Author: Catalina Williamson

Can you imagine how it would feel to park your car somewhere, only to find it missing later on? Many people experience this tragedy on a daily basis. In fact, according to CNBC.com, “Roughly 800,000 to one million cars are stolen in America every single year.” These numbers are extraordinary, making car theft a common occurrence all across the country. This also means that the insurance claim process can be quite complex and tedious.

If you are prepared to report your car as stolen, there are a few important things you should know about car insurance coverage for stolen vehicles, as well as the investigation process for car theft claims. Continue reading to learn what you need to know about filing an insurance claim for a stolen car.

FIRST: Was Your Car Really Stolen?

Once you have noticed that your car is missing, it is wise to reconsider all the possibilities before making an insurance claim and police report. You can check for parking signs to see if it had been towed, ask friends and family if they borrowed your vehicle, or call your car loan company to see if it was repossessed. When there is no other possible reason for your car to be missing, then it is safe to move forward with filing an insurance claim and police report.

Insurance Coverage for Stolen Cars

In order to have insurance coverage in the case that your car is stolen, you must have comprehensive coverage on your insurance policy. This is something that is required in all states. If your vehicle is stolen off of your personal property, you cannot file it under your home owners’ insurance policy; you must have an auto policy with comprehensive coverage to cover the loss.

Car Theft Claims Process

When you are sure your car has been stolen, you must report it to the police immediately for documentation. At the same time, you must notify your auto insurance carrier. Most carriers operate using a 30-day claim waiting period to see if the car is ever recovered, which generally begins on the date of theft. Furthermore, comprehensive coverage does not cover personal belongings that are stolen out of a vehicle. Items like phones, computers, clothing, jewelry, equipment, and more, could be covered in a renter’s or home insurance policy, but not in an auto policy.

Car Theft Investigations

Car theft claims are taken very seriously at insurance companies. They are investigated closely by adjusters to ensure that fraud is not at play. Filing a fraudulent car theft insurance claim is a felony punishable by prison time, fines, and more. They will record all conversations with clients, and ask very detailed and intrusive questions. As long as you are not committing a crime, you shouldn’t take the investigation process personally. The insurance adjuster is just doing their job.

Hire a Criminal Defense Lawyer for Fraud Charges

Fraud crimes are charged as either misdemeanors or felonies, depending on the particulars of a person’s case. If you were recently arrested on facing fraud charges in Indiana, you are facing hefty fines, imprisonment, and other severe penalties. The best step you can take toward securing your rights and protecting your freedoms is calling a licensed fraud lawyer for tough and aggressive criminal defense; otherwise, you risk be sentenced to the maximum levels of punishment in Indiana.

What is auto insurance?

It is an agreement between you and the company that defends you against any monetary loss in the happening of an accident or theft. In trade for your paying a premium, the insurance company agrees to pay your losses as summarized in your guidelines.

Auto insurance is made obligatory by most of the states and this provides you with some economic protection in case of an accident or any misfortune. But this information is not enough for an individual to decide whether he should take up auto insurance or not. For this, you need to more about different kinds of aspects provided by various schemes. So let us learn how this works and what is obtainable from it.

Different types of Auto insurance:

• Property – This includes losses such as damage to or theft of your car.

• Liability – This includes your official responsibility to others for physical injury or assets damage.

• Medical – Includes the cost of treating injuries, therapy and any other kind of medical expenses.

Fundamentals of Auto Insurance

You need to understand some basic things about your scheme. Auto insurance might be different in some ways but here are some common things about it that will mostly remain the same.

• Your policy will cover you and your family members listed on the auto insurance, whether you are driving your car or someone else’s car (with their authorization).

• Your policy will also provide protection if someone who is not in your scheme is driving your car with your approval.

• Your personal vehicle insurance only covers driving for personal reasons, whether you’re commuting to your office, running household errands or taking a trip to another city. But it will not provide any kind of cover if you use your car for profitable purpose. For instance, if you rent out your car or use it for delivery purposes.

• Personal auto insurance will also not offer coverage if you use your car to supply transportation to others through a ride-sharing service such as Uber or OLA. A number of auto insurers, on the other hand, are now offering supplemental products (at an extra cost) that expand coverage for automobile owners providing ride-sharing services as well.

Is Auto Insurance Mandatory?

Requirements differ from state to state and you might have to get it depending on your state’s legal guidelines. If you are financing a car, your lender may also have its own necessities and might want you to get it. Almost every state requires car owners to take:

• Bodily injury liability – which covers expenses related to injuries or death that you or another person has faced in an accident while driving your car.

• Property damage liability – which compensates others for damage that you or another person who was driving your car might have caused to another vehicle or other property, such as any boundary marker, any building or pole in the accident.

These things make it compulsory to enroll in one policy as soon as possible. This will not only help you but also your family members. So make sure you take up a policy as soon as possible for a safe and secure drive.

Do you have the right car insurance? Well, many people think that it is a must to have the right car insurance. It will be better if you get the best one with cheap auto insurance. While most people know whether they have liability, collision or comprehensive coverage, some people pay much attention to their insurance coverage until after they have been in an accident, the others just do not really care about it.

Shopping for car insurance is an important planning topic that is often overlooked since most teenagers are added to mom and dad’s insurance policy when they first get behind the wheel and then later shop for the least expensive policy when they have to the pay the bill on their own. In this article, we will be discussing car insurance coverage and so you will get some tips to help you get the most for your money.

Cheap auto insurance has two primary benefits. The first one is protecting your assets and the second one is protecting your health. Getting the proper coverage is the first step in the process. These are the basic types of coverage with which most people are familiar:

1. Liability: This coverage pays for third-party personal injury and death-related claims, as well as any damage to another person’s property that occurs as a result of your automobile accident.

2. Collision: This coverage pays to repair your car after an accident. It is required if you have a loan against your vehicle because the car isn’t really yours – it belongs to the bank, which wants to avoid getting stuck with a wrecked car.

3. Comprehensive: This coverage pays for damage incurred as a result of theft, vandalism, fire, water, etc. If you paid cash for your car or paid off your car loan, you may not need collision or comprehensive coverage.

In addition to the coverage listed above, other optional coverage types include the following:

a. Full Tort/Limited Tort: Your insurance will be reduced by a few dollars if you give up the right to sue when you get an accident. However, giving up your rights is rarely a smart financial move.

b. Medical Payments/Personal Injury Protection: Personal injury protection pays the cost of medical bills for the policyholder and passengers. If you have good health insurance coverage, this may not be necessary.

c. Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage: This type provides for medical and property damage coverage if you are involved in an accident with an uninsured or underinsured motorist.

d. Towing: Towing coverage pays for a tow if your vehicle cannot be driven after an accident. If you are a member of an automobile service, or if your vehicle comes with roadside assistance provided by the manufacturer, this coverage is unnecessary.

e. Glass Breakage: Some companies do not cover broken glass under their collision or comprehensive policies. In general, this coverage is not worth the long-term cost.

f. Rental: This insurance option covers the cost of a rental car, but rental cars are so inexpensive that it may not be worth paying for this coverage.

g. Gap: If you demolish that $35,000 sport-utility vehicle 10 minutes after you drive it off the lot, the amount the insurance company pays is likely to leave you with no vehicle and a big bill. The same thing applies if your new set of wheels gets stolen. Gap insurance pays the difference between the blue book value of a vehicle and the amount of money still owed on the car. If you are leasing a vehicle or purchasing a vehicle with a low, or no, down payment, gap insurance is a great idea.