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Calgary Hail Claims Add Up

Calgary's north west area takes a beating.

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Damages from the July 12 storm range from cracked windows and bent siding to severe roof damage–and even brokers weren’t spared.

As claims came in at Godfrey Morrow Insurance, vice president of operations Lisa Thomas was filing her own claim, for hail damage to her car.

Dozens of clients have reported both auto and property claims stemming from the storm,  and many have had to write off vehicles after damages exceeded the car’s value, she told CITB July 20. The brokerage has received 518 claims so far, and “there are thousands throughout the city,” she says.

Insurers “responding well”

Insurers are handling claims in the triple digits following the storm, which rained down golf-ball size hailstones. The Co-operators has already received over 1,500 claims, with the average auto claim totaling $4,250, according to spokesperson Chris Rol.

The bulk of those–1,029 stem from damage to vehicles, homes (475) and farm or commercial properties (96), she told CITB July 16.

Claims have also reached the 1,000 mark at Aviva Canada, with 20% of those relating to property and 80% to auto damage, according to company spokesman Glenn Cooper. The average claim ranges between $3,000 and $5,000, and add up to between $6 and $8 million, he says. “But it’s still early.”

Brokers and clients are pleased with the industry’s prompt response–some have set up temporary appraisal centres for auto claims, making the process faster, says Thomas. “We’ve had a lot of claims, but companies are responding really well.”

University damaged

Certain areas of the city were harder hit than others–a YouTube video tracks the escalating damage on the University of Calgary’s greenhouse, which starts off with a random hole here and there, and ends up completely smashed.

And that meant lighter claims for adjusters like  Mark Nikkelson at Kernaghan Adjusters. “We haven’t seen too much,” he told CITB July 16. Most of his claims stem from “superficial damage” to cars and home in the north and northwestern area of Calgary.

Note: This story was originally posted on July 16 and updated on July 20.