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With rain in forecast, insurance companies stress temporary repairs

Combined USAA, State Farm report more than 60K claims

SAN ANTONIO – Two of the city’s largest insurance companies, USAA and State Farm, said that people affected by the recent hail storm would be wise to complete any temporary repairs in anticipation of weekend storms.  

Dave Cutillo, an insurance claims adjuster who works for State Farm, said that insurance companies will typically pay for appropriate temporary repair items.  

Cutillo said that if you choose not to complete a necessary repair that leads to more damage you might be in for a surprise. "An insurance policy pays for damage caused by a storm,” he said. “What it doesn't pay for sometimes is the extra damage that is caused by you not doing any of those things."

Ken Grasch, a retired school teacher, lives off of Bandera Road and Loop 1604. He told us he was relaxing on the couch with his wife on Tuesday evening when the storm hit. 

He said he heard hail breaking windows on his cars parked in his driveway and some of the windows on his home. "This window blew out and shattered glass over the entire room. We're still cleaning up glass," Grasch said.

Click here to watch video of hail damage and to watch hail breaking through a home's window.

Rich Johnson, a spokesman for USAA provided the following suggestions on dealing with the aftermath of the hail storm, especially with heavy rain in the forecast.

  • Protect your property. Take safe and reasonable steps to protect your property from further damage. Try to board up windows, put your car in a garage or cover broken windows with plastic.
  • When it’s safe, take photos or video of any damage as soon as possible to document damage from the storm.
  • If you have not already file your claim as soon as possible. File your claim online at usaa.com/help or download the mobile app to get the process rolling and to set up appointments for repairs.
  • Each policy is different, so know what your policy says. You can go over your policy online and see what is covered and not covered. If you need further assistance, contact your insurance professional.
  • Beware of fraudsters! Only use reputable contractors to perform work on your home or automobile. Beware if they ask for large amounts of money upfront or have extremely low bids. They might cut corners and leave you with problems after they are gone.
  • Save receipts of anything you spend on additional living expenses, supplies and repairs you make to your home or automobile. 
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