Business auto claims

Other auto insurance claims

• Vandalism

  If your business vehicle has been vandalized

  At the scene

  • Call police at a non-emergency number to report the incident. Although most vehicle vandalism is random, if you believe yours is a result of harassment or revenge, provide that information to police including potential suspects.
  • If there are witnesses, collect their contact information.

  Secure your vehicle and its contents

  • Make sure your vehicle is safe to drive. If your vehicle is towed, remove your registration, insurance card, credit cards and personal belongings. Also, remove your house or office keys from your key ring or fob.
  • Don't attempt to clean up or repair any damage until a claims associate has made a full assessment. (In the case of rain, take necessary measures to keep your interior dry.)
  • Save receipts for any materials you buy to protect your vehicle for possible reimbursement.

  Document the damage

  • If the police don't come to the scene, take pictures of the damage from every angle to help document your claim. It also is helpful if you have fairly current pictures of your vehicle before the vandalism, in case there's any question of when the damage happened.
  • Document any items that were stolen or damaged and locate receipts, if possible.

  Safeguard your fleet from vandals

  

  Park vehicles inside

  

  Park under lights

  

  Install alarms

  

  Hide valuables

• Accident with an animal

  What to do after you hit an animal in your business vehicle

  • Pull to the side of the road.
  • If anyone is injured, call 9-1-1 immediately and try to remain calm and focused.
  • Turn on your hazard lights or use flares to warn other drivers.
  • Don’t approach the injured animal. Wait for authorities.
  • Report the accident to police. (Some states have laws about leaving the scene of an animal-related accident.)
  • From a safe location, photograph the scene and any damage to your vehicle.

  Tips to avoid hitting animals

  

  Stay alert on 2-lane roads

  

  Use high beams at night

  

  Don’t swerve to avoid hitting a deer

• Hail damage

  If you’re caught in a hail storm

  • Help protect your vehicle by seeking shelter under an overpass or in a structure with a strong roof. Or pull to the side of the road and cover your face with clothing to protect it from possible broken glass.
  • From a safe spot, photograph any damage.
  • Cover any broken windows to protect your vehicle from any further damage from the elements.

  Repairing hail damage

  There are generally 2 methods to repair hail damage to vehicles:

  • Paintless Dent Removal (PDR). Special molded tools are used on the underside of the vehicle panels to push out and smooth dents, so the painted surface is not disturbed. Generally, repairs may take only a few days. PDR is not effective on large dents or extensive damage by hail.
  • Conventional vehicle repair. Working mostly on the exterior of the vehicle, dents are pulled out and irregularities filled in with a body filler While the method is most effective on deep dents, repair time is generally longer because the repaired area must be primed and repainted.

  Your claims associate and body shop you selected can recommend which method is best suited to repair the damage to your vehicle.

  Addressing large-scale hail damage

  In the event of a major hail storm, we may send our Automated Mobile Hail Estimating units to an area where large numbers of members’ vehicles have been damaged.

  The mobile units use high-definition cameras to scan the dents and generate a highly accurate damage report within minutes.

• Auto theft

  What to do if your vehicle is stolen

  • Call the police to file a report. They’ll likely add your information to national theft databases that will make it harder for the thief to sell or re-title your vehicle.
  • Give police the location of the theft, as well as a description of your vehicle and license plate number. If possible, include your vehicle identification (VIN) and registration numbers.
  • Let police know if your vehicle has a device that helps track and recover a stolen vehicle through GPS. Popular services include LoJack®, OnStar® and Safety Connect®.

  Locate and secure your title. If your vehicle is leased or financed, also alert the lender or leasing company.

  Tips to help deter car thieves

  

  Always lock your car

  

  Park in a well-lighted area

  

  Get an alarm system

  

  Hide any valuable