Do You Need To Repair Hail Damage, And How Can You Pay For It?

If your car got caught out in a hail storm, you could have a cracked windshield and dents on your hood and roof. Do you need to get this fixed, or can you deal with having an ugly car to save money?

Why You Need to Get Your Windshield Fixed

Any time you have a chip or crack on your windshield, you need to get it fixed as soon as possible. There are two reasons for this.

First, it's the law. If a crack or chip is in your line of vision, you can receive a ticket for driving with an obstructed view. Even if you think it's not a big deal, a small distortion in your vision can be the difference in seeing a pedestrian in time or not. In addition, what looks fine during the daytime might reflect another car's headlights into your eyes during nighttime driving.

Second, a damaged windshield will only get worse. Once your glass is weakened, the stress of high winds plus temperature changes will expand the crack over time. If you wait too long, you won't be able to drive at all or could wake up to a shattered windshield.

Why You Need to Get Your Car's Body Fixed

Dents on the painted body of your car aren't a safety issue like a windshield, but they do more than make your car ugly. Ignoring them could lead to paint problems, or worse.

When hail hits your car hard enough to cause a dent, there's a good chance it damaged your paint or clear coating. Like paint chips on a wall, wind, dirt hitting your car, and other forces can expand the damaged area over time.

In addition, cracks in your car's protective layer can lead to rusting on your car's body panels. Rust can greatly hurt your car's trade-in value.

How Can You Pay for Hail Damage?

Windshield repairs and auto body repairs can be expensive, but you may not have to pay the full cost. Windshield repairs and replacements are often fully covered by insurance, so you could have zero cost for your windshield. If you have comprehensive insurance coverage on your car, it will usually cover storm damage, like hail, and you'd only need to cover the deductible set by your policy.

To learn more, talk to your local auto body shop today. They can answer your questions and help you choose the right course of action.

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