Vandalism and Theft Insurance

What happens if, one day, you come home and realize that you’ve been robbed?  Or what if you come home and realize that your whole place was trashed?  How do you deal with these instances?  Theft is a criminal act in which a person takes someone else’s property without permission while vandalism is the purposeful destruction of property by someone who does not own the property. Both are very distressing but you can somehow recover or repair what you’ve lost or what was damaged. How does the process of vandalism and theft insurance proceed?

First, assure your safety. Do not enter your home if you still hear noises or you’ll end up coming face to face with the suspects. Do not attempt to scare them off or confront them as they may be armed with knives or guns. If the coast is clear and no one is there, go check on your property and immediately contact your local police department and the proper authorities to report that a crime has occurred.

The vandalism and theft claims process is a stressful one, because it is difficult for the insured to remember or notice everything that might be missing or damaged right away. The authorities, however, will conduct an investigation that will record all your missing stuff.  Reporting this incident will help ensure that if ever your stolen properties have been recovered, they will know to whom it should be returned. Also, you’ll need the police report to make your claim. Call your insurer too as soon as possible, as he or she will know exactly what to do. 

Another thing to remember is to not throw out damaged items right away. If you need to do have emergency repairs done, keep the invoices or receipts.  Also, don’t make permanent repairs before speaking to your insurer.

Be patient in the entire claims process. Many insurance companies will require you to revise or update your police report more than once, which can be time consuming and frustrating. Also, another thing that you should be concerned about is that your home may still be ransacked and damaged after just recently experiencing theft and vandalism. Keep safety your priority.