Stolen Car Claims

New Orleans Insurance Bad Faith Lawyer

Stolen car insurance claims are perhaps the most difficult. Insurance coverage for a stolen vehicle falls under comprehensive coverage. Your car insurance should pay out the value of your stolen car, minus your deductible. They may require that you wait a certain number of days to see if the car is recovered before they will pay you.

Trying to file an insurance claim after your car is stolen is sure to be a frustrating situation from the very beginning. Insurance companies tread carefully when handling any sort of claim, even with something as commonplace as an auto accident claim. For a claim involving the theft of such an expensive item, you can be certain that your insurer will be hesitant to help. Even if they do agree to work with you, you need to be prepared to deflect unfair lowball amounts.

At LaHatte Law, our New Orleans insurance bad faith attorney is well-versed in insurance claim law and the practices of insurance companies. If your car was stolen and your insurer is not willing to take your claim seriously, let us know what is going on as soon as possible.

After you file your claim, your insurer should:

• Send someone to investigate, if applicable
• Determine the value of the car before the theft
• Pay claim fully and in a reasonable amount of time
• Tell you exactly why your claim is denied

How to Back Up Your Stolen Car Claim

If a suspect is caught and convicted after committing grand theft auto, then it may be possible to receive compensation through a civil claim. However, in cases where the suspect is never found, the only way a person can get coverage for the damages is through their insurance policy.

Most insurance coverage for stolen cars should pay for the value of the vehicle and anything that was left inside of it, up to a certain amount. To try to save its own bottom line, an insurer may attempt to devalue the vehicle and refute anything you claim was inside of it at the time of the theft.

To enhance the strength of your claim, you should:

• Get estimates: You know the condition of your car better than anyone else. Use various online tools and websites to calculate about how much it would have been worth had you tried to sell it the day it was stolen. Get a fair average from reputable sources and see if your insurer is offering a similar amount.
• Keep it organized: Try not to keep anything in your car that is easily portable and valuable. Laptops, jewelry, and other high priced items should always be brought into your home at the end of the day. If you do have a reason for keeping them in your vehicle, make a note of it and catalogue the items.
• Research crimes: Your insurance company should consider the crime rate of your neighborhood after you say your car was stolen. Do not rely on them to do this work, though. Instead, collect the information yourself, focusing on serious crimes like grand theft auto.

Denied Insurance Claim

If your stolen car insurance claim is denied, it's fair to consider that the insurance company is acting in bad faith. Legally, auto insurance companies can only deny a claim if you misrepresented a material fact, but it's not uncommon for insurance companies to deny a claim for a stolen vehicle simply because they don't want to pay up to help you replace your car. If you feel your claim was wrongfully denied, then attorney Joey LaHatte wants to help.

Your Advocates for Tough Insurance Claims – (504) 509-5177

Is your insurance company not giving you the time of day after you filed a stolen car claim? Are they trying to say that your car was not stolen, or that its value was much lower than you know it to be? Stolen car insurance claim denied? While this might seem like careful business tactics, it could actually be insurance bad faith.

Recruit LaHatte Law, LLC and our New Orleans insurance claim attorneys today to put a strong legal force in your corner. We are here to take an uphill battle and tip it in your favor through unparalleled knowledge and unmatched case experience.