Storms can cause all sorts of damage to your car. Luckily, your car insurance can help pay for repairs if you have the right coverage. How does car insurance cover storm damage? Here’s what you need to know and some helpful safety tips to keep your car safe from a storm.
What is considered storm damage?
Storm damage can be any damage that results from inclement weather:
Flooding
Heavy downpours can cause sudden floods that pose a serious risk to your car. Excessive water can cause mechanical, electrical and cosmetic damage, and a submerged car can experience irreparable damage.
Hail
Hail is a form of precipitation made of ice pellets. It can form during thunderstorms, where raindrops freeze into ice. Hail can range in size, but even small hailstones can cause significant damage to a car.
Wind
Strong winds can snap tree branches, and sometimes can even bring down entire trees. If a tree or parts of a tree fall on your car, that can be considered damage from a storm. Debris can also be whipped around by fast winds and cause severe damage to your car.
How do you know if your car insurance covers storm damage?
Your car insurance will cover storm damage to your vehicle if you have comprehensive coverage, subject to any conditions and exclusions stated in your policy. This is typically the only way to insure your vehicle for storm damage, since most homeowners and flood insurance policies do not include coverage for cars.
Comprehensive coverage is an optional insurance coverage that pays for damage to your car not related to a collision. This includes things like:
- Natural disasters and storms
- Fires
- Theft
- Vandalism
- Damage caused by animals
Comprehensive coverage is not typically required for car insurance policies. However, you may be required to carry comprehensive coverage if you have a loan or lease. Check with your insurance company to see if you have it.
How car insurance covers storm damage
If you carry comprehensive coverage, it will cover damage that results from a storm. This could be water damage from excessive rain, damage from falling trees, hail dents, or broken glass from debris.
Windshield damage
Flying debris can easily damage your windshield in a storm. Many insurance companies offer a separate deductible for windshield only claims.
Plymouth Rock offers a waiver of deductible for glass repairs for Assurance Plus customers at no extra cost. This means you will have no deductible for the repair of simple glass breaks, chips, nicks and cracks resulting from a covered loss.
Limitations and deductibles
Since storm damage is covered under your comprehensive coverage, your insurer will apply a deductible to your claim. A deductible is your share of the cost to repair your vehicle. A deductible is not the same as your insurance premium, which is what you pay to maintain your policy. It’s what you pay before your insurance starts paying for expenses.
For example, say your comprehensive deductible is $500 and it costs $2,000 to fix your storm-damaged car. In this case, you would pay $500 and your insurance will cover the remaining cost.
Your policy includes certain exclusions and conditions that may be relevant to any claim. For example, your insurance company will typically not cover damage from a lack of routine maintenance. Your policy may require you to report a physical damage loss to the insurer within a stated period of time. Review the exclusions and conditions of your policy and ask an insurance professional if you have any questions.
How to file a claim
We know that filing any kind of car insurance claim can be stressful. Our unique claims services will simplify the process, getting you back on the road in no time.
- Take pictures
Take detailed pictures of the damage to your car and its surroundings. These are helpful for the adjuster when they investigate your claim. - File your claim
Please have your policy number ready. You can file a claim online or by contacting us or your agent directly. - Assignment and tracking of the claim
After you report your claim, you’ll receive a claim number to help track its progress. We’ll also assign you a friendly representative to answer any questions you may have. - Damage evaluation
After your vehicle has been damaged in a covered loss, we offer these convenient options to get you back on the road as soon as possible:- CarPics® Photo Appraisals: Eliminate the need to schedule a claims inspection and receive your estimate within hours. You may even get paid that same day.*
- Crashbusters® Mobile Claim Service: Have a representative meet you to appraise the damage at a time and place that’s convenient for you, often issuing you a check on the spot.
- Door to Door Valet Claim Service®: Let us pick up your car and handle the repair process from start to finish using the Door to Door repair shop of your choice. If you have rental coverage, we’ll even coordinate a rental car.
- Receive Your claim settlement
At your option, Plymouth Rock may pay your claim to your chosen repair shop or we may reimburse you directly. Your claim payment will be based on the terms and conditions of your car insurance policy.
Ways to keep your car safe
While insurance can help cover repairs, it’s best to avoid storm damage to your car in the first place. Here are a few safety tips to keep your car safe during a storm:
High ground
Stay on top of weather alerts. If there’s a flood warning for your area, move your car to higher ground if possible. This also means avoiding parking by flood-prone areas, like riverbanks or bodies of water.
Shelter
Park indoors or in a covered parking lot if possible. Take care to avoid parking under trees, utility poles or other structures that may fall on your car.
Floodwaters
It’s never safe to drive or walk in floodwaters. If your car is submerged, do not attempt to start it. Attempting to start it can cause damage beyond repair if there is water in the engine.
Determine how deep the car was submerged. It’s possible that water did not enter the cabin or any parts susceptible to damage. Try to dry your vehicle as soon as possible. You may need to have a towing service move your car to higher ground to avoid further damage.
Conclusion: Does car insurance cover storm damage?
Storms can cause all sorts of damage to your vehicle that may be covered if you carry comprehensive coverage. The best way to protect your car from storm damage is to prevent it from happening in the first place by sheltering your car and keeping it away from flood-prone areas.
Now let’s talk about you
Do you have the right coverage for your vehicle? We’d love to chat with you about it. Call us at 800-516-9242 or speak to a local agent.
If you’d rather not talk, you can get a quote quickly and easily online. Just enter your ZIP code to get started and see how much you could save!
*Certain restrictions apply.
