Car theft is a time full of stress, and mental and economic pressure for a person. In case when your vehicle is not insured, the situation becomes even worse. The first question that can arise in this case in the mind of the person can be if my insurance can help me in this case or not. But, unfortunately, if you have no insurance coverage that covers a stolen vehicle, you will have to cover all the costs of the loss by yourself. You should know about the types of insurance coverage that can provide you compensation for the stolen vehicle so that you can buy that coverage in the future. Moreover, you also need to take protective measures to protect your vehicle in the first place. In this article, we will discuss the steps and things that you can do when your car gets stolen.

Insurance that can help you in case of car theft:

You should remember that all types of insurance coverage do not cover car theft. There is a type of coverage that only covers bodily injury and property damage and there is also a type that covers damage in case of accident. Now we will discuss the types of coverage and the damages that can be covered by them so that you can know which type of coverage can cover a stolen car:

• Liability coverage:

It is the minimum insurance that can be required by a state to drive your car on the road. It is required by law to drive your car otherwise, you will have to pay fines. Moreover, it can cover bodily injury and also provides protection to third parties in case of an accident. It does not provide any compensation if your car is stolen.

• Collision Coverage:

Collision coverage pays for the damage caused to your car if it gets impaired in an accident. These accidents can also involve the accidental collision or fall of something on the vehicle like a branch of a tree. It should be noted that it also does not cover the costs of the stolen car.

• Comprehensive Coverage:

Comprehensive coverage is the type of insurance that includes coverage for theft, collision, and also other non-accidental damages. You should be mindful of the fact that if you have other coverages and do not have comprehensive coverage, then you will have to pay all the payments after an accident by yourself as the above two coverages do not provide you insurance for a stolen car. 

Things to do when your car gets stolen:

If you face car theft and your car is not insured, you will have to cover your loss by yourself as no insurance is going to pay any compensation. These are the initial things that a person should immediately do if his car is stolen:

Report to the police:

You should go and report to the police first when somebody steals your car. Legal authorities take action and try to find the proof of theft and recover your car from the thief. Reporting to the police gives you hope that your vehicle might be recovered. Help the police by providing adequate and correct data about your car and the location from where it was stolen. The data about the car may include the make and model of the car, its number plate, and the color of any other feature that can help to distinguish it from other cars.

Report to the DMV:

After reporting to the police, you need to report to the Department of Motor Vehicles. It is needed because the DMV has all the data stored about the stolen vehicles and they can be helpful to the police by providing the data about the car.

Contact your insurer:

It is true that only comprehensive car insurance can cover car theft and if you don’t have comprehensive coverage your car insurance will not be helpful for you in case of car theft. But still, you should contact your insurer and tell them about car theft. It can help you in a situation if your car is recovered and is damaged. Then other types of insurance coverage can help you to cover the damage.

Search on your own:

It is necessary to report to the police but you should also try to search for your vehicle on your own. Try to find any witness of the event around the area from where the car is stolen. Thieves try to sell your vehicle. So, you should keep an eye on the websites where car dealings are done. 

Prevention of car theft:

It is important to get your car insured. It can be helpful to reduce your worries if your car is stolen or stuck in an accident. But still, car robbery is a vicious crime and the driver has to face a time full of anxiety and tension. To avoid this miserable time in life, you will also have to take some protective measures yourself to protect your vehicle from such hazards. These measures can be:

• Lock the steering and brakes. It makes it nearly impossible to move the vehicle in such a condition when these two things are locked.
• Always close all the windows of the vehicle before leaving the vehicle and don’t forget to pick all the things in the vehicle.
• Lock all the doors of the car and keep the keys with you. 
• Nowadays, this is an era of technology and many new devices have been introduced that can improve the security of your vehicle and make car stealing a difficult process. These can involve alarms, GPS devices, and, sensory cameras.
• Sensory cameras start recording as soon as they observe any motion near the vehicle. This is a very helpful device to collect proof, catch the thief, and recover the car.
• Furthermore, GPS tracking can help locate the car and help the police and authorities to recover the car.

Conclusion:

Only comprehensive coverage pays you if your car is stolen but if you have you have no insurance and your car is stolen. Then there will be no compensation for you and you will have to pay all the expenses involving the reports and search by your own pocket. Furthermore, if you decide to buy a new vehicle, you will have to pay all the money yourself. So, it is good for a person the get their car insured so that it becomes easy for them to tackle such a difficult situation with ease. Also, it is needed that you should take care of your vehicle and always follow the protective measures to avoid any mishap.

FAQs:

Does comprehensive coverage pay for a stolen car?

Yes, comprehensive coverage pays for the stolen car. But you have to pay the deductibles. The amount paid is equal to the amount of price of the car at the time of the theft.

Does insurance cover personal things stolen in car theft?

No, comprehensive courage covers the expense of your car for sure but it does not cover the things that were present in the car at the time of the theft and are not part of the car. Things that are not installed in the car and are your property are your responsibility. It can include mobile and laptop. The only way to avoid this loss is to take care of your things and not forget anything in the car while leaving.

What to do if your leased car is stolen?

If your leased or financed car is stolen, you need to immediately call the police. Then contact your insurer and finance company. If the amount of the loan is not fulfilled by the amount covered by comprehensive coverage that is usually the actual price of the car at the time of theft. You will have to pay all the remaining dues by yourself. And if you have no insurance, still you will have to pay all the payments of the remaining loan yourself.

What happens if your car is recovered?

You are a lucky person if your car gets recovered. In case you don’t have insurance, it can be very beneficial for you that your car is recovered because it protects you from a huge financial shock. Sometimes, after the recovery of the car, there is damage occurring to the car. In this case, you should contact your insurance and report them about the damage. Talk to your insurer and find out the policies about the coverage of damage in case of having liability and collision coverage. This can reduce your expenses.