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Mistakes to Avoid If Your Automobile Is Damaged by Hail

16 April 2021

Tommy Perkins

Some areas of the country experience extremely strong thunderstorms that can produce hail. A hail storm, even if it is brief, can cause a lot of damage to automobiles. Since hail storms are very unpredictable, there is not much that anyone can do if it begins hailing and the car is outside and uncovered. The good news is that in many cases hail damage on an automobile can be repaired at an auto body shop. However, many people make errors after their car is damaged by hail. If your car has sustained hail damage, avoid these common mistakes:

Waiting Until Storm Season Passes to Have Hail Damage Repaired

In many places, there are particular seasons where severe thunderstorms are more likely to produce hail. Some people think that it makes sense to wait until storm season is over to have hail damage repaired because they think that another hail storm may hit the area again and cause additional damage. While this may sound reasonable at first, not having hail damage repaired promptly is usually a big mistake. If you neglect to have the hail damage on your car repaired and then another hail storm hits and causes additional damage, there is a good possibility that your vehicle will be beyond repair at that point.

Ignoring Light Hail Damage

Hail can vary in size from quite small to very large. Small hailstones may not cause as much damage, but even light hail damage is an issue. Maybe you don't think that the hail damage on your car looks that bad, but you should still have it fixed since any amount of hail damage can drastically reduce the value of your vehicle. Since hail damage repair is covered by most auto insurance policies, you are much better off paying a few hundred dollars to cover your deductible and restore thousands of dollars of value to your vehicle.

Not Having Hail Damage Repaired Because You Think Your Auto Insurance Rates Will Increase

If you have comprehensive auto insurance, don't make the mistake of not having hail damage on your car repaired because you're worried about your rates increasing. When you cause an accident, that is your fault and you can expect your insurance rates to go up. But having hail damage repaired is not the same type of situation—in most cases hail damage is considered "no-fault" or an "act of God". When you live in an area that is prone to severe hail storms, your insurance company has likely factored in the potential of having to pay for hail damage when they set your insurance premiums.

To learn more, contact hail damage repair services. 

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