Car Insurance Claims for Storm Damage

Guide to making a successful car insurance claim for storm damage

Whether you were parked or on the open road, you are able to claim damage caused by a storm, including wind, hail, flooding and more, provided you have a suitable insurance policy. This article will provide guidance on what steps to take to make a successful claim if your vehicle is damaged by a storm.

First, check that you are covered

First you need to know that your car insurance policy actually covers storm damage. Typically, you will only be covered if you have a comprehensive car insurance policy.

Check the product disclosure statement (PDS) to see exactly what you’re covered for. Look for any mention of storm damage. If you can’t find it, you'll need to get in touch with your insurer to confirm whether or not you are covered.

What to do after storm damage to your car

Do not drive the damaged car. It’s not safe, and the insurer may reject your storm damage claim if you do.
Do not remove debris without documenting it. Ideally, avoid removing any debris until you have the go-ahead from your insurer. If you need to for safety reasons, take a photo with your phone first.
Call your insurer as soon as possible. Note that if large areas were affected by the storm there may be delays in the customer service lines.
Do not authorise repairs without contacting your insurer first. Unapproved repairs are unlikely to be covered by your insurance policy.

You will need…

Your name, address and driver’s licence number
Your insurance policy number
Your vehicle registration number
The date and, if possible, the exact time the damage occurred
Any other information requested by the insurer

Check the damage

The type of claim you make will vary depending on the source of damage:

Storm: General storm damage caused by intense weather.
Wind: Damage directly caused by wind, such as windows broken by debris.
Hail: The distinct dents and cracked or broken glass caused by hail storms.
Flood: Provides cover if your car is damaged by ground flooding, such as water coming up from storm drains. Other water damage, such as rain through broken windows, is not flooding and is usually covered under storm damage.

Note that these may vary depending on the insurer and the policy. Read your insurance PDS to see how it works for you. Many insurers will only mention broad categories like storm, weather or natural events, in which case you should claim all the damage under that.

Checklist: Documenting the damage

The easiest way to document the damage in detail is with photos.

Take full scene photos that show what happened, where your car was parked and the surroundings.
Take close-ups to show specific damage. You don’t need to take a separate picture of each dent, but should make sure that all damage is clearly shown in the photos.
Where necessary, you might want to label the photos with information such as “driver side door” to make them clearer.
Remember to check the interior. It’s important to document the damage as fully as possible.

Sending in your claim

Depending on your insurer, there are different ways of making a claim. You will need to send in a claims form and the documentation, either online or through the mail. Online will usually get you a faster response.

Fill out the claims form provided by your insurer. It will have sections for all the relevant information.
Send in your photos using the tools provided. In many cases your insurer will simply specify an email address you should send them to.

If you have a comprehensive car insurance policy, it may also cover a rental car while your vehicle is being repaired. If the storm has also damaged your home you will also need to check your home and contents storm cover.

Compare policies from Australian brands

Name	Agreed or Market Value	New Car Replacement	Pay Monthly At No Extra Cost	Choice Of Repairer	Roadside Assistance	Hire Car After Theft
Bingle Comprehensive	Market	Optional - If your car is written off in the first 3 years	No	No	No	Optional - Up to $50 a day until your claim is settled	Save 24% on your policy if you've been claim free for 3 years.	Go to site View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Budget Direct Comprehensive	Agreed	Yes - If your car is written off in the first 2 years or is under 40,000 km	No	Yes	Optional	Yes - Up to $1,000 (Max 14 days)	Buy online and save 15%.	Go to site View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Youi Comprehensive	Agreed	Yes - If your car is written off or stolen in the first 2 years	No	Yes	Yes	Yes - Reasonable costs (Max 14 days)	Emergency roadside assistance included in Comprehensive policies.	Go to site View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Real Comprehensive	Agreed	Yes - If your car is written off in the first 2 years	Yes	No	Optional	Yes - Up to $70 per day (Max 14 days)	Save up to 10% when you buy online.	Go to site View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Virgin Comprehensive	Agreed	Yes - If your car is written off in the first 2 years or is under 40,000 km	No	Yes	Optional	Yes - Up to $1,000 (Max 14 days)	Save 15% when purchasing online. Eligible customers can earn 5,000 Velocity Frequent Flyer Points when purchasing a new policy by 31 Dec 2018. Excludes NT. T&CS apply.	Go to site View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Huddle Comprehensive	Agreed	Yes - If your car is written off in the first 2 years	Yes	No	No	Yes - Up to $70 per day (Max 14 days)	Transforms your driving so it's 100% carbon neutral.	Go to site View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Hume Bank Comprehensive	Agreed	Yes - If your car is written off in the first 2 years	Yes	Yes	No	Yes - Up to $100 per day (Max 30 days)	Buy online and save up to 10% on your policy.	Go to site View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
AI Comprehensive	Agreed	Yes - If your car is written off in the first year or is under 20,000 km	No	No	Optional	Optional - Up to $60 per day (Max 14 days)	Save up to 20% on car insurance when you purchase cover online.	Go to site View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...