Hailstorm Rains Damage on Dealerships, Assembly Plants

A major storm dropping tennis ball-sized hail across a 17 county stretch of Mississippi inflicted damages to thousands of vehicles on dealership lots and at a Nissan Assembly plant in Canton this week, demonstrating the harmful potential of harsh winter weather.

The Nissan plant, which produces the Altima and Sentra sedans, Titan pickup truck, Armada, Frontier, and Xterra SUVs, as well as the full sized NV commercial van series, did not provide a final number of vehicles damaged, though a spokesman confirmed that “several hundred” suffered major dents, scratches, and other bodily harm. Fortunately for Nissan, newly built vehicles parked at the factory’s yard several miles away from the plant itself were unscathed, though vehicles being made ready for transit in the city of Jackson were pummeled by large chunks of ice raining from the sky.

The hailstorm also did significant damage to a number of dealerships in the area, including the Herrin-Gear Autoplex, where more than 1,000 Chevrolet, Lexus, BMW, and Infiniti vehicles suffered considerable dents. Just across the street, Paul Moak Honda saw a total of 270 new and used Honda, Volvo, and Subaru vehicles damaged considerably. The dealership’s owner, Paul Moak himself, said, “I’ve been through hailstorms before, but I’ve never seen one like this. It came down for 15 minutes as we stood inside watching. It’s going to take months to get all these damaged cars through the system.”

In most cases, weather damaged vehicles are used in discount sales at dealerships, as dealers will repair the vehicles as much as possible, replacing broken windscreens and sunroofs, reattaching trim pieces and buffing out dings and scratches. Manufacturers will also occasionally perform repairs on damaged vehicles and put other newly built yet damaged vehicles up for auction sale at dramatically reduced prices.

Dealers are required by law to make weather damaged vehicles known to buyers before purchase, and as a buyer, it is important to understand the potential issues that could result from such damages. Though most often cosmetic, harsh weather can also do damage to internal systems. In flooding, water damage can ruin many essential components, making safe driving a challenge. Without knowing or respecting the dangers, you could find yourself in harm’s way, susceptible to an accident.

If you or someone you know has been hurt in an accident involving a weather damaged vehicle, you should seek help. Depending on your circumstances, you may be entitled to compensation, which a personal injury lawyer can help you recover from those at fault.

At AA Accident Attorneys, we will work hard to get you back onto your feet as quickly as possible. Call us today for a free evaluation and to learn what we can do to help you!

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