Having your car stolen can be extremely stressful. You lose sight and control of your vehicle, and there are more questions than answers. You may be left wondering who was responsible for the theft, where your car was taken, and whether the person may have been involved in a car accident or not. Unfortunately, these situations happen, and sometimes they don't end very well. People who commit these types of crimes don't care about being careful with other people's property and will rarely have a vehicle of their own, much less insurance.

If a friend or family member asked to borrow your car and you agreed, and that person gets into a car accident, you would still be responsible for it and any injuries that might occur. However, the situation changes when someone steals your vehicle. The key difference is that you did not give any authorization for them to use it, so your responsibility can be exonerated.

In the case that your vehicle is stolen and involved in an accident, you will need to file a claim with your insurance company to obtain compensation. The same could apply to any victim who has been damaged or injured due to an accident involving a stolen vehicle since you cannot be responsible for what happened.

You must review the terms of coverage of your insurance policy. For example, most comprehensive policies cover vehicle theft. However, this is additional coverage to standard policies, so it is important that you speak with your insurer to see what is appropriate in this situation.

If your vehicle has been stolen, it is crucial that you take the following actions:

• Confirm that your vehicle has been stolen. You must make sure that it has actually been stolen before calling the police. For example, try to remember where you parked it, check if the police didn't tow it due to an illegal parking situation or if a family member did not take your vehicle without notifying you.
• Call the police. Once you have made sure your vehicle has been stolen, contact the police immediately to file a report. You must provide all the information about your vehicle and where you last saw it.
• Contact the insurance company. Regardless of the coverage you have, your insurer will need to be informed of the theft to initiate an investigation.

If you or a loved one find yourselves in this situation, contact us so we can discuss your case. Don't wait and act fast. We can help you! 

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