Every year, hail causes millions of euros in insurance claims in Switzerland. Hail damage is an environmental event and is classed as natural hazard damage for insurance purposes.
Hail damage and third-party car insurance: Have you only taken out third-party insurance for your car? Then you will have to cover the costs of repairing the hail damage yourself. This is because liability insurance does not pay out in the event of natural hazards such as hailstorms.
Hail damage and partial accidentaldamage insurance: Good news for policyholders with partial accidental damage insurance: the insurance pays out in the event of hail damage. As a rule of thumb: Partially comprehensive insurance is worthwhile for cars up to eight years old.
Hail damage and fully comprehensive insurance: Partially comprehensive insurance is part of fully comprehensive insurance. This means that even with fully comprehensive insurance, you do not have to bear the costs of repairing hail damage yourself.
Have you not taken out partial or fully comprehensive insurance for your car ? If so, hail damage can be expensive. Partially comprehensive insurance is particularly advisable if you park your car uncovered outdoors.
Repairing hail damage to a car can quickly cost several thousand francs. The actual costs depend heavily on the vehicle and the severity of the damage. In the case of older cars in particular, hail can also lead to a total loss under certain circumstances. The repair costs may then exceed the current value of the car.
Comprehensive and partial accidental damage insurance compensates for the actual financial loss incurred – less any deductible. The maximum amount of cover is usually limited to the purchase price of the insured vehicle plus accessories.
Report hail damage to your insurance company as quickly as possible. Under no circumstances should you order a repair yourself. This is because the insurance company has the right to inspect the dents before repairing them. They will give you instructions according to the circumstances and refer you to a garage or an expert.
In the event of extensive hail damage, car insurers sometimes set up a service center . Experts inspect the damaged vehicles there. In this way, the insurance companies counteract delays that can occur due to the large number of claims.
Good to know: Hail generally “only” leaves dents in the paintwork or cracks in the windshield. Paint damage such as scratches is generally not caused by hail.
Are you not bothered by the dents caused by the hail? Then, in addition to a repair, you also have the option of having the damage amount paid out.
Please note, however, that the insurance company will not cover the full damage in the event of further hail damage. After all, it is then no longer possible to clearly determine which dent was caused by which hailstorm. In practice, the insurance company deducts the amount paid out for the last hailstorm from the new total damage. This is how it determines the actual amount of damage.
Important: In the case of leased vehicles, you will be charged for any unrepaired hail damage when you return the vehicle.
Not all damage to parked vehicles is parking damage in the sense of the insurance. The decisive factor is who causes the damage:
If an unknown person damages your parked car, this is considered parking damage. Parking damage insurance applies here, if available.
If the perpetrator is known, the liability insurance of the person who caused the damage will pay for the damage.
If you caused the damage to your own car yourself, your comprehensive insurance will come into play – if you have one. From an insurance point of view, this is a collision.
|
Causer of damage |
Affected car |
Who pays? |
|---|---|---|
|
An unknown person |
On your car |
Your parking damage insurance, if available. |
|
A well-known person |
On your car |
The liability insurance of the party responsible for the damage. |
|
You yourself |
On your car |
Your fully comprehensive insurance, if available. |
|
You yourself |
On someone else’s car |
Your liability insurance. |
Report the damage as soon as possible. In some cases, insurance companies require a police report when reporting parking damage in Switzerland. Who you contact first depends on the circumstances of the accident:
| Damage to your own car | Damage to another person’s car | |
|---|---|---|
| Who do I need to contact? |
Depends on who caused the damage:
|
Owner of the vehicle, own liability insurance, police if applicable |
Wait for the owner of the car and fill out the accident report together.
Inform the police if the owner of the car cannot be found. Otherwise you will be liable to prosecution.
Have the affected pane repaired as quickly as possible. Even minor glass damage can be problematic for the driver and the vehicle. If the glass shatters while driving, for example, there is a high risk of injury.
Glass damage is covered if you take out partial and fully comprehensive insurance. Depending on your insurance, you may have to pay an excess in the event of a claim.
Glass damage includes breakage to:
Windscreens/windshields
Side windows
Rear windows
Roof panes
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