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Question
A week ago yesterday i locked my purse up in my car with my keys in it. That night someone broke in my car and stole my purse. Four days later they came back and drove off with my car. The police were called and a report was filed for the auto theft but not for the initial theft. Now the insurance company needs a report number for the keys being stolen. A call was made that morning to report it to the police but I had to go to work and could not wait for an officer. So there is some record of me calling but no report.Can I have an officer come out now (a week later) and file a report? And will that be enough for the insurance company? What should I do?
Hello Jessica,
Isn't it nice how your insurance company trusts you? You told them the story and they need "proof" you are not lying. Police reports take forever and unless you are in some small town where the cops have nothing else better to do, you most likely won't get a cop to come over. It is standard procedure to take such property crime reports over the phone. Call it in and request how you get a copy of the report for your insurance company.
This illustrates my point so well in which the insured is placed under suspicion with the auto theft claim. Not all insurance companies are like this, but the big ones are looking for any reason to deny theft theft claim although in this instance, nothing was mentioned of denial yet.
Fraud is a major problem and I do not condone such activity and if it can be proven, the person(s) should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law, but here we have a woman stating her purse was stolen with the keys in the car, and then her car was stolen days later. That statement should be good enough to pay the theft claim unless her policy is stated differently.
Good Luck,
Rob
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Answers by Expert:
Rob Painter, Ase, CFEI, CAFATE
Expertise
Please remember. I am not an attorney and cannot legal advice. My answers are based on my experience due to litigation I have been involved in as an expert, for both insurance companies and while oposing them opposing them. I deal with only comprehensive claims on autos related to fire and theft. I have even had the opportunity to rewrite policy coverage language as it relates to vehicle theft and forced entry for insurance defense attorneys.
Experience
Experience in the area: Working with insurance companies and attorneys on these issues for over 20 years. It is very common to have a reported stolen car with a so-called factory anti-theft system to have the theft claim denied. I have served successfully as an expert witness in the courts across the US representing the insured and their attorney revealing that the insurance expert did not take all known theories into consideration before rendering their "Forensic" conclusion. Many insurance carriers us independent "Forensic" experts to examine reported stolen vehicles commonly using flawed methodology implicating the innocent insured with the theft. My job is to determine if the insurance expert reached his conclusions based on accepted scientific principals or just net opinion with no basis other than opinion. My case record against such experts is very compelling.My resume can be seen at the catagory "Auto Theft and Prevention." In "Forensics" the scientific method must be employed. In the forensic locksmith field determining how a reported stolen vehicle was last operated, many processes cannot be duplicated and are conveniently not addressed. If they were, juries would have the opportunity to make a fair and impartial opinion at least about what the expert could or could not prove. There is a purported process determining the last key used. The chances of determining such is very rare uless the key is found in the ignition lock. Experts commonly destroy evidence as well and are rarely questioned on this event. I reveal the weakness in their testimony on such instances.
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