There’s nothing quite as frustrating as discovering your home or office has been vandalized. There are many ways you can experience vandalism, including spray painting, tire slashing, window tampering, and even arson. If your home or office is vandalized, there are several things you ought to do.
3 Steps to Take After You Experience Vandalism
Vandalism can cause serious damage to your property. For example, broken windows can result in water damage, while slashed tires can result in towing charges, new tires and other costly items.
The good news is your homeowner’s insurance or business insurance may cover the damage resulting from vandalism. Yet, you must act fast to ensure proper coverage. Here are the steps you should take next:
- File a police report: First, call the police to ensure your file a police report. Your insurance company may require a police report to process your claim. Plus, it allows you to have a complete record of the damage for your records.
- Gather evidence of the scene: If you can do so, take some photos of the vandalism around your property. These photos will also be helpful when working with your insurance company.
- Call your insurance company: Next, you’ll need to call your insurance company to file a proper claim. They may send an adjuster to your property to accurately assess the damage. If so, do what’s necessary to avoid further property damage, such as covering a broken window, but leave everything else as is.
Once your claim is processed, you’ll receive payment to help with any necessary repairs—assuming all goes well. Unfortunately, not all claims go smoothly.
Bad Faith Insurance and Vandalism Claims
Some insurance companies fail to uphold the terms in your policy. While most comprehensive policies cover vandalism, your insurance company may try to deny or delay your valid claim. This is an act known as bad faith. Some signs of bad faith include:
- Failure to investigate the property damage in a reasonable amount of time
- Failure to send payment after claim approval
- Failure to approve or deny your vandalism claim in a reasonable amount of time
If you suspect bad faith, we recommend reaching out to an experienced attorney who can help.
Reach Out to The Fell Law Firm Today
You don’t have to go through the insurance claim filing process alone. And if you suspect your insurance company is acting in bad faith, we can help. To learn more about bad faith or to speak with an attorney, give us a call at 972-450-1418 or send us a message.
