Stolen Vehicle & Theft Claims

Central Florida Law Firm Dedicated To Getting You The Settlement You Deserve

If your vehicle is stolen or suffers damage, you expect that your car insurance will cover your claim. Paying your monthly premium and knowing you have auto insurance coverage may provide you with some peace of mind. There is nothing to worry about — your insurer is on your side, right? Wrong! At the Law Offices of Michael B. Brehne, P.A., our Orlando attorneys can work with you to get you the settlement you deserve.

Auto Insurance Claim Attorneys

Insurance companies are neither your friends nor your neighbors. They are not always on your side and they don’t always offer a helping hand. Auto insurance companies are businesses with the primary objective to protect their corporate profits. One of the ways they do this is by keeping to a minimum auto insurance claim settlements. As a result, you may not receive all that you are entitled to under the terms of your policy.

At the Law Offices of Michael B. Brehne, P.A., we are experienced in recovering money from disputes with auto insurance companies. Our insurance attorneys know the law and they know how insurance companies work. Our goal is to achieve the maximum recovery for your denied or undervalued claim. Call us for a free insurance and injury case consultation.

Is Theft Covered By Your Insurance Policy?

If your insurance policy includes comprehensive coverage, this will cover you in case of vehicle theft. Comprehensive insurance is meant to cover damage caused by non-collision events, such as flooding or vandalism. However, comprehensive insurance is an optional add-on, and not offered in most standard insurance policies, so it’s important to check with your insurer to find out if you are covered in case of car theft. If your insurance policy offers only liability and collision, it will not protect you if your car is stolen.

Offering No-Cost Representation

If your car has been stolen, the last thing you want to worry about is the additional cost of hiring an insurance attorney. In Florida, insurance companies that have been proven to have acted in bad faith are required by law to cover the complainant’s legal fees. This means that if your insurance company is found to have improperly denied or undervalued your claim, it will pay your legal bills. In all other cases, your case will be handled on a contingency basis. This means that unless your insurance dispute lawyer secures compensation on your behalf, there will not be any fees.

We handle disputed and denied claims involving the following.

  • Car theft
  • Stolen, recovered and damaged vehicles
  • Stolen/stripped parts
  • Theft or damage of specifically insured items
  • Loss of Use
  • Vandalism
  • Car burglary

What To Do If Your Car Is Stolen

In the first few minutes after you realize your car is not where you left it, it’s hard to know what to do. You may freeze or panic, and filing an insurance claim or hiring an insurance attorney will be the last thing on your mind. Take a few deep breaths before you plunge into a panic.

Ensure That Your Car Was Stolen

Before anything else, you’ll want to be sure your car has actually been stolen. It may seem like a waste of valuable time, but think how silly you’ll feel if you make a police report and it turns out you parked your car a block down from your usual spot.

If you know for certain that your car is not where you left it, there is also the possibility that it has been towed. Before reporting it stolen, check the impound lot.

File A Police Report

Once you’ve determined that your car has been stolen, it’s important to file a report as soon as possible. The sooner you call the police, the more likely it is that your car will be recovered. Additionally, your insurance company will not honor a claim unless you have first filed a police report.

When you file your report, you’ll need the following information on hand:

  • VIN number
  • Make and model of your car
  • License plate
  • Where your car was last seen

If you have a tracking device in your car, you’ll want to give that information to the police as well. Once you’ve filed the report, keep a copy for your insurance company and your insurance lawyer.

Inform Your Insurance Company Of The Theft

No matter what your insurance policy covers, it’s important to alert your insurance company to the fact that you are not in possession of your vehicle. Even if your policy does cover theft, you will not receive a payout right away. First, your insurance company will investigate the claim, to determine that you were not involved in the theft of your vehicle. Our experienced insurance attorneys can help guide you through the process of this investigation. Expect to answer questions such as the following.

  • Where did you last park your car?
  • Did you file a report with the police?
  • Do you have a tracking device installed in your car?

Most insurance companies have a waiting period of anywhere from one week to one month to see if the car is recovered. If it is not, you are entitled to the Actual Cash Value (ACV) of your stolen car.

Payment From A Stolen Car Insurance Claim

During the claims process, your insurance company should explain how they calculate the ACV of your car. This is usually the market value of your car minus depreciation. Ask your adjuster to walk you through these calculations in addition to doing your own research. Insurance adjusters will always start at the low end of their range, so never accept the first offer. Our experienced Orlando attorneys can handle negotiations with your insurance company to ensure that you receive what you deserve. 

Make Sure You Are Happy With The Offer

Remember that once you accept an offer, you cannot ask for more money, so make sure the offer you accept is fair. If you are unhappy with an offer, it is well within your right to dispute it. Our insurance dispute attorneys will help gather the evidence you need to prove the valuation of your car, including the blue book value and the car’s mileage.

 If you feel that your insurance company has denied your claim unreasonably, you may have grounds for a bad faith lawsuit. If this is the case, our bad faith insurance attorneys will fight for you to get you the settlement you deserve.

Are You Getting What You Deserve?

The first settlement offer an insurance company makes is seldom the “best it can do.” In fact, they won’t likely mention additional money that may be available. For example, your renters or homeowners insurance policy may cover the cost of personal items within the stolen car as well as the vehicle. We fight to achieve a just and satisfactory outcome for your auto insurance claim. By collaborating with our trusted network of insurance experts and appraisers, we can present a strong and compelling case to help you receive a higher settlement for your stolen vehicle insurance claim. 

Contact our auto insurance claim attorneys at the Law Offices of Michael B. Brehne, P.A., either online or by phone. You don’t have to face an adversarial insurer alone.