Did you experience storm damage to your vehicle? Recovering from a big storm, no matter what type, can be challenging. But by understanding what you should do next and where to turn, you can make it a less stressful situation.
To help you get your transportation and your life back as quickly as possible, here are a few steps to take.
Be Safe
The most important thing when you have any kind of damage from a weather event is to ensure that everyone is safe. Avoid driving and keep everyone away from seriously damaged cars or trucks until they've been fully evaluated. While body damage or even engine trouble is an inconvenience, it is fixable or replaceable. Lives are not.
Stay away from car damage involving any live (or potentially live) wires overhead, limbs or trees that may shift, currently strong winds, and broken glass. Leave the car somewhere safe and out of the way. And leave it indoors or cover it with secured tarps if there's any chance of further damage from the storm.
Contact Your Car Insurance
Your car insurance agent should be one of the first calls you make after you get everyone to safety. The vehicle insurance policy will generally cover damage to the body as well as engine trouble or structural problems that interfere with the driving of the vehicle.
Generally, comprehensive auto insurance covers damage from the main types of storms experienced in the South, including wind, hail, hurricanes, and flooding. But you may need to check on specific limitations with your agent. If the damage was very limited, you may want to pay for it yourself. But this is a big decision, so know how claims will affect your rates before making this call.
Contact Homeowners Insurance
Most car insurance policies don't necessarily cover the belongings inside your car. For modern Americans, what you had added onto or inside the vehicle can amount to a significant investment. It may include electronic devices, audio accessories, speaker systems, personal belongings inside purses or briefcases, clothing, and tablets or mobile devices.
These are more likely to be covered by your homeowner's insurance policy, so contact them as soon as you finish with the car insurance.
Work With a Reputable Repair Service
You want to be confident in the repair work after any storm. That's because damage can be hidden from view or can even show up later in the auto body repair process. Talk with potential auto repair companies before agreeing to the work.
Ask questions about the scope, expectations, services, timelines, and their experience. Make sure you understand all estimates, even if they have to explain in layman's terms. You deserve to understand what's going on, so make your concerns know and seek answers to your
questions.
Do an Inspection
After having the damage repaired — no matter what it is — complete an inspection of what was done. Compare the estimate with actual work performed. Look for gaps, mismatched paint, and the connections between hoses and wires. Make sure all the doors, hood, and trunk close properly. If frame repairs were made, check the frame spec printout, having it explained to you.
Do a test drive before approving the final repair work. The car should handle, steer, and brake at least as well as it did before. If you have any concerns, talk with the auto body service before signing off on the work.
Getting your car damage fixed properly after a storm is important — especially if the storm occurred during the dangerous season when you may need it to protect your family from the next weather event. At
Automotive Super Sports
, we have experience with all types of auto body and paint repair. We can help you get back on the road as fast as possible too. Call today to make an appointment.
