Car insurance for hail damage

Generally, you’ll need comprehensive car insurance to cover hail damage. A comprehensive policy may also cover you for other weather-related damages caused by fires, storms and floods.

In some cases, insurers may offer you a market value policy for your hail-damaged car. However, when it comes to vehicles with pre-existing hail damage, insurers may also:

• Refuse to cover your vehicle altogether, based on the pre-existing damage
• Offer you only reduced cover options (i.e. Third Party Fire and Theft)
• Offer comprehensive cover excluding pre-existing damage (subject to insurers underwriting conditions as per the risk).

Since cover can vary depending on the insurer, consider comparing your car insurance options if you have a hail-damaged vehicle.

Your insurer may ask you to pay an excess for a hail damage claim, which will be the amount you chose when you purchased or last renewed the policy. Generally, the more money you agree upon as your up-front excess, the less your insurance premiums will be, and vice versa.

There are often exclusions in comprehensive car insurance policies that may apply to a hail-damaged car. For example, if you fail to disclose your car’s pre-existing damage when you purchased the policy, your provider may deny your car insurance claim.

You also won’t be covered for hail damage if you have a third party car insurance policy, such as Third Party Fire and Theft or Third Party Property Damage cover.

Always read the relevant Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) for a list of exclusions to your cover, as well as the Target Market Determination (TMD) to see if the policy is suitable for you.

You may still be able to drive your car with storm damage or hail damage, but only if it’s safe to do so. However, a car may be deemed defective and unroadworthy if:

• The windows are cracked or damaged
• Windscreen wipers are damaged
• Indicators, taillights or headlights are broken.

If a car is considered a statutory write-off or total loss due to severe damage, it could be deemed unroadworthy and permanently.

While comprehensive insurance may take care of the financial fallout of a hailstorm, there are other ways to protect your vehicle in the first place, such as:

• Knowing the weather forecast. If hailstorms are predicted, try rescheduling your car journey to avoid damage. Some insurance providers will alert their customers ahead of time so that they can seek shelter if a severe weather event is expected.
• Seeking shelter and safety. If in danger, find a place where it’s safe to pull over, ideally a covered area. However, avoid parking under trees or in areas prone to flooding in extreme weather – this could damage your car in other ways, not to mention it’s dangerous for you. Instead, opt for garages, car parks or secure shelters. Never speed to try and beat a storm.
• Purchasing a hail protector tarp. Protective tarps offer extra padding and protection, and can help prevent hail damage.