Wawanesa Insurance Claims
Hail, wildlife strikes, theft and falling objects are comprehensive claims — a different category from an at-fault collision, and usually a much better outcome for you.
This guide covers
- Focus
- Hail and comprehensive claims
- Shop choice
- Yours, in Alberta
- Estimates
- Free and written
- You pay
- Your deductible
Wawanesa Insurance
Hail and comprehensive claims
In southern Alberta the comprehensive claim most people eventually make is hail. A single storm can dimple every horizontal panel on a vehicle in a quarter of an hour, and because these events hit thousands of vehicles at once, the constraint afterwards is assessment capacity rather than repair capacity.
The important structural point is that comprehensive is not at-fault. It is not recorded the same way, it does not carry the same implications, and a number of Alberta policies waive the deductible on hail entirely. That last point is worth a two-minute call to your broker before you decide whether to claim.
Have this ready
- Photographs of the vehicle taken in daylight while dry
- The date of the storm and where the vehicle was parked
- Your policy and claim number
- A note of anything else that was parked out — trailer, boat, RV
- Confirmation from your broker of whether the hail deductible is waived
The detail
Hail and comprehensive claims
Photograph early
Take pictures in daylight, from a low angle, while the vehicle is dry. Dents show in reflected light and barely show in flat overcast conditions.
Open the claim immediately
Do it before the queue builds, and book an assessment even if the adjuster has not come back to you yet.
Accurate dent counting
Hail estimates are built from a dent matrix — every panel counted and graded by dent size. Undercounting is what causes supplement arguments halfway through a repair.
Paintless dent repair first
Because hail rarely breaks paint, most of it comes out from behind the panel with the factory finish left intact — faster, cheaper, and nothing on the vehicle's history.
What we do on your claim
You should not be managing your own claim while also getting to work without a car.
Document
Photographs and a written scope of every damaged area before anything is touched.
Submit
An itemised estimate in the format adjusters work in, followed up rather than left in a queue.
Supplement
Hidden damage photographed and submitted the same day it is exposed, then chased to approval.
Hand back
Quality inspection, your full repair file, and a warranty you can hold us to.
Is hail treated the same as a collision claim?
No. Hail falls under comprehensive rather than collision, and most Alberta policies treat the two differently. Ask your broker how yours handles it before you decide.
What else counts as comprehensive?
Typically wildlife strikes, theft and attempted theft, vandalism, fire, falling objects and weather damage. An animal strike being comprehensive rather than collision is usually good news for the driver.
How long is the wait after a big storm?
Longer than anyone would like, because every shop in the city fills within days. Booking the assessment early is the one part of the timeline you control.
SAK Auto Group is an independent repair facility. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by or acting as an agent of this insurer, and the names used here are for identification only. Your coverage is governed entirely by your own policy wording — confirm the specifics with your broker or adjuster.
Other guides
More on claims
- 01
Intact Insurance — Direct billing, estimates and supplements
How an Intact auto claim runs through our shop — estimate, authorisation, supplements and direct settlement.
- 02
Aviva Canada — Total loss decisions and reviewing a valuation
How a total loss decision is reached on an Aviva claim, and what you can do if the valuation looks low.
- 03
TD Insurance — Glass claims and ADAS calibration
How glass claims work, why chip repair is often free, and why recalibration is not an optional extra.
- 04
The Co-operators — Commercial and fleet claims
How commercial vehicle claims differ from personal ones — more parties, more documentation, and downtime as the real cost.
Start your claim estimate
Send photos and your claim number. Written estimate back within one business day, and we deal with the adjuster.