If you have comprehensive coverage, you should be covered for the cost of repairs, or the cost of replacing your car, minus your deductible.
If valuables like golf clubs, laptops etc. are stolen from your car, this is usually covered by your home insurance contents policy, not your car insurance. However, if something that is part of the car like a stereo is stolen, that is covered by the comprehensive coverage that may be part of your auto policy. Damage done to windows or doors to get into your car is also covered by comprehensive.
Most policies won’t replace your stolen car with a brand new car. They will pay you the current market value of the car at the time it was stolen. You can usually pay a little extra for replacement cost coverage, which means if your car is stolen or completely destroyed, insurance will pay you whatever you paid for the car when you bought it.
If your car suffers damage that wasn’t your fault, whether in a collision or due to weather, fire or vandalism, you may think that making a claim won’t affect your future premiums, but it can.
By law, insurance companies can only increase your auto insurance premiums if you make a claim related to an accident that was your fault, but if you make other kinds of claims, your insurer can take away your claims-free discount, increase your deductible, limit your future coverage, or if you make multiple claims in a short period, they can even refuse to renew you.
Whenever your car is damaged, try to determine, based on the repair estimate and your deductible, if it’s worth making a claim, or if you’re better off paying a few hundred dollars out of pocket to keep your claims record clean.
Ask Adam Special: To Claim or Not to Claim
If your car is damaged, you get to decide who fixes it, and maybe you know somebody who does really good work for a reasonable price. Have them give you an estimate, and in most cases, your insurance company will pay the bill.
If you don’t have a trusted body shop though, you might want to think about bringing your car to a shop that’s on your insurance company’s preferred list of vendors. These are some of the advantages:
Call us first: If you get in an accident during business hours, your M&W team can help you navigate the claims process, and even advocate for you with the insurance company. After hours, you should call your insurer directly.