When you purchase an automobile, you are making a major investment in your life. This is the vehicle which you’ll use for driving to work. Without a new car, you will have to rely on public transportation to get back and forth to your place of business. You also need a new car for your family. A new car, van, or even truck (in certain circumstances) will allow you to shuttle your loved ones to school, and to vacation destinations. Having an automobile makes things a bit easier for many people across the United States. Unfortunately, though you have to sometimes worry about the safety of such vehicles.
Car thieves have made it a business to engage in the theft and trafficking of stolen cars and auto parts. In 2020 in there were approximately 873,080 auto thefts in the U.S. alone. This was a 9.2 percent increase in the number of cars stolen in 2019 when there were approximately 799,644 stolen cars reported. When people seek out an auto insurance policy or a car insurance policy, they often look for some type of protection in case their vehicles are the victims of auto theft. What we’ll focus on today is how car insurance can protect your automobile against auto theft or vandalism.
Car Theft
Many people across the United States have been the victims of auto theft. When a person realizes that their new car is now a stolen vehicle, it can be a stressful experience. That’s why it helps to purchase car insurance which protects you in the case that your car is stolen. If a certain item is stolen from your car, your home insurance coverage can provide protection on that front. For now, we’ll focus on how car insurance protects your new car if it’s stolen.
When you obtain car insurance, it helps to have included on your insurance policy coverage known as comprehensive coverage. Make sure with your car insurance company that this coverage is included on your car insurance policy from the beginning. Comprehensive insurance allows for the cost of your stolen vehicle to be covered in the case of car theft. For example, if you have a $500 deductible on your vehicle, and the car has a depreciated value of $8000, your insurance company would cover the cost of $7500 to help replace your stolen vehicle.
In addition to this, let’s say that you need a rental car in the case of car theft. Once you’ve filed a police report, and have filed a car insurance claim, you can speak with your auto insurance company about rental reimbursement coverage that you’ve signed up for. Rental reimbursement coverage helps to pay for transportation expenses, including rental car fare, during a covered insurance claim. Comprehensive coverage and rental reimbursement coverage are ways that car insurers can find protection against auto theft.
Damaged Vehicles
Sometimes items in your car are stolen by thieves in acts of vandalism. In cases like these, you’ll have to deal with finding ways to get your damaged windows or car doors repaired. This can include broken door locks, smashed windows, and even broken ignition systems. Any damage like this is covered under comprehensive coverage. When you discover damage like this, first figure out what to do if your car is stolen or has been damaged in an attempted car theft attempt. You’ll first start by contacting the police and filing a police report.
Most car insurance companies provide car insurers protection in case their car is damaged by thieves in their attempt to commit auto theft. Gather evidence of the vandalism done to your automobile with a digital camera, or camera phone. Then contact your car insurance company, and inform them about the damage done to your car. When they assure you that such damage is covered underneath your comprehensive coverage, you’ll have some peace of mind that the damage repairs will be taken care of.
Missing Car Parts
If your car suffers a car theft, and the parts for the vehicle are stolen, then those parts can be covered with comprehensive coverage. Make sure with your auto insurance policy provider to see what parts will be covered. Check what your coverage limit and deductible limits are, to see how much out of pocket you will have to pay for replacing such parts.
