Warmer weather has arrived, and this means hail storms are going across the nation, going out with dented, dinged and damaged vehicles in their wake.
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Is your vehicle ready to go head to head with Mother Nature this spring? Do you possess the right insurance to overcome any damage? And how can you get your vehicle restored to pre-storm condition without the hail storm making a big dent in your wallet?
Charlie's Columbia CARSTAR sees and repairs many cars that have been damaged by hail storms. Charlie's Columbia CARSTAR in Columbia, Illinois, also working with the people of Waterloo, Southern Illinois, Millstadt, Freeburg and New Athens, provides this advice to help motorists handle spring hail storms:
After receiving hail damage, the very first thing that you need to do is get a hold of your insurance company. Often times, if there is a really big storm, the insurance companies will call in what’s known as a Catastrophe Team. If you try to avoid the Catastrophe Team by driving all over town and getting a lot of estimates on your own it’s just going to be a lot of wasted time for you. The insurance company will just want you to go and have their Catastrophe Team look at it and begin the claim process, and then bring it to Charlie's Columbia CARSTAR or just about any body shop, and they’ll be able to work with the insurance company from there to ensure that the dents get fixed on your car.
Even if you do not believe your car was damaged too badly, it’s essential that you get it looked at ASAP. There will likely be a lot of damage that you can’t see when you are just seeing.
Once you get it underneath some lights, and you really look it carefully , there could be a lot of dents that you won’t see until you possibly go to trade your vehicle in, and then you’ll have a bunch of hail damage. Your best option is to get a claim processed, and get it into a certified shop, and have them really look over the car carefully. Whenever you get it inside and under some florescent lights, what you once thought was only ten or fifteen dents may well end up being fifty to one hundred dents.
Comprehensive coverage protects against the majority of damage from natural disasters. Also think about gap coverage – which pays the difference between what you owe on your loan and what your vehicle is worth -- and rental reimbursement.
You should be warned that if you've submitted a prior damage claim and received a check from your insurance company, but didn’t actually go to have the vehicle repaired – the insurance company will subtract this amount from your estimate for the storm damage, and bill a second deductible on top of that.
If you are aware of a coming hail storm, cover your car in a blanket as well as a car cover from your local automotive retailer – before the storm even hits. This will give you the needed protection for your hood, roof and rear deck-lid. If a storm appears suddenly, seek out an awning at a gas station, the drive-through portion of a bank or self-serve car wash to get under for quick protection. On the highway, look for cover under a bridge or viaduct.
• Make copies of your vehicle's registration, title, insurance card, and driver’s license before the storm strikes and secure them in a safe, dry place.
• When the storm clears up, record the damage with photos and video whenever possible.
• Have a repair plan in place. Know where you're going to want to have your car repaired beforehand so you don’t have to make an abrupt decision.
When you pick a body shop for repairs, don't forget:
• Do your homework and look into the shop, their reputation, business or trade associations that they're associated with and if their technicians are I-CAR trained.
• All reputable repair establishments will give you a warranty of some kind or another for the work that they do … ensure it is given to you in writing and well explained to you.
• Never trust your vehicle to a body shop that wasn't operating prior to the storm. After all, you don't want to become a victim of a fly-by-night operator trying to make a quick buck off of the storm. If they're set up in some kind of a temporary location, such as a tent, don’t give them with your vehicle.
Once your car shows up at the body shop to get repaired, there are some things you should remember to ensure you get a quality repair:
• You should review the estimate completely, but do keep in mind that it is only for the visible damage and what it is going to take to repair the vehicle to pre-accident condition. If the estimate doesn't cover the full extent of damage, a Supplement will be created, submitted to your insurance company for affirmation.
• Have a detailed description of the parts to be swapped out given to you and be sure that it includes whether they are OEM, new or refurbished, and in what condition the car is going to be returned to you. Most insurance policies will specify pre-accident condition, so your old pickup may not come back looking like it just came off the lot.
• Get a timeline of when the work is going to be completed and when the job is going to be over.
• Detail the terms and procedures of payments, with down-payment, final payment and the expense of any follow-up work.
• Ask the manager of the store for regular updates on the job, and necessitate approval for any additional work done on top of what is covered in the original estimate.
• Don’t feel obligated to simply accept what is given to you for the finished repair if you don’t think it was repaired correctly. Call your insurance agent for guidance.
While your car is in the body shop, it’s a great time to go ahead and get other dents worked out. It should be more cost-effective and your car will ultimately benefit.
For tips on dealing with an accident or getting your car repaired after a collision, visit www.auto-body-columbia-il.com. CARSTAR Auto Body Repair Experts gives quality, reliable repair services in thirty-one different states and ten Canadian provinces. Just call 681-281-2886 when you need vehicle maintenance and they'll send the tow truck, contact your insurance company, arrange for a rental car and fix your car.
Charlie's Columbia CARSTAR sees and repairs many cars that have been damaged by hail storms. Charlie's Columbia CARSTAR in Columbia, Illinois, also working with the people of Waterloo, Southern Illinois, Millstadt, Freeburg and New Athens, provides this advice to help motorists handle spring hail storms:
After receiving hail damage, the very first thing that you need to do is get a hold of your insurance company. Often times, if there is a really big storm, the insurance companies will call in what’s known as a Catastrophe Team. If you try to avoid the Catastrophe Team by driving all over town and getting a lot of estimates on your own it’s just going to be a lot of wasted time for you. The insurance company will just want you to go and have their Catastrophe Team look at it and begin the claim process, and then bring it to Charlie's Columbia CARSTAR or just about any body shop, and they’ll be able to work with the insurance company from there to ensure that the dents get fixed on your car.
Even if you do not believe your car was damaged too badly, it’s essential that you get it looked at ASAP. There will likely be a lot of damage that you can’t see when you are just seeing.
Once you get it underneath some lights, and you really look it carefully , there could be a lot of dents that you won’t see until you possibly go to trade your vehicle in, and then you’ll have a bunch of hail damage. Your best option is to get a claim processed, and get it into a certified shop, and have them really look over the car carefully. Whenever you get it inside and under some florescent lights, what you once thought was only ten or fifteen dents may well end up being fifty to one hundred dents.
Check Your Coverage
You shouldn't get around to looking at your car insurance when you notice the hail hitting your car. Go ahead and read your policy now to understand what is and isn't covered, what the insurance deductibles are, if you have benefits such as rental coverage and what to do when the storm strikes.Comprehensive coverage protects against the majority of damage from natural disasters. Also think about gap coverage – which pays the difference between what you owe on your loan and what your vehicle is worth -- and rental reimbursement.
You should be warned that if you've submitted a prior damage claim and received a check from your insurance company, but didn’t actually go to have the vehicle repaired – the insurance company will subtract this amount from your estimate for the storm damage, and bill a second deductible on top of that.
Protect Your Vehicle
When you know that a hail storm is on the way, get your vehicle to higher ground or under cover. If you do not have a garage at home, find a covered public parking garage to protect your automobile. If you need to park your vehicle outside, park it on as high of ground as you possibly can away from both trees and phone poles.If you are aware of a coming hail storm, cover your car in a blanket as well as a car cover from your local automotive retailer – before the storm even hits. This will give you the needed protection for your hood, roof and rear deck-lid. If a storm appears suddenly, seek out an awning at a gas station, the drive-through portion of a bank or self-serve car wash to get under for quick protection. On the highway, look for cover under a bridge or viaduct.
Get Your Car Repaired
Dealing with the aftermath of a big hail storm may be traumatic, especially if you’ve had significant damage to your home, too. Getting your car up and running again doesn't have to add to your stress, if you are ready for the repairs in advance. To help with this process, Charlie's Columbia CARSTAR offers these tips:• Make copies of your vehicle's registration, title, insurance card, and driver’s license before the storm strikes and secure them in a safe, dry place.
• When the storm clears up, record the damage with photos and video whenever possible.
• Have a repair plan in place. Know where you're going to want to have your car repaired beforehand so you don’t have to make an abrupt decision.
When you pick a body shop for repairs, don't forget:
• Do your homework and look into the shop, their reputation, business or trade associations that they're associated with and if their technicians are I-CAR trained.
• All reputable repair establishments will give you a warranty of some kind or another for the work that they do … ensure it is given to you in writing and well explained to you.
• Never trust your vehicle to a body shop that wasn't operating prior to the storm. After all, you don't want to become a victim of a fly-by-night operator trying to make a quick buck off of the storm. If they're set up in some kind of a temporary location, such as a tent, don’t give them with your vehicle.
Once your car shows up at the body shop to get repaired, there are some things you should remember to ensure you get a quality repair:
• You should review the estimate completely, but do keep in mind that it is only for the visible damage and what it is going to take to repair the vehicle to pre-accident condition. If the estimate doesn't cover the full extent of damage, a Supplement will be created, submitted to your insurance company for affirmation.
• Have a detailed description of the parts to be swapped out given to you and be sure that it includes whether they are OEM, new or refurbished, and in what condition the car is going to be returned to you. Most insurance policies will specify pre-accident condition, so your old pickup may not come back looking like it just came off the lot.
• Get a timeline of when the work is going to be completed and when the job is going to be over.
• Detail the terms and procedures of payments, with down-payment, final payment and the expense of any follow-up work.
• Ask the manager of the store for regular updates on the job, and necessitate approval for any additional work done on top of what is covered in the original estimate.
• Don’t feel obligated to simply accept what is given to you for the finished repair if you don’t think it was repaired correctly. Call your insurance agent for guidance.
While your car is in the body shop, it’s a great time to go ahead and get other dents worked out. It should be more cost-effective and your car will ultimately benefit.
For tips on dealing with an accident or getting your car repaired after a collision, visit www.auto-body-columbia-il.com. CARSTAR Auto Body Repair Experts gives quality, reliable repair services in thirty-one different states and ten Canadian provinces. Just call 681-281-2886 when you need vehicle maintenance and they'll send the tow truck, contact your insurance company, arrange for a rental car and fix your car.