How to file a hail damage claim in Arizona

1. Check that you have comprehensive

Comprehensive (sometimes called 'other than collision') covers hail, theft, dust-storm rollovers, flood and animal strikes. If you have a loan or lease you almost certainly have it. Liability-only policies do not cover hail; if that's you, skip to the cost page and we'll price the repair out of pocket.

2. Photograph the car before you do anything else

Date-stamped photos of every panel the day of the storm. Shoot at an angle so the dents show in the reflection. If there is broken glass, photograph it before you cover it. These photos protect you if an adjuster says some dents are old.

3. Report the claim

Call the number on your insurance card or use the app. Say it was hail on the date of the storm. You'll get a claim number; write it down, we need it. After a big storm, insurers set up catastrophe ('CAT') teams and drive-in inspection sites; those run fast but the adjuster is counting dents on a hundred cars a day, so bring your photos.

4. Pick your shop (it's your choice)

Arizona law lets you choose where the car is repaired. The insurer may 'recommend' a network shop; you can say no. Send us your claim number and the adjuster's name, and we handle the estimate, the dent count, the supplement if the first number is low, and the parts. You deal with us, not the claims line.

5. Your deductible, and how it becomes $0

You owe the comprehensive deductible on your policy; the insurer pays the rest to the shop. Best Deal's deductible assistance covers up to $1,000 of that deductible on qualifying repairs. With a $500 or $1,000 comprehensive deductible, that means most hail customers pay nothing. Ask about it when you call; the fine print is on the deductible-assistance page.

The two mistakes

Signing with a storm-chaser in a parking lot, which can leave you with a paid claim and an unfinished car. And cashing the insurance check without repairing, which is legal but means the damage comes off any future claim and can void comprehensive on a leased or financed car.