When Vandalism Strikes Your Car
So the first thing you need to do is calm down. Chances are you’ll feel angry, frustrated, victimized, violated, vulnerable or worse, and that’s understandable. But nothing you feel changes what has already happened. You need to start making decisions and taking action, and need to be level-headed.
Take a few deep breaths and start gathering your car-related documents. Ideally you should have things like your auto insurance card, policy number, and vehicle registration in your wallet, but most people keep these documents in their cars. If that’s what you do, hopefully the information is accessible. Otherwise, you’ll have to dig through your home files or call someone who can gather this information.
Two very important calls
Now you have two calls to make. The first is to your auto insurer. Explain the situation and let the agent advise you how to proceed. If your car needs to be towed and/or you need a rental car, inquire now about your coverage and the process.
Next call the local police department and report the incident. Even if will take a while for an officer to arrive, wait because you’ll need a police report to support your auto insurance claim. Plus, once you involve the police, they can initiate an investigation and hopefully apprehend the perpetrator. Make note of the responding officer’s name and phone number, and find out how to obtain a copy of the report.
Document the damage
Also make note of all damage done to your car and back up your notes with pictures whenever possible. List everything that has been taken. If the car is in a garage or valet parking lot, get the attendant to confirm your notes. The attendant may have paperwork for you to complete so go ahead and do that now. Get that person’s name and contact information as well.