Insurance claims from Fountain hailstorm could be nearing 20,000

USAA and State Farm have combined to receive 17,500 insurance claims from last week’s hailstorm, which means that including other carriers, total claims likely have surpassed 20,000.

On Tuesday, USAA received 1,000 additional claims and State Farm accepted nearly 300 more.

A State Farm official said she believes the peak in filings should happen this week.

The number of claims is growing, even though experts said the hailstorm was more intense but less widespread than a hailstorm in Colorado Springs two years ago, when more than 84,000 auto and homeowner claims were filed.

According to the Rocky Mountain Insurance Information Association, last week’s storm was unique in that it occurred overnight when many vehicles were parked at homes, outside of garages or other shelters and vulnerable to the large hailstones.

Insurance officials also said the storm prompted the destruction of, or severe damage to, an unusually high number of vehicles.

State Farm said total losses to vehicles are as high as 60 percent.

While other insurance carriers, such as Allstate and Geico, declined to reveal their claim figures, State Farm said its average payout per claim is around $6,000.

Some storm victims said they found the claims process easier than expected, while others said they’ve found it difficult to get repair technicians or insurance adjusters to evaluate damaged property.

But the RMIIA said carriers are prioritizing the most serious damage, so victims with lesser damage likely will have to wait longer for claims to be settled.