Texas is notorious for its severe hailstorms, and McKinney residents are no strangers to the devastating damage these storms can cause to vehicles. Recovering from a hailstorm requires acting quickly and understanding your rights and options as a consumer. ## Texas HB 2102: the law that protects you First and foremost, it is crucial to understand Texas House Bill 2102 (HB 2102). This law makes it illegal for roofing and auto repair companies to waive, absorb, or otherwise cover your insurance deductible. If a repair shop offers to 'eat your deductible,' they are committing insurance fraud. Always choose an honest, reputable shop that operates within the law. A shop that will cheat the insurer on the deductible is a shop that will cut corners on the repair. The same law that makes deductible-waiving illegal also protects your right to pick the shop you trust. ## Your right to choose the shop Another vital piece of information is your right to choose your repair facility. After filing a claim, your insurance company may recommend a 'preferred' or 'direct repair' shop. However, by law, they cannot force you to use their suggested facility. You have the absolute right to take your vehicle to the repair shop of your choice, such as Dentcraft of Texas. This matters for hail because the method used to repair it changes the car's value. A direct-repair shop that fills and repaints panels leaves paintwork a buyer can detect. A PDR shop that works the metal from behind leaves the factory finish intact. ## Why PDR is the standard for severe hail When it comes to repairing severe hail damage, <a href="/hail-damage-repair-mckinney-tx" class="text-primary hover:underline font-semibold">Paintless Dent Repair (PDR)</a> is overwhelmingly the best option. Insurance companies prefer PDR because it is cost-effective, and vehicle owners prefer it because it maintains the original factory paint. For vehicles peppered with dozens or even hundreds of hail dents, PDR is the only method that truly restores the car without compromising its structural integrity. PDR works on the vast majority of hail dents — any dent where the paint is still intact. It cannot fix dents where the paint has cracked, the metal has stretched past its memory, or there is prior body filler. When a few dents fall outside PDR, we tell you and can coordinate a small targeted paint repair for just those spots. ## The insurance claim process, step by step Here is what the claim process looks like when you bring a hail car to our shop: - **File the claim:** contact your insurer to open a comprehensive claim — this typically does not raise your rates the way a collision claim can. - **Drop off:** bring the vehicle to our McKinney shop; we coordinate a rental if your policy covers it. - **Supplement:** we wash the car, inspect it under PDR lights, and write a supplement when the first adjuster undercounted the dents. - **Repair:** once approved, our technicians work every dent from behind the panels. - **Pickup:** you pick up a fully restored vehicle with the factory finish intact. Drive-through adjusters working a long line of cars after a storm often miss dents because they cannot see them in daylight. A car that looks like it has ten dents outside usually has closer to a hundred under PDR lights — which is exactly why we do our own inspection before agreeing on a scope. ## Severe hail on aluminum and Tesla panels Modern vehicles use more aluminum than ever, and aluminum hail damage is harder to repair because the metal has no memory and cracks more easily. Not every shop will take an aluminum-bodied hail car; we do, with the heat-assisted technique the panels require. Navigating the insurance claim process can be overwhelming, especially after a major storm. At Dentcraft of Texas, we specialize in helping McKinney residents through every step of the recovery process. We work directly with all major insurance providers to ensure your claim is handled smoothly and that your vehicle is repaired to the highest standards. If you searched for help nearby, see our <a href="/dent-repair-near-me" class="text-primary hover:underline font-semibold">dent repair near me</a> page for the shop address and hours. Don't let a Texas hailstorm ruin your vehicle. Trust the experts to restore your car's beauty and value efficiently and professionally. <a href="/paintless-dent-repair-frisco" class="text-primary hover:underline font-semibold">Learn more about our services in Frisco</a>. When you are ready to act, our team walks you through the entire claim on our <a href="/hail-damage-repair-mckinney-tx" class="text-primary hover:underline font-semibold">Hail Damage Repair</a> page, and Don answers the most common hail questions on our <a href="/media" class="text-primary hover:underline font-semibold">Media & Video Q&A</a> page.
