to repair 100% of the hail damage. Ask the adjuster what your options are. Can I get a second opinion from an O’Fallon paintless dent repair shop? What happens if the repair shop finds more damage? What is the wait time for supplement approvals? If I take this check today, does that mean any additional damage won’t be paid for? Who is my contact, i.e., adjuster?
5. Crash wrap is provided. This is a very good option and is highly recommended. What is not recommended is assuming that you have to use an O’Fallon auto body or PDR shop that is on your insurance “Preferred Partner” shop list, or DRP. Learn more.

Who is The Hail Shop?

We are a full-service paintless dent repair shop specializing in auto hail repair. We offer free inspections, free vehicle pick-up and delivery, and free loaner cars. With a complete auto hail repair, you won’t pay a deductible. To schedule your free inspection, you can call us at 314-252-8851 or use our online scheduling form.

In an article by The Weekly Planet, Alex Kubicek says that “Hail is expanding its footprint across the country at the same time that it is becoming more frequent in the central United States.”

Who is Alex Kubicek? His Twitter feed says – Weather guy, CEO of @UnderstoryWx, Board gamer.

In August of 2021, Wealth & Finance, an international monthly publication dedicated to delivering high quality informative and up-to-the-minute global business content recognized Understory Inc with  top honor of Best Climate Change Insurance Solution 2021 for their work rewriting insurance for the era of climate change.

In layman terms. Alex Kubicek is a super, hard-core weather geek.

When scientists and climatologists list climate change’s biggest (or extreme) threats –  fire, floods, heat waves, & drought are at the top. With occurrences of hail increasing in spread and severity, hail is on its way to making that list.

Changes in Climate Extremes and their Impacts on the Natural Physical Environment white paper defines An Extreme Weather Event as, “the occurrence of a value of a weather or climate variable above (or below) a threshold value near the upper (or lower) ends (‘tails’) of the range of observed values of the variable.” Source.

How much money does hail damage cause per year in the United States?

The catastrophic effects of extreme hail occurrences include:

Crop Damage – Hail annually causes billions of dollars in damage worldwide to crops and property combined.

Personal Property Damage – In 2019, over 7.1 million US properties were affected by hail damage. Between 2008 and 2014, US insurers paid roughly $5.37 billion for auto insurance claims, according to hail data. The highest claim frequency was recorded in 2011 with 4.3 claims per 1,000 insured automobiles in the US due to hail damage. Source.

How do these hail occurrences effect personal property?

From damaged roofs, and personal property damage to hail damaged vehicles  – insurance companies are paying out millions per year to repair the effects of hail damage. We know this.

The problem though is how many of these hail damage claims are actually legitimate?

It works kind of like this. A hail storm hits a portion of Austin, Texas. Not the entire city but more like a span of approximately 25 city blocks. Within those 25 blocks are residential neighborhoods, a couple of car lots, and a shopping center.

How do these hail occurrences effect property and casualty insurance companies?

After a hail storm, it is common for local or out-of-town roofing contractors to visit these neighborhoods and distribute sales paraphernalia in hopes of earning the contract to repair the hail damaged roofs. The same goes for paintless dent repair companies.

The problem is that not every roof or vehicle has the same severity of damage. Insurance fraud is a significant problem after major storms, partly because crooked contractors deceive customers about the extent of roof damage.

“If there is a high rate of weather related home damage or claims being filed in your neighborhood, your insurer will raise the rates for the entire area. This rate increase will affect your premiums regardless of whether or not you recently filed a claim.” Source.

How do these hail occurrences effect people?

“We really don’t know a lot about how the weather affects people. There has to be a better way to understand the weather than what we’re doing,” says Kubicek.

Kubieck’s company Uderstory is seeking to find a better way to detect the actual effect each unique hail occurrence can have on a farmers crops, a personals personal property, their vehicles, etc.  This, in turn, will better help property and casualty insurance adjusters understand just how much damage was sustained based on scientific data.

What does this mean?

Understory has developed what is called an “unmatched hyperlocal network” of ground-level sensors spaced two miles apart throughout a city or other area. Each sensor measures wind, rain and hail by force, direction and angle of impact, 120,000 times a second. That data allows analysts to precisely estimate storm damage, he said. Source.

With this technology, insurance estimators can go into a hail storm damaged area with an understanding of how much damage they should expect to see. If a roofing company or a paintless dent repair company has already estimated the cost to repair the damaged sustained on a roof or vehicle before the insurance estimator has actually seen the damage, they can quickly determine if their estimate is within the range of the data they have received from the sensors.

If a contractors estimate is grossly inflated, the insurance adjuster can visit the property to re-evaluate the damage and deliver a reimbursement amount that more accurately reflects the damage.

Ultimately, this technology will prevent the insured from incurring a cost increase on their property and casualty insurance and vehicle insurance policies.

Hail Sensors in Hail Alley

Currently, there are over 600 sensors placed strategically across hail alley. Understory has installed sensors in Dallas-Fort Worth, Denver, Houston, Kansas City, and St. Louis – all producing what Kubicek calls “litigation-quality data” with a 97% accuracy rate that can hold up in court.

The insurer hopes that the data obtained from the sensor will help to more effectively handle future claims.

In this article, we will explain the difference between comprehensive & collision coverage on your vehicle.

What does Comprehensive Insurance Policy cover?

A comprehensive insurance coverage plan on your vehicle covers damage that is not from a collision, wreck, or car accident. If you’re financing or leasing your car, your lender likely requires comprehensive coverage. The coverage limit is determined by the actual cash value of the vehicle being covered.

Some examples of what IS covered:

• If your vehicle is stolen.
• Damage from fire.
• If your vehicle was vandalized.
• Damage caused by a falling object.
• Damage caused by natural disasters or an “Act of God” including wind (falling tree), hail damage, and flood damage.
• Hitting an animal with your vehicle. More specifically, swerving to miss an animal and crashing into oncoming traffic or a tree is considered a full coverage claim.

Examples of what is NOT covered:

• Collision with another vehicle.
• Collision with an object, such as a fence or guard rail.
• Single-car rollover accidents.
• Damage to another person’s vehicle
• Medical bills incurred by you or another person.

What does a Collision Insurance Policy cover?

A Collision insurance Policy is a coverage that helps pay to repair or replace your car if it’s damaged in an accident with another vehicle or object. If you’re leasing or financing your car, collision coverage is typically required by the lender.

Examples of what IS covered:

• Damage to your vehicle as the result of a single car accident (if no other motor vehicle was involved) involving a roll-over.
• Damage to your vehicle as the result of hitting an object such as a tree, guard rail, house, fence, etc is covered.
• Damage to your vehicle as the result of collision, accident, and wreck that involved another vehicle.

Examples of what is NOT covered:

• Damage caused as a result of a natural disaster such as hail damage, wind damage, and flood damage.
• Theft of your vehicle.
• Vandalism of your vehicle.
• Damage to another persons vehicle or personal property.
• Medical bills incurred by you or another person.

What is Full Coverage Insurance Policy?

A full coverage auto insurance means you have coverage for your own car AND the other driver’s. A full coverage policy combines liability (pays for injuries and damage caused by YOU) collision, and comprehensive insurance.

COVID-19 is changing the way the insurance industry is processing auto hail damage claims. Although the technology has been in existence since 2018, the use of the CCC Quick Estimate, an artificial intelligence supported claims processing tool, has expanded at an exponential pace as a direct response to COVID-19.

Social distancing and work-from-home protocols have been the driving force behind the digital revolution in auto hail claims, led by smart phone photo estimating.

What is CCC Mobile Quick Estimate Tool & How Does it Work?

What is the CCC Mobile Quick Estimate Tool?

From CCC Information Services:

Apple CCC Moible Quick Estimate APP Download | Android CCC Moible Quick Estimate APP Download

How does the CCC Mobile Quick Estimate Tool work?

Note: You will need to utilize your smart phone camera.

1. Upon filing an auto hail claim with your insurance company, you will receive a text message or email with a direct link to auto populate your claim information into the app. Find filing options for your insurance company here.
2. The app will then walk you through the quick estimate process while utilizing your smart phone camera. For example, the first screen starts with your driver side front door. A graphic of the driver side front door will accompany the directive, “Fit your vehicle into the outline as shown in the example. Make sure the entire vehicle is visible in the photo. Then capture the photo.”
3. After you have completed the photo documentation process, will have the opportunity to review your photos before you submit them to the insurance company. You will have an opportunity to take more pictures and also video of the damage to your vehicle.

What are the Pros & Cons of the CCC Mobile Quick Estimate Tool for Estimating Auto Hail Damage?

The pros and cons provided in this section come directly from the reviews section of the actual APP. Some of the reviews come from customers and others from actual repair facilities.

Pros

To use the app is quite easy.

The VIN auto-scanning is a nice feature.

The fact that I could given a written description of any damages was a nice option.

Quick & easy.
It takes about three to four minutes to complete the whole process. Then press submit and you’re all done!

Note: Most professional auto hail damage estimates take a minimum of 15 minutes to accurately estimate.

Cons

Not much instruction on how to use the app.
A brief paragraph before beginning would have been handy to be sure I had plenty of clearance and light for pictures.

Does the APP effectively replace the  “in-person” insurance adjuster estimate? 
Many customers worry that the pictures, even if they provide very good quality photos, will lead to an under estimation of the cost of damage to their car. Shaky and blurry photo submissions are a common issue and tend to slow down the hail claims process.

Isn’t having an actual insurance adjuster come do the estimate what I pay my insurance for?
In short, yes.

30 seconds is not enough time to verbally report damage.
Customers are given the opportunity to “verbally express” any additional information or issues concerning their claim.

Problems with under-estimations & partial reimbursements.
Review from repair shop. Most “mobile quick estimates” don’t cover half of what  should have actually been reimbursed. This isn’t a problem for a paintless dent repair facility because the shop can supplement the missed damage but if you are looking to “cash out,” then you are probably due more money.
Review from customer.  I like the fact that you get all the pictures and then are able to take video and additional pictures if needed. However, I would not…repeat, NOT rely on this for a final payment. The fact that you can’t get a true feel for the exact damage due to lighting or atmospheric conditions it may leave possible questions still unanswered and could effect the proper reimbursement.

A Faster, More Accurate Approach to Estimating Auto Hail Claims

Most every paintless dent repair shop or auto body shop offer free hail damage inspections. With the use of industry specific LED lighting and  the professionally trained eye of a PDR technician will make the process easier, faster, and most importantly, 100% accurate.

Call the dent repair experts at The Hail Shop today to schedule your FREE hail damage inspection. We can come to you or you can bring your vehicle to one of our shops near you. We offer a minimal contact experience and take your and our health very seriously. Read our COVID-19 response statement here.

99% of all dent damage (with no paint damage) can be repaired with paintless dent repair. If the dents and dings can’t be repaired with paintless dent removal, The Hail Shop USA only uses OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) parts.

Why? The Hail Shop USA stands behind their 100% restoration claim by only using OEM parts if the vehicle panel can not be restored back to its pre-damaged condition. Even if your insurance company will only cover the cost of an Aftermarket panel, we will ALWAYS make the upgrade and cover the cost to replace an unrepairable panel with an OEM part.

There are only a handful of repair shops that use only OEM parts. Typically, a dealer’s shop will work with OEM parts, and an independent auto body shop will work with aftermarket parts. 

What is the difference between OEM & Aftermarket Parts?

OEM parts are exact replicas of the original parts put in your vehicle. Aftermarket parts, however, are designed only similarly are typically cheaper. In some instances, aftermarket parts can function as well and sometimes better than OEM parts BUT sometimes they don’t. If you aren’t 100% sure about your own car and its parts, aftermarket parts might seem like an acceptable exchange for the more expensive OEM parts.

What are the pros and cons of aftermarket parts?

Here we go over some of the biggest pros and cons with aftermarket parts. Ultimately, when it comes to insurance companies, they will only cover the cost of aftermarket parts if a panel needs to be replaced due to severe hail damage.

OEM Parts Pros & Cons

Aftermarket Parts Pros & Cons

In the end, OEM parts are all created equal and with 100% consistency. Aftermarket parts are not created equal and quality can greatly vary. To be safe, The Hail Shop USA chooses to 100% restoration. Restoring your vehicle to it’s original condition is our goal.

Auto hail damage always presents a dilemma for car owners. Many decide to live with the dings whereas others file comprehensive insurance claims as soon as they see the hail fall.

In the article, we cover all of the questions that lie in-between.

1. Know the type of insurance coverage you have on your vehicle.

   There is only one level of coverage that will cover the cost to repair auto hail damage and any other vehicle damage caused by Mother Nature.  It is called Comprehensive Insurance. You are not alone if you assumed that a Collision Policy would cover hail damage. Automobile insurance policies are (or should be) “piecemealed”  based upon the area you live in and where you drive most frequently.

   If you live in the states of Texas and Colorado or any of the other states that fall within Tornado Ally, you should have Comprehensive Coverage because of the frequent hail storms. For example – if you live in Denver, CO where residents experience drastic changes in temperature, excessive rain, hail, and snow, you should also have Collision Coverage. Where Comprehensive covers the cost of auto hail damage repair, it does not cover damage caused by potholes that come as a result of drastic weather variations.

   Check your policy. Your coverage can be found on your glovebox copy, online (if you signed up for online access), or you can call the general toll-free number found on their website.

   Auto Insurance Coverage’s Explained

   What auto insurance coverage is required by law? 100/300/100 is your liability coverage. This is what is required of you to carry by law. This, theoretically, protects the OTHER party in an accident. Not you, or your car.

   The D100 is Comprehensive Coverage. In this case, with a $200 deductible. Comp covers YOUR vehicle in the event of an accident that wasn’t your fault.

   The G500 is Collision Coverage. This covers YOUR vehicle in the event of an AT FAULT accident. Ordinarily, to make a full coverage policy, you would have Liability + U/W + Comp + Collision. In this case, a $500 deductible. You pay the first $500, the insurance company pays the rest to fix your car.

2. Don’t assume that you don’t have enough hail damage to justify filing a claim.

   Many decide to live with hail dings because they assume the damage isn’t enough to justify the deductible.

   Other’s might find that seemingly minimal damage is enough to cause their insurers to total out their cars! If you can see dents after a hail storm, you should always assume that there are more. You might not be able to see them but not all hail dents can be visualized with the naked eye.

   Paintless Dent Repair shops like The Hail Shop USA specialize in the finding and repairing of ALL auto hail damage. We use light boards that have strips of LED lighting that help our technicians literally see EVERY imperfection, no matter how tiny or shallow.  Whereas you might only see a few hood dents, your insurance adjuster might find a few more. Upon the 3rd inspection by a reputable Paintless Dent Repair shop, you might discover that what you assumed what just a couple of hundred dollars of damage turns into a few thousand.

3. Pre-inspections from PDR shops are an option.

   You can always get a free inspection from a paintless dent repair shop before you file a claim with your insurance company.

   If you do not own your vehicle and carry comprehensive insurance because your lender requires you to do so, you might be concerned about not having enough damage to justify paying a high-deductible. You always have the option to call The Hail Shop USA to schedule a free hail damage inspection.

4. Repair the damage or keep the money.

   Do I have to get my hail damage fixed or can I just keep the insurance check? 

   If you are contemplating keeping the insurance company check to pay off some bills instead of getting your car repaired, consider the following.

   1. Are you making monthly payments to a lender? If you are then you have a contractual obligation to get the hail damage repaired.
   2. Do you own the vehicle? If yes, the money is yours to do with as you choose. Keep in mind that if your vehicle is damaged again, you will not be paid a second time for pre-existing damage. You also run the risk of being dropped by your insurance company.
   3. What are your future plans for the vehicle? If your plan is to drive the vehicle until it drives no more, it is your decision as to what you can live with. If selling your car in the future is the plan, remember that the value of your vehicle greatly decreases if it has hail damage.

5. The skinny on rental car reimbursement.

   You might assume that your insurance policy covers a rental car, until you find out that it doesn’t.

   This is something you should also look in to before filing your claim. The Hail Shop USA offers free rental car service for our hail damage repair customers that don’t have rental car coverage. Most car hail repairs require approximately 1-3 days of shop time.

Mother Nature is off to the races. The Kentucky Derby has nothing on this 2020 hail season. Hail Alley is certainly living up to its title already in late March. Typically, hail storms of this magnitude don’t usually strike until mid-April. Not this year.

Vehicle owners are suffering the side effects of baseball-sized hail and are now left wondering what to do next.

If you have already started the hail claims process, you probably already know what level of insurance coverage you have on your vehicle. You will have been given one of two answers.

Hail Damage Repair is NOT Covered

This is called liability insurance. In other words, YOU are liable for the damages left behind after the most recent hail storm.

Ouch.

If this is you, don’t feel too bad. You aren’t alone. In an article from Oklahoma’s News Four, one car owner laments his decision to carry only liability on his vehicle.

Chris West, 5-year Oklahoma resident said,

“We should’ve done the comprehensive insurance, but you live and you learn.  Welcome to Oklahoma.”

Your best option for auto hail repairs is to contact The Hail Shop USA for a complimentary inspection. Paintless Dent Repair is the most affordable “out-of-pocket” option for hail damage repairs. We can walk you through your options.

Hail Damage Repair IS Covered

This means that you chose to go with the Comprehensive Insurance policy. Comprehensive is one step above full coverage. If you have a lien on your vehicle, there is a very good chance you have it. Insurance companies in Hail Alley will oftentimes require you to carry Comprehensive coverage due to the frequency of hail storms in its path.

The first step is to file a hail damage claim. You will be asked to provide the date of occurrence, policy number, make/model/year, and a good time for an inspection with a local adjuster.

After your vehicle is inspected by the adjuster, set a time to get a second inspection from The Hail Shop USA.  The number one reason you should ALWAYS get a second opinion from a reputable paintless dent repair shop is that insurance adjusters will miss, on average, about 30% of the actual damage.

The Hail Shop USA can work directly with your insurance company and file any supplements to ensure your damage is 100% accounted and paid for.

Hail damage can be very confusing and troublesome and we are here to help you through the process, from A to Z!

1. The first step is to call your insurance company and file a hail claim on the vehicles that were damaged.
   Visit here to find your insurance company’s claim department.
   • You will need your insurance policy number
   • VIN of the vehicle that was damaged
   • Date and time of the incident
   • Description of the incident
   • Description of damages
   • Location of incident
2. Next, you will receive a call from a local claims adjuster. Most insurance companies will come to your choice of location to do the assessment. The results of the assessment will be mailed to you along with a check that will either be written to just you or you and your lender.
3. Call The Hail Shop USA at (800)485-9026 to schedule your paintless dent repair appointment. You can also use our online form. One of our friendly hail specialists will walk you through the process and answer any questions you might have.
   FYI: Your insurance company might lead you to believe that you have to choose a body shop from their preferred list but this is not true. You can get your hail damaged at any paintless dent repair shop.
4. When you drop your vehicle off for hail damage repair, we will re-evaluate your vehicle for any additional damage that the insurance assessor might have missed. We will use a special marker to circle all of the hail damage. On average, insurance company adjusters will miss 25-30% of your vehicle’s hail damage. If this is the case, will contact you and your insurance company. A request for additional funding (insurance supplement) will be made.
5. Once we know that all of the hail damage will be paid for by your insurance company, we will start the paintless dent repair process.
6. Depending on the amount and severity of your cars hail damage, a typical auto hail damage repair takes anywhere between 2-7 days.
7. Once the dents are 100% removed and your vehicle has been restored to its pre-damaged condition, we will wash the vehicle and clean the interior.
8. Upon your arrival to pick-up your vehicle, we will go over your vehicle to make sure you are completely satisfied. We guarantee our work with a limited lifetime warranty.

It hailed again before I could get existing damage repaired. I was paid for repairs for the first damage, how will my insurance company know how much to pay for the second round of damage?

A vehicle with a lien

Instance 1: If there is a lien on the vehicle, getting the hail damage repaired is mandatory. Therefore, if a hail claim has already been made on previous damage and the money wasn’t used to repair the vehicle, you will not get paid on the previous claim. You also run the risk of being dropped by your insurance company or even worse, pinned with insurance fraud.

Instance 2: You had filed a claim for the first storm, waited to get your hail damage repaired, and it hailed again on the same vehicle. This isn’t that big of a deal. Actually, it happens all of the time. This is how it works. An insurance adjuster will come out and assess the damage again. ALL of the damage. Next, they will subtract the amount from the first storm from the total. This is the amount you the check will be written for.  The only problem you might run into is paying the 2nd deductible. Good news? The Hail Shop USA will cover the cost of both deductibles.

Learn more about comprehensive insurance coverage.

A vehicle owned outright

If you own the vehicle outright, what you do with the check is totally up to you. You can get the hail damage repaired or not. The check will be written to you only.

The same process applies as stated above. The entire vehicle will be inspected again and the pay-out from the first hail claim will be subtracted from the total.

If the vehicle is still new or in other words, if you intend on selling the vehicle sometime in the future, we do suggest looking into getting the vehicle repaired. Hail damage will greatly depreciate the value of the vehicle.

No Claims Made 1st or 2nd Hail Storm Damage

If you live in Colorado or Texas, this is not uncommon. There won’t be an issue when it comes to getting paid to get the hail damage repaired.  The only problem you might face is having to file a claim for the first storm and then again for the second storm. BUT this is only if the insurance adjuster SUSPECTS there was previous damage. You might run into this issue if all of the rest of the vehicles in your immediate area don’t share the same amount of damage.