If you live in a high crime area, you may be curious whether car insurance covers vandalism. Maybe your neighbor’s car got broken into, or you’ve heard tall tales. You want to know if you’re covered before disaster strikes.

 

If that’s you, then you’re in the right place. In this detailed guide, we’ll show you exactly how to ensure your car insurance covers vandalism – even in high crime area.

 

The Types of Car Insurance

 

First and foremost, the type of car insurance you have will determine if your coverage includes vandalism. Basically, you’ll end up paying more for coverage about things like vandalism and theft.

 

Common types of auto insurance include:

 

• Liability: This coverage pays for medical expenses and property damage you caused up to your policy limits. This is mandatory coverage in most states. With liability coverage, your car will not have vandalism coverage.

 

• Collision: This optional coverage helps protect your car when you’re at-fault. The cost of repair or replacement for your vehicle is covered. However, in most cases, collision policies do not cover vandalism.

 

• OTC (other-than-collision): If you’re looking to help protect your car from things like vandalism and theft, then you’ll want OTC coverage from any damages not related to a collision.

 

• Uninsured/Underinsured: Most policies include some type of uninsured motorist coverage. This type of insurance policy is useful if you were to get into an accident with someone who doesn’t have adequate, or any insurance at all.

 

 

What Does This Mean?

 

Well, it means that your car is typically only covered for vandalism if you pay for OTC (other-than-collision)coverage. If you’re not paying for that, then your car will not be covered if vandalized.

 

There’s a little more to it than that, but that’s basically the gist of it. With just liability or collision coverage, you simply won’t have be covered  from vandals and thefts.

 

Vandalism and Insurance

 

In order to properly report any vandalism to your car, you need to take a few steps first. If you do these things correctly and have comprehensive insurance, then your claim won’t have any issues with an insurance company.

 

Here’s how to properly report your claim to the insurance company:

 

• Police First

 

Before you do anything else, you absolutely must call the police. Call the non-emergency number of your local police department and file a report of vandalism for your car. This will benefit you later.

 

• Take Photos

 

Next, document all the damages and vandalism. Take as many photos as you can. Get photos from every angle. You want to document everything for the insurance company.

 

• Get in Touch

 

Now get in touch with the insurance company. Talk with an agent and see if your coverage covers vandalism. If you have comprehensive, it should. Then file your claim. Make sure you have your photos and police report handy.

 

• No Clean Up!

 

Don’t try and clean anything up until you’ve spoken with the police and your insurance agent. While this isn’t a criminal investigation, it is technically an accident scene. Just confirm with the police and your agent that you can clean things up before you start doing so. This could save you a lot of headache.

 

Insurance, Vandalism, and Deductibles

 

It is important to note that vandalism may not meet your deductible. For example, if the vandal damages your car to the tune of $800, but your deductible is $1,000 – then you won’t be doing yourself any good filing a claim with the insurance company.

 

Pay close attention to the damages and compare them with your deductible before choosing to file a claim. A good insurance agent should be able to steer you in the right direction here, as filing unnecessary claims can cause your premiums to increase.

 

 

Overall, car insurance can cover vandalism. It all depends on the type of coverage you purchased and how much damage was done. If you have comprehensive coverage, then you should be covered. Just pay attention to your deductible and make sure the damages justify filing a claim.

 

Want to know more? Please contact our team at ProtectiveAgency.com or call (877) 739-9367. Our licensed insurance agents will be happy to answer any questions you have.