Did hail damage your car in Kansas City storms? How to check if your insurance can help [The Kansas City Star]

If hail damaged your car Wednesday night, your auto insurance could help pay for repairs. Here’s how to find out if you qualify.

Severe thunderstorms and large hail rolled into the Kansas City area Wednesday night. The hail, up to softball size, damaged cars and broke house windows.

And the storms aren’t over yet. The National Weather Service said it expects thunderstorms to develop Thursday afternoon, mainly east of Interstate 35.

Large hail, some softball sized, pummeled Kansas City. Here’s map of hardest hit areas

In both Missouri and Kansas, drivers are required to have basic car insurance — limited liability insurance — which covers incidents where the driver caused harm.

If you have liability insurance, you’ll have to pay for hail damage out of pocket.

But if you decided to buy auto insurance with more coverage, your insurance provider might help you pay for repairs.

You’ll want to look for the term “comprehensive coverage” in your insurance policy.

Comprehensive coverage covers damage to your car based on events that happen out of your control, like if your car was:

Broken due to a hailstorm

Damaged by debris sent in from high winds

Hit by lightning

Crushed by a falling object

Carried away by a flood

Damage from branches, trees and hail safely falls under this category in both Kansas and Missouri.

Some insurance companies require you to hit your deductible before comprehensive coverage will pay for the rest.

Contact your insurance provider to file a claim. Be sure to take pictures of the damage before you start cleaning up your vehicle or yard.

Got more questions about severe weather in Kansas City? Ask the Service Journalism team at kcq@kcstar.com.

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