What to do if your car is damaged by hail?

22 April 2020

If your car has been damaged in a hail storm, we've got some tips to help you work out what to do next. If you need to, you can make a claim now.

Hail damage to cars

Australia's storm season normally runs from November to February, but if you've lived in Australia for more than a few months you know that what "normally" happens isn't much use in predicting the weather. Warmer temperatures in late spring and throughout summer can bring on severe thunderstorms, which can occasionally produce hail. So it's no surprise that, in the warmer months, car owners may start to worry about hail damage. While hail damage is usually superficial, repairs are often costly and – in more severe cases – vehicles are written off. It's important to make sure your car insurance policy covers you for hail damage. Not all car insurance can cover your car if it's damaged by a hailstorm, and for some, the extent of the cover depends on the type of policy you take out.

What car insurance covers hail damage?

  • The first thing you probably want to know after a hailstorm is whether your car was damaged. If the answer is unfortunately yes, the next thing you may be wondering is whether your car insurance will cover the damage.
    Our Comprehensive Car insurance cover is our highest level of car cover available, and cover hail damage, along with many other weather-related damages as long as your policy is active (i.e. paid and up to date) at the time of the incident.
  • Conversely, our Third Party Car Insurance only covers the cost of accidental damage caused to other vehicles and property by the use of your car. As such, this type of policy won't cover hail damage to car

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What excess will I need to pay if I make a claim with Bingle for hail damage?

Only the standard excess applies for hail damage claims. We won't charge any additional age or unlisted driver excesses. The standard excess varies based on your state – you can see the amount you'll need to pay when you make a claim, or if you check your policy documents.

How do I make a car insurance claim after a hail storm?

It's easy – simply log on the self-service and follow the prompts. We'll guide you through the process.

Note: Third Party Property Insurance does not cover damage to your car. You can only make a claim if you hold Comprehensive Car Insurance with Bingle.

What happens after I make a hail damage claim?

  • You'll be able to book in to get your car assessed and, if possible, repaired. An assessor will check your car and review the damage.
  • Assessors consider a variety of factors, like how much it would cost to repair the damage and how extensive the damage is, and then work out if it's worth repairing your vehicle. Hail damage can be expensive to repair, especially if every panel (and potentially windscreen and windows) is damaged. Based on what the assessor says, it's possible we may deem your car to be a total loss (a write off).
  • Either way, we will let you know the outcome as soon as possible. Then, we'll either arrange for your car to be repaired or pay you a total loss payment.

What does it mean if my car is a write off?

If your car is deemed by us to be a write off (also known as a total loss) this means we will settle your claim by paying you a total loss payment. This will be based on your car's market value1.

If you have New for Old as an optional extra (available on Comprehensive Car Insurance policies if your car is 3 years old or less), we will replace your car with a brand new car of the same make and model (if available)

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