Score 5, 0 (28, 52) · If your vehicle is stolen, one of the first things you should do is report it to the police. This gives you the best possible chance of recovering. If your car is stolen, you must file a claim with your insurance company. As long as you have comprehensive coverage, vehicle theft must be covered.
If the car is later recovered after the claim has been paid, it is the property of the insurance company. It also serves as important planning for your car insurance claim, since you will likely have to file an auto insurance claim to recover the amount of your car. The only way to protect yourself against theft is to have comprehensive auto insurance coverage for your vehicle. People must have insurance on vehicles they drive on public roads, which means that most people need adequate insurance to meet not only state minimums, but also to provide additional protections.
It doesn't matter if you previously had insurance for a stolen vehicle, if you haven't paid your premiums and let the policy expire, you could be struggling for the full cost of your stolen car, without any help from your insurance company. If you discover that your vehicle has been stolen and you are arguing with the insurance company about the amount that has been returned to you, or if you believe that they have engaged in bad faith actions in dealing with you, such as refusing to pay your claim or unnecessarily delaying it, an attorney can help you start the process of filing a legal claim directly against this insurance company. Arguably the most important thing you can do when it comes to your car insurance is to make sure you always pay your premiums on time. If you have a tracking device in your vehicle, this could help you recover it, but after you contact the police, you'll need to call your car insurance company next.
If your stolen car insurance claim is denied, one of the most important steps you can take is to contact an experienced lawyer who handles these types of issues. Gap insurance is an optional addition to your car insurance policy that will help you pay any excess amount that is due after your car is stolen or destroyed. You should read the fine print of any car insurance policy to determine how your insurance company might address this particular situation. If your insurance policy doesn't pay as much as your car is worth, Gap insurance can help you “cover the gap” so you don't have to pay anything out of pocket.
Comprehensive insurance helps cover the theft of the vehicle itself, but you may have to use the book value of the vehicle to claim that the insurance company is not adequately reimbursing you the amount your vehicle was worth. Remember that your car insurance doesn't cover personal items stolen from your vehicles, such as a briefcase, laptop, or mobile phone, but you may be able to use your homeowner's policy or your renter's policy, even if those items were stolen while the car wasn't on your property. Review the details of your car insurance policy to learn more about the situations in which your car insurance company may be responsible for providing you with a rental car. In addition, this shows your car insurance company that they are taking this situation seriously and that your vehicle was indeed stolen.
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