Stone chips: Ding – and the windshield is broken

Juggling work and family commitments, many people have hectic lives these days. That’s why stone damage on the car is so annoying: Who has got time to take the car to the repair shop? For this reason, Zurich offers its customers a premium service: They don’t have to do anything.

For Zurich customers the answer is simple: "Almost nothing". Just report the damage, and the rest will be taken care of. Our damage specialists will contact you shortly after you report the damage to make an appoint­ment. Often the circum­stances allow for the damage not only to be inspected by the expert, but also to be repaired right away: At home, or in the under­ground car park at the office – all that matters is that the vehicle is not outside, exposed to the elements. The damage specialist will be happy to advise you. 

Big cracks can develop from any tiny chip. For this reason, every stone chip should be repaired. How­ever, the whole windscreen does not always need replacing. If the stone chip is no larger than a two franc coin, a repair will usually suffice. The specialist assesses the repair options on an individual basis.

Regardless of whether the windscreen is replaced or repaired, from a quality per­spective, the result is the same. However, a repair is more ecologically sound, as it is less wasteful. Further­more, it makes more sense economically to repair the wind­screen whenever possible. In any case, Zurich customers receive a lifelong guarantee on the repair. It is important that the wind­screen is repaired by a professional, as this is the only way to ensure that no new cracks develop. That is why Zurich works with its partner of many years, who is the Swiss market leading glass damage repair specialist.  
IMPORTANT: Repairing the stone chip yourself with a stone chip repair kit is not a good idea. Specialist knowledge and special tools are required for the job. The cracks are so small that with regular cleaning agents, a professional cleaning is not possible.

It is usually not possible to prove that the damage was caused by a third party, whose liability insurance would then have to pay. There are rare exceptions; for example if it has been proven that the vehicle was being driven too fast on loose chippings, or the stone fell from a loaded truck. However, it is better to insure yourself against stone chips through accidental damage insurance.