Golf-ball-sized hail tore through the Pinson and Trussville areas, Thursday, leaving many vehicles dented, cracked, or otherwise damaged.
Insurance agents and auto body shops in the Birmingham metro said they were quickly receiving calls from drivers who discovered damage to hoods, roofs, and windshields — repairs that can add up to thousands of dollars.
“I had two text messages from people saying that they were caught up where their car was sitting in the parking lot as hail just ran down on their vehicle,” said Grant Thomas, owner of Thomas and Associates with ALFA insurance.
“Had about 3 calls so far and we expect to have even more before the end of the day,” said Sam Lidikay, General manager of Southside Sherrill paint and body shop.
Thomas said hail damage is typically covered under comprehensive auto insurance.
“Anything that is really out of your control is going to fall under a comprehensive claim,” said Thomas.
According to Lidikay, repair costs can vary widely depending on the extent of the damage.
“The price varies. We’ve seen it go anywhere from $700 all the way up to $6000,” said Lidikay.
Larger dents often lead to higher costs, as insurance companies use pricing matrices that factor in the size and number of dents.
“Insurance companies they have a pricing matrix and the matrix is based on the size of the damage so I think it goes from dime to nickel to quarter size and then up from there,” said Lidikay.
Thomas recommended documenting before filing a claim.
“Take pictures, send them to your insurance agent if you’ve already filed a claims send that information to the claims gesture as well,” said Thomas.
Southside Sherrill Paint and Body shop expect call volume to remain high in the coming days as more drivers notice damage.
Insurance experts said understanding deductibles and getting repair estimates early could help families decide whether filing an insurance claim makes financial sense or if they may face significant out-of-pocket costs.
Based in New York, Stephen Freeman is a Senior Editor at Trending Insurance News. Previously he has worked for Forbes and The Huffington Post. Steven is a graduate of Risk Management at the University of New York.