Follow These Steps When Your Vehicle Has Been Vandalized

5 July 2016

Robin Wells

No vehicle owner wants to walk down the driveway in the morning and notice that his or her vehicle was vandalized overnight. Although your initial feeling will likely range somewhere between sadness and anger, a call to your auto insurance provider to begin the claim process should make you feel better. Your local rep will handle any questions you may have, suggest the next steps to take for dealing with the damage and make you feel supported overall. Before you pick up the phone, here are some steps to perform that can improve the ease and speed of the claim process.

Take Photos Of The Damage

While your initial instinct might be to begin cleaning up the vandalism to your vehicle, you should first make sure that you have photos that tell the whole story. Photos are valuable for the claim process and will add support to your story. Take a variety of shots of the damage from all angles and snap images of anything related to the vandalism. For example, if someone smashed your vehicle's window with a rock or a brick, take photos of the broken window, as well as the projectile, whether it's inside of the vehicle or sitting on your driveway.

Identify If Anything Was Taken

Although you might initially notice the vandalism, it's also possible that something was taken out of your vehicle. It's easier to ascertain this information now so that you can relay it to your insurance rep at the start of the claim process, so take a thorough look throughout the vehicle to see if anything was stolen. Check in your glove compartment and any other areas where you might have kept a GPS, sunglasses, cash or other valuables, and take note of what is missing. If you have kept receipts for anything that was stolen — designer sunglasses, for example — get the receipts handy to pass along to your insurance agent.

See If Anyone Spotted The Crime

It's worthwhile to quickly go door-to-door throughout your neighborhood to see if anyone happened to have spotted the vandalism. If the incident occurred overnight, the chances might be slim, but you may have success asking a neighbor to review his or her security camera footage if your driveway is within the viewing angle of the camera. Having a witness is ideal because you can pass along the person's name and phone number when you begin making the vandalism claim so that your agent can follow up with the neighbor as needed.

For assistance, talk to a professional like Griffin-Rahn Insurance Agency Inc.

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