Hail damage to cars: insurance, costs and procedures
Hail can leave unsightly marks on cars. Comparis explains when insurance pays for hail damage and how best to get it repaired.
27.06.2023
iStockphoto/MauMyHaT
1. Hail damage to cars: which insurance pays out in Switzerland?
May to September is hail season in Switzerland. Hailstones regularly leave dents in the body or cracks in the windscreens of cars.
This results in millions of francs’ worth of insurance claims each year. Depending on the cover you’ve taken out, your car insurer may pay for the damage.
Hail damage and motor liability insurance: have you only taken out liability insurance for your car? Then you’ll have to cover the cost of repairing any hail damage. Liability insurance does not cover damage caused by natural hazards such as hail.
Hail damage and partial casco insurance: there’s good news for policyholders with partial casco insurance. Your policy covers hail damage to your car. A general rule of thumb is: partial casco insurance is worthwhile for vehicles up to and including their seventh year of operation.
Hail damage and full casco insurance: partial casco insurance is part of full casco insurance. This means: those with full casco insurance do not have to cover the costs of repairing hail damage to their cars themselves, either.
No matter which insurance you choose, it’s worth comparing different providers and cover options.
2. How much does hail damage to cars cost?
Repairing hail damage easily costs several thousand francs. AXA, for example, assumes an average cost of 2,500 to 5,000 francs per vehicle.
The actual costs depend largely on the vehicle and the severity of the damage. Under certain circumstances, hail may also lead to a write-off, especially when it comes to older cars.
3. How much does insurance pay for hail damage to cars?
Full casco and partial casco insurance will reimburse the financial cost actually incurred – minus any excess. The maximum sum insured is generally limited to the purchase price of the insured vehicle plus accessories.
Excess and bonus level in the event of hail damage to your car
Does your insurance cover hail damage to cars? This does not mean that you won’t incur any costs. In case of hail damage, you may have to pay an insurance excess. The amount of you have to contribute can be found in the insurance policy. Your bonus level, on the other hand, is not usually adjusted after a natural hazard event.
4. What should you do in the event of hail damage to your car?
Report hail damage to your insurance company as soon as possible. They have the right to examine the dents before they are repaired. The insurance company will give instructions according to the circumstances and will refer you to a garage or an expert.
In the event of large-scale hail damage, individual car insurers set up service centres. There, experts inspect the damaged vehicles. In this way, they counteract delays that can be caused by the many claims being made.
Switching car insurance after hail damage
Did you know that you have the right to cancel your policy after the insurance company has settled your claim? The deadline is 14 days after the insurer notifies you that it will bear the costs. Cover lapses once the insurance company receives the termination letter.
5. Hail damage to your car: payout or repair?
Instead of having the hail damage repaired, you can have the cost of the damage paid out. Please note, however, that in the event of further hail damage, the insurance company will not cover the full damage. It is then no longer possible to say for sure which dent originated from which hailstorm.
In practice, the insurance company deducts the payout from the last hailstorm from the new overall claim. This is how it determines the actual amount of damage. Important: in the case of a leased vehicle, when you return it you will be charged for any damage caused by hail that has not been repaired.
This article was first published on 11.06.2019
