Bodywork damage, whether it’s hail damage or key scratches, may be covered by your insurer, but it all depends on your policy.
To the question “Is my bodywork damage covered by my insurer?”, we would be tempted to answer, “it depends”! Because when it comes to insurance, the approval and the amount of compensation depend on one essential factor: the contract you have taken out! Indeed, whether you are insured “third party”, “all risks”, or whether or not you benefit from the “all accident damage” guarantee, the coverage of a bodywork damage will be very different.
In the case of third party insurance
Concretely, in France, a vehicle can only be put on the road if it has, at least, a third party insurance. In this case, in case of material damage caused by hail, for example, you cannot expect much from your insurance company. Only a few optional options linked to this type of contract can allow you to cover certain costs. The “glass breakage” option, for example, will allow you to be compensated in case of damage caused to the glass surfaces of your car. Or the “hail” guarantee, which may be offered by some insurance companies and which, as its name indicates, may allow you to cover the cost of repairing the bodywork.
In the case of comprehensive insurance
If, like nearly 82% of the French population, you have comprehensive insurance, your bodywork damage will be reimbursed without difficulty, provided that you have taken out comprehensive insurance. However, you will have to pay an average deductible of 200 euros. In order to avoid any dispute with your car insurance company, you must declare the damage within 5 days by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt. Some insurers may also ask you, in case of damage caused by hail, for a certificate of bad weather issued by Météo France, as well as newspaper clippings reporting the episode. Finally, the best way to convince yourself that your bodywork damage, whatever it may be, is still covered by your insurer is to read your contract carefully and, if necessary, to go and meet him!