Fountain area hailstorm victims worry about insurance coverage, damage costs

How much insurance will cover, and what they’ll have to pay beyond that, is the big concern for victims of Wednesday morning’s devastating hailstorm in the Fountain area.

Dennis Jordan, an Allstate Insurance agent in Colorado Springs, said the amount of a deductible (the amount paid by a policyholder before insurance covers the rest) can vary from up to $500 for a vehicle to as much as $1,000 for a home.

But Jordan said the hailstorm was unique in that it damaged a large number of vehicles to the point that they can’t be driven, and may be considered total losses by insurance adjusters.

“So you have a lot of people who have no transportation, vehicles that are destroyed and no rental cars for them to use because of the high demand,” he said. “We’ve never had a storm do this.”

Terry Crouch said he has a $250 deductible that should cover much of the repair to his car but he’s concerned that his insurer may consider it totaled.

“I’m going to do everything I can to keep them from doing that,” he said. “My car still runs fine. If I get a partial check, I can just fix the damage myself and keep the car.”

The situation is worse for Amanda Ford and her family, who have newer vehicles and multiple vehicles.

“We have five vehicles, including two that are brand new,” she said. “Each has a $500 deductible. So that’s $2,500 out of pocket right there, and those vehicles will probably get totaled. I don’t know what we’re going to do. Hope it gets better, I guess.”

Adding to the repair costs is fact that they’re often more than just a matter of replacing broken glass.

“So many windshields are coming with assist cameras, rain sensors and other extras,” said Jonathan Forsythe, an auto glass repairman. “The newer the model, the more intense the repair job can be.”

The storm also rendered many homes unlivable because of roof damage that led to interior water damage.

“Some people may find their roof isn’t a full replacement cost roof,” Jordan said. “It may be a depreciated cost roof, and they’ll get half of a check to repair the roof. That causes a lot of frustration.”

Jordan said storm victims likely won’t know how much they’ll pay for damages until they file claims with their insurers.

“We advise customers to review their policies periodically,” he said. “Some people find out after a disaster that they don’t have enough coverage, or the right kind of coverage.”

Ford said she didn’t expect her family would lose five vehicles in one storm.

“And our roof is totaled, too,” she said. “That’s another $2,000 deductible.”