Comprehensive Insurance For Theft Of Vandalism

How Car Insurance Help If Your Car Is Vandalized Or Broken Into

Here is a scenario that happens all too often: Someone returns from a trip, and as they approach their vehicle in the airport's short-term parking lot it becomes obvious that something is amiss. Hurrying up to the vehicle, they find that one of the rear windows have been broken, and there is graffiti all over the driver side of the car. Inside the car, the dashboard has been cut, and the stereo – a $300 after-market add-on – is nowhere to be found. Does your insurance cover incidents where your car is vandalized or broken into? In most cases, it probably does.

Vandalism and theft are usually covered under the comprehensive portion of your car insurance policy. If you have receipts for any of the missing items, it will help get your claim processed faster, as well as any witness information that may be available. The chances are favorable that your insurance agent has dealt with a similar, if not identical, problem in the past, and will be able to help get you past the shock and the feeling of violation that you are feeling.

The first thing you need to do is contact local law enforcement. Report the incident, and be sure to get a copy of the police report. You may have to contact the police department at a later time to get the copy, so don't be surprised if that turns out to be the case. Once that is done, assess the damage, and determine what is missing. Once you've filed a police report, and made and assessment, it is time to contact your insurance company.

Once the insurance company has been notified, take whatever steps are necessary to secure your vehicle. Cover the broken window, and make arrangements to have it replaced. Your insurance company will probably have advised you to do that right away, because it can reduce the damages. Cover the window with plastic will not be much of a deterrent against being burgled again, but it will provide a bit of defense against the elements. Rain falling through an uncovered window could cause mildew, mold, and even electrical system failures.

It can seem like a major trauma to have your vehicle treated in such a way, but with a little patience you can get past it in short time, and even get a replacement stereo that is similar to the one you lost. It may take a while to replace all of the CD that were stolen, but only because some of the titles are not that easy to find. Your car insurance will probably pay for all of the repairs and replacements, and that is at least one part of the situation that you can rest easy about.