Does my car insurance cover damage caused by a hailstorm or heavy rain?
Are you wondering if car insurance covers damage caused by a hailstorm or heavy rain? If you have comprehensive car insurance on your policy, your car insurance should pay for the damage caused by a hailstorm or heavy rain. Keep reading to learn more about insurance for storm damage.
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Angie Watts
Licensed Real Estate Agent
Angie Watts is a licensed real estate agent with Florida Executive Realty. Specializing in residential properties since 2015, Angie is a real estate writer who published a book educating homeowners on how to make the most money when they sell their homes. Her goal is to educate and empower both home buyers and sellers so they can have a stress-free shopping and/or selling process. She has studi...
Licensed Real Estate Agent
UPDATED: Feb 5, 2024
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Editorial Guidelines: We are a free online resource for anyone interested in learning more about insurance. Our goal is to be an objective, third-party resource for everything insurance related. We update our site regularly, and all content is reviewed by insurance experts.
UPDATED: Feb 5, 2024
It’s all about you. We want to help you make the right coverage choices.
Advertiser Disclosure: We strive to help you make confident insurance decisions. Comparison shopping should be easy. We are not affiliated with any one insurance provider and cannot guarantee quotes from any single provider.
Our insurance industry partnerships don’t influence our content. Our opinions are our own. To compare quotes from many different insurance companies please enter your ZIP code on this page to use the free quote tool. The more quotes you compare, the more chances to save.
On This Page
- With comprehensive coverage, your insurance company should pay for damage caused by a hailstorm or heavy rain
- You may need to pay a deductible
- If you hit another vehicle by hydroplaning on a storm-affected road, you’ll need collision insurance to pay for damage to your car
Bad weather is becoming more frequent, and you may be dismayed that a bad storm has damaged your vehicle. So, you may want to know whether your car insurance coverage helps with damage caused by a hailstorm or heavy rain.
This article discusses the coverage you may need to help with hailstorms, heavy rain, and other incidents that could damage your vehicle.
Car Insurance for Heavy Rain or Hail
When you have comprehensive protection, your insurance company should pay for damage to your vehicle caused by heavy rain or hail stones, but you must pay the deductible.
If you are driving in heavy rain, lose control, and hit another vehicle, you will need collision insurance on your policy to pay for damages to your vehicle. Your standard liability cover will pay for the damage to the other vehicle.
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Comprehensive Car Insurance is Optional but Important
While most states require you to carry third-party liability cover, they do not insist that you carry comprehensive or collision insurance. However, if you borrow money from a finance company to lease a vehicle, that company will insist on this coverage to protect its investment in the vehicle.
Comprehensive insurance becomes an increasingly good idea based on the vehicle’s value. Otherwise, you may have to pay for damage caused by a natural event (such as a hail or rainstorm) yourself. Unlike a hurricane, which may be easier to predict, you may never know when a hailstorm or rainstorm will hit.
You may want to read more about comprehensive car insurance.
Comprehensive Car Insurance vs. Collision Car Insurance For Storm Damage
Comprehensive and collision insurance are two separate things. While comprehensive insurance may pay for damage to your vehicle caused by natural events, it will not pay for such damage if you crash into another vehicle.
For this, you should investigate protection from the best collision coverage car insurance companies around. Remember, your liability insurance should pay for damage to the other vehicle if you were at fault, but not for damage to yours.
Gap Insurance for Hail or Heavy Rain Damage
Every lender will insist that you have comprehensive coverage before they allow you to lease a vehicle from them. So, if an insurance company deems your vehicle a total loss following the hailstorm or rain event, they will pay the vehicle’s depreciated value at the time. (For more information, read our “Does car insurance cover hail damage?“).
However, this may be less than the amount you owe to the leasing company, so you should consider GAP insurance coverage. This insurance should pay the difference between the two amounts.
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Case Studies: Car Insurance Coverage for Hailstorm or Heavy Rain Damage
Case Study 1: Comprehensive Coverage Comes to the Rescue
Jessica’s car suffered extensive damage during a severe hailstorm. Fortunately, she had comprehensive car insurance coverage. She filed a claim with her insurance company, and they covered the repair costs, minus her deductible. Jessica was relieved that her insurance policy protected her against the financial burden of the hailstorm damage.
Case Study 2: No Comprehensive Coverage, No Assistance
Mark’s vehicle was also caught in a hailstorm, but he didn’t have comprehensive coverage on his car insurance policy. As a result, his insurance company couldn’t provide coverage for the hail damage. Mark had to bear the repair expenses out of his own pocket, highlighting the importance of having comprehensive coverage to protect against unpredictable weather events.
Case Study 3: Collision Coverage in Heavy Rain Incident
During heavy rain, Emily lost control of her vehicle and collided with another car. Thankfully, she had collision coverage as part of her car insurance policy. Her insurance company paid for the damages to both vehicles, reducing the financial burden on Emily. This case demonstrates the significance of collision coverage when accidents occur due to adverse weather conditions.
The Final Word on Insurance Coverage for Hailstorm or Heavy Rain Damage
Your car insurance will cover damage caused by a hailstorm or heavy rain if you have comprehensive coverage. However, in many cases, you must pay a deductible before receiving the funds.
You may also need collision insurance if you get into an accident with another car during bad weather, are at fault, and want to pay for the damage to your vehicle.
When you lease a car, you may also want to consider GAP insurance if the vehicle is written off, and you need to pay the difference between the depreciated value and the outstanding sum.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does car insurance cover wind damage?
You will need comprehensive coverage in place to lodge a claim for wind damage. This cover may be optional, so ensure you get it in place well ahead of a land-falling hurricane.
What if I’m in a single-car accident due to the weather?
You will need comprehensive coverage to pay for damage to your vehicle when you hit another object (not a vehicle) due to bad weather. Your liability coverage should pay for the damage to the other object.
Who is liable for storm damage?
You cannot turn to any government entity to pay for damage caused by a natural event such as a storm. However, you can lodge an insurance claim for damage to your vehicle if you have optional comprehensive coverage in place.
Are you looking for free insurance quotes?
Your one-stop online insurance guide. Get free quotes now!
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Angie Watts
Licensed Real Estate Agent
Angie Watts is a licensed real estate agent with Florida Executive Realty. Specializing in residential properties since 2015, Angie is a real estate writer who published a book educating homeowners on how to make the most money when they sell their homes. Her goal is to educate and empower both home buyers and sellers so they can have a stress-free shopping and/or selling process. She has studi...
Licensed Real Estate Agent
Editorial Guidelines: We are a free online resource for anyone interested in learning more about insurance. Our goal is to be an objective, third-party resource for everything insurance related. We update our site regularly, and all content is reviewed by insurance experts.