Vandalized and burglarized car: what to do?

Vandalized and burglarized car: what to do?
 

Imagine: you go for an errand in town, you park on the street, you take the time to do your shopping and, when you come back, you find that your car has been stolen. How to react ? How do you get compensated? Who are you turning towards ? The Matmut explains everything to you!
An imperative: file a complaint
What to do when your car has been stolen? Your first instinct should be to file a complaint. Here's what you need to know about this process.
Elements to communicate
Filing a complaint (online or at a police station) is to initiate the process which can lead, when your car has been stolen, to compensation equal to the damage suffered - depending on the guarantees taken out and the outcome of the procedure. Thus, you must go to the nearest police station or gendarmerie station. You will have to describe the type of theft with which you have been confronted: theft with violence, with threats (car jacking for example), by trickery, following a theft of the keys, a breach of trust , after the delivery of a fake bank check…
 
So don't delay! You will need to decline and specify:
your identity ;
information about the stolen vehicle;
the circumstances, day and time of the flight;
the list of any objects stolen from the vehicle.
You will then receive a receipt proving that you have actually filed a complaint. This document will be valuable for the rest of the events.
The follow-up to the complaint
Once the complaint is filed, the case passes into the hands of the public prosecutor. He has 3 months to classify, or not, this case without follow-up.
 
In this case, it will mainly depend on the ability of the police to identify the person who stole your car. This is also why you should go to the police station as soon as possible: taking any fingerprints on the bodywork and/or consulting video surveillance tapes are two operations that may only be possible for a limited time. After the flight.
Has the perpetrator been found? The prosecutor can decide to refer him to court. You will be informed of this and will have the possibility of bringing a civil action to obtain compensation.
Exchange with insurance
Pending the decision of the prosecutor on the follow-up that will be given to your filing of a complaint, it is imperative to contact your insurer. It is up to you to report the theft. You will also be able to take stock of your contract and the coverage, or not, of the flight from the trailer.
Read also: Act of vandalism on a car: what to do to be compensated?
Get compensated when your car was stolen
 Have you filed a complaint and informed your insurance company of the theft suffered? Here's how to get compensation for the damage.
Before 20 days, after 20 days…
Are you insured against vehicle theft? The management of this event will be different depending on the results obtained by the police:
if the car is not found after a period of 20 days, the insurance will trigger compensation, against delivery of all the elements concerning the vehicle (double keys, gray card, etc.);
if the car is found before 20 days (and if it is roadworthy), the insured must recover it, and the insurance must carry out any repairs (the damage is quantified by expert opinion and the contractual deductible is deducted).
Also read: How long does it take to file a car claim?
What about a car found after 20 days?
One case remains: what happens if the car is found after 20 days and the compensation has been paid? It’s simple: the insured has a choice. Either he takes the vehicle back and reimburses the insurance, or he reimburses if the vehicle has not been damaged. If the vehicle has been damaged, the damage is estimated by expert appraisal and the contractual excess is deducted from the amount of the operations.
Be careful however, in all cases, traces of break-ins must have been observed by the police. Otherwise, the insurance could be entitled to consider that the insured is responsible, at least in part, for the theft (keys forgotten on the ignition with the doors open, car left with the engine running, etc.).