Hail damage claims

What to do first

• Photograph the vehicle in good light — hail dents are hard to see and harder to photograph
• Note the date of the storm
• Report it to your insurer promptly
• Don't authorise repairs before the adjuster has assessed it
• Keep the car out of further weather if you can

Paintless dent repair

Where paint isn't broken, hail dents can often be worked out from behind the panel without refinishing. It preserves the factory paint, which matters for the vehicle's value, and it's usually faster and cheaper.

It isn't always possible — sharp dents, damage on edges, and broken paint generally need conventional repair.

The storm chaser problem

Major hail events are followed by operations that appear quickly, solicit door to door, and sometimes offer to cover your deductible. That last offer is the tell — absorbing a deductible is generally improper and can amount to insurance fraud, with the policyholder exposed.

Use a shop you can find again in six months. Repairs that fail after the operation has left are your problem.

If it's totalled

Severe hail can exceed a vehicle's value, particularly on an older car. The payout is actual cash value, and you may have the option to retain the vehicle with a branded title.

Cosmetic-only damage on a car you plan to keep is one of the few situations where accepting a settlement without repairing is a reasonable choice — though check with your insurer and any lender first.