Which insurance pays for hail damage to my car in Germany?

Published figures for natural hazard claims on cars in Germany and guide prices for paintless dent repair.

Hail is a natural event and part of the basic cover of every German partial cover policy, together with storm, lightning and flooding. It pays for dents in panels and roof, cracked glass, broken lights and mirrors, minus your deductible.

Partial cover has no no-claims class, so a hail claim costs you no discount. Liability insurance, the only cover required by law, pays nothing for your own car.

If the paint is intact, a specialist pushes the dents out from behind without repainting, known as paintless dent repair. A single small dent costs about EUR 70 to 100. With many dents, prices are per panel or as a package, so a roof with 50 small dents is more likely around EUR 400 to 500 than several thousand.

It gets expensive when the paint cracks or aluminium panels are hit. Then filling, painting or replacing parts is needed, and damage across roof, bonnet and tailgate quickly reaches four figures.

In Germany you may settle on paper: take the money based on an expert report and skip the repair. The insurer then pays the net amount without VAT, minus the deductible. The dents stay and will lower the resale price.

If the repair costs more than the car is worth, it is an economic total loss. This happens with older cars after heavy hail more often than people expect. You then receive the replacement value minus the salvage value and the deductible.

Partial cover pays the current value, not the new price, unless your policy has a new-value rule for young cars. A loss in value because the car now has a hail history is usually not paid.

If you left the sunroof open despite a storm warning and water gets in, the insurer may reduce payment for gross negligence unless your policy waives that defence.

If your car is almost always in a garage and is older with a low value, you can often carry the hail risk yourself. A few dents on an old car do not have to be repaired.

If you park on the street, especially in regions with frequent thunderstorms, or the car is financed or leased, partial cover belongs in the contract. A hail cover sheet helps but does not replace insurance.