Does Car Insurance Cover Theft? – Forbes Advisor INDIA

Comprehensive car insurance pays you if your car gets stolen. This optional coverage is the only way that car insurance reimburses you for theft. That’s why it’s smart to buy comprehensive coverage.

Does Car Insurance Cover Car Theft?

You’ll need to add comprehensive insurance to your car insurance policy, if you want insurance for car theft. Comprehensive coverage pays out for car theft and certain types of vehicle damage, up to the actual cash value of your car, minus your deductible.

What Comprehensive Car Insurance Covers

Comprehensive car insurance will cover these theft-related problems:

• Pays if your car is stolen.
• Pays to replace car parts that are stolen, such as a catalytic converter, but not custom parts or equipment, like an aftermarket sound system.
• Pays to repair damages caused by theft, car break-in or attempted break-in.
• Pays if your stolen car is recovered and needs to be repaired.

You’ll be responsible for your deductible for a theft claim. Comprehensive insurance also covers damage to your vehicle from problems such as vandalism, fires, floods, hail, falling objects (like tree branches) and collisions with animals (like deer).

No state law mandates that you have comprehensive insurance. But if you finance or lease your vehicle, your lender will likely require you to buy comprehensive coverage in order to protect their financial interest.

Comprehensive car insurance covers stolen cars. Homeowners, condo or renters insurance pays for items stolen from vehicles.

Comprehensive insurance won’t cover personal items that are stolen from your vehicle. For example, if your laptop gets stolen, comprehensive coverage won’t pay to replace it. However, you generally have coverage for stolen items under condo, renters or homeowners insurance.

Another thing comprehensive insurance won’t cover is the cost of a rental car. If your vehicle is stolen or damaged, you’ll need rental reimbursement insurance if you want to make an insurance claim for a rental car while your vehicle issue is resolved.

How Much Does Comprehensive Insurance Cost?

The average cost of comprehensive car insurance is INR 3,800 to INR 5,000 based on Forbes Advisor’s analysis.

Recovered Cars and Comprehensive Car Insurance

Sometimes stolen cars are found after you filed a comprehensive insurance claim. What happens if you already got paid by your insurance company for your stolen vehicle and then it’s recovered? The car insurance company takes ownership of the stolen car if it’s found after you’ve been paid for your comprehensive insurance claim.

Suppose you filed a comprehensive claim but have not yet been paid, and your stolen car is recovered but it’s damaged. Your comprehensive insurance will pay for repairs, up to the actual cash value of your car, minus your deductible.

In some cases, your car might be totaled because of the cost of repairs. If the claim hasn’t been paid and your recovered car is totaled, your insurer would pay the same as it would if the car wasn’t found after the theft—your deductible is applied and it pays you the actual cash value of the vehicle.

How Can I Prevent My Car From Being Stolen?

There are several things you can do to reduce the risk of your car being stolen. The NICB recommends a layered approach.

Take Simple Security Steps

The first layer of defense is common sense. Don’t make car theft easy for the thief. A few simple precautions can reduce the likelihood of someone taking off with your car.

• Lock your doors.
• Take your keys out of the ignition.
• Close your windows.
• Park your car in well-lit areas.

Use a Visible or Audible Anti-Theft Device

The second layer involves adding some sort of anti-theft device to help deter a car thief, including:

• Audible car alarms.
• Brake locks.
• Identification markers in or on the car, such as security labels that mark various parts which can be identified if they are removed.
• Microdot marking.
• Steering column collars.
• Steering wheel/brake pedal lock.
• Wheel locks.
• Window etching.

Install a Vehicle Immobilizer

The third layer involves installing a device that will prevent a car thief from driving off with your car, including:

• Kill switches.
• Fuse cut-offs.
• Smart keys.
• Starter, ignition and fuel disablers.
• Wireless, ignition authentication.

Get a Tracking System

The fourth and final layer involves installing a tracking system that police or a monitoring service can use to locate your vehicle if it is stolen. Some of these devices use GPS and wireless technologies. For example, the LoJack Stolen Vehicle Recovery System uses a hidden transceiver that can be tracked by police and aircraft.

How Do Insurance Companies Investigate Car Theft Claims?

When you file an insurance claim for a stolen car, your insurance company will most likely investigate the theft. You’ll need a police report to make a theft claim.

Your claim could be assigned to your insurance company’s special investigations unit. A typical investigation might include obtaining the police report, speaking with witnesses, investigating the scene of the theft and a forensic analysis if the vehicle is recovered.

Additionally, a special investigations unit investigator could contact you and ask follow-up questions regarding the theft of your vehicle. You could also be required to attend an examination under oath, which is a formal proceeding where you are questioned by a representative of an insurance company in the presence of a court reporter and subject to perjury.

Your auto insurance policy requires you to cooperate with your insurance company’s investigation. If you fail to do so, your claim could be denied.

Read More: How Car Insurance Claim Works