Dealing with a car break-in? Here’s what to do

Few things will put a damper on your day like realising you’ve been the victim of an car break-in. Unfortunately, it’s far from a rare occurrence—thousands of people deal with vehicle break-ins every year.

In the event that you’ve just experienced a car break-in, here is a quick guide to help you know what to do next, plus a few tips to help you secure your vehicle against future break-ins.

If you approach your car and discover a broken window or a picked lock, don’t enter or move the car at all. Instead, start documenting the details of the break-in from the outside.

Take pictures of the windows, doors, trunk, tires, and any visibly damaged areas of the car. As tempting as it may be to climb into the vehicle to further document the damage, refrain from doing so, as you may taint existing evidence.

In addition to taking pictures, make a written document. List the damages done to the car, as well as anything that may have been stolen from the vehicle. The more specific documentation you can provide, the more likely your insurance company will come to a favourable decision about reimbursements.

After you have a clear idea of the damage that’s been done, contact the police and make them aware of the break-in.

Depending on the severity of the crime and where it occurred, the reporting process may differ somewhat. Local law enforcement may send a police officer over to you to assess the situation and file the report on-site, but otherwise, you will need to go to the police station in person to file a report. If you're required to come to the station, don’t drive the car in question to get there—again, you don’t want to interfere with evidence from the crime. Rather, take public transportation, or ask a friend or family member for a ride if possible.

When it comes time to file the police report, be sure to present your driver’s license, vehicle registration, insurance information, and a description of what was damaged or stolen.

One of the biggest risks resulting from a car break-in is identity theft. If a perpetrator gets ahold of your name, birthday, license and Medicare card, they might have everything needed to steal your identity.

Additionally, if you notice your credit or debit cards were taken during the break-in, immediately alert your bank to the theft. A bank representative can help you identify any fraudulent charges, cancel the stolen cards, and request new cards.

The decision to file an insurance claim or not will likely depend on how much damage was done to your car and what was stolen during the break-in. If the dollar amount of those damages significantly exceeds your excess payment, then you may want to file an insurance claim.

Keep in mind that not all claims will go through the same insurance policy. Vehicle damage, including broken windows or scratched paint, will be filed on an auto insurance claim, while stolen personal items will need to be addressed through a contents insurance claim (if those personal effects were covered by your policy).

In either case, you will need to contact your insurance agent, give them the police report number, and then send them the information about the break-in. If your insurance company needs any more details, they will request them from you as you are navigating the claim process. Your car insurance company should also direct you as to how to get your car repaired, if needed.

After dealing with the aftermath of a break-in, the last thing you want to do is go through the process again. As such, you’ll want to take additional measures to help ensure that your car won’t get broken into a second time. Here are a few good safety practices to prevent that from happening.