Her Car was Stolen (Page 3): The issue is unlikely about who was driving but rather whether the damages being claimed were indeed the result of the theft. In other words, any damages...

Klickitatdave Loc: Seattle Washington

BebuLamar wrote:

If she let a relative driver the car they would pay but perhaps in this case she didn't let the thief drive the car.

The issue is unlikely about who was driving but rather whether the damages being claimed were indeed the result of the theft. In other words, any damages that existed before the theft would not be covered and would be denied. She would be able to get these dings, dents, or crumples repaired if she had comprehensive coverage but it would be a separate claim than that of the theft.

Flyerace Loc: Mt Pleasant, WI

She would not be responsible if the "non permissive driver" caused damage, but I'm pretty sure most insurance policies would pay IF she had the right insurance. (Collision & Comprehensive) There is no reference to the age of the vehicle. Maybe the insurance is just the basic liability.

It has been quite a few years since I worked in the insurance claims department, but every state has it's own laws and definitions.

It seems the easiest car to break into is the KIA. Milwaukee has initiated a lawsuit against the car company because of the damage these stolen cars cause.

BebuLamar

But if she doesn't have comprehensive damage policy then she didn't have full coverage as she claimed.

PhotogHobbyist Loc: Bradford, PA

jerryc41 wrote:

Local woman -

My car was stolen out of my driveway last week. While driving on thruway a high speed chase with police ensued. Car stopped and robbers jumped out and ran. Apparently, car ran out of gas-😊. However, car was banged up (which insurance won’t cover because I didn’t do damage). Police think it’s related to car ring in New Jersey. Time to rethink home security and lock your cars.

Around 35 years ago I had left my car unlocked in my driveway. I went out to run an errand and noticed there were no knobs on the radio. The radio was loosened in the dash but it could not be removed because of the tight space it was located in. At the time I was an employee of the Federal Prison System and began locking cars and house. A few years ago my wife's purse was stolen from our house while we were home, with the front door unlocked. We now keep our doors locked even when home.

chrissybabe Loc: New Zealand

The most difficult to steal - guess which models have the most expensive keys and which models will cost the most to gain access to if the key is lost, stolen, or the security CPU has a brain fart !

Ctrclckws

jerryc41 wrote:

I wonder how many Yugos have been stolen. And why.

I know of at least one.

A long time ago, a coworker had a Yugo, and it was stolen from the work parking area, deep inside a manufacturing area.

Also in the lot was a Mercedes, a BMW, a Datsun Z, and other nicer vehicles.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

My son and I have Honda Fits. They lock themselves, but only sometimes. Odd.

Rich2236 Loc: E. Hampstead, New Hampshire

[quote=jerryc41]Unfortunately, it's easy to open a locked car.

When I was a kid, my family had a 1958 Olds. My friend's family had the same model, and the key for one worked in the other. I found a GM key on the sidewalk, and that key fit both cars.

[/quote

While working as a Deputy Sheriff in Los Angeles, one of my "Off-Duty" jobs was tow-car...To explain, there was no parking on Sunset Blvd. (West Hollywood,) after 8 p.m.... So, one of the jobs, if the car was parked illegally, was opening cars, inventorying the contents and letting the tow service tow the car away. But what I am getting at was, it only took 1 to 2 seconds to get into the car!!! ANY CAR! No matter how locked the car was. With the right set of tools, (which I was privy to having at the time,) I could get into a car, any car, in that time or less.
So, yes, it is very easy to open a locked car door.

SkyKing Loc: Thompson Ridge, NY

jerryc41 wrote:

Local woman -

My car was stolen out of my driveway last week. While driving on thruway a high speed chase with police ensued. Car stopped and robbers jumped out and ran. Apparently, car ran out of gas-😊. However, car was banged up (which insurance won’t cover because I didn’t do damage). Police think it’s related to car ring in New Jersey. Time to rethink home security and lock your cars.

…Jeff Foxworthy did a segment about living in upstate NY…he said, “if you lock your car at night but leave your front door opened, you must be living in upstate NY…”
…my favorite is… “if the speed limit is 55 and your doing 75, and being passed by other cars, you must be living in upstate NY…”

Lucasdv123

Our supervisor would always tell us to lock our vans out there wherever we worked at cause there were a lot of rats out there.i told him the rats were at our work center.i could leave my telephone van unlocked and no one would dare mess with it.we would have drills, wiring, and telephone sets missing out of our vans.i took my supervisor out to the yard and opened 5 vans with my key.i would have opened another 6 or 8 more but they were Ford and not chevys.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Lucasdv123 wrote:

Our supervisor would always tell us to lock our vans out there wherever we worked at cause there were a lot of rats out there.i told him the rats were at our work center.i could leave my telephone van unlocked and no one would dare mess with it.we would have drills, wiring, and telephone sets missing out of our vans.i took my supervisor out to the yard and opened 5 vans with my key.i would have opened another 6 or 8 more but they were Ford and not chevys.

I think it matters somehow if things are locked when someone breaks in.

BurghByrd Loc: Pittsburgh

jerryc41 wrote:

You're obviously not in the insurance business.

They always look for a way to avoid paying. I suppose if she let a relative drive the car, and it got damaged, they wouldn't pay, either.

Perhaps time for your Lawyer to ask the insurance Co. why not?

BurghByrd Loc: Pittsburgh

Oops. Just realized you were relating the story of someone else so I should have said her lawyer, not your lawyer.

Nigel7 Loc: Worcestershire. UK.

Mark Sturtevant wrote:

I don't see how insurance won't cover it.

Of course they won't cover it if it was left unlocked. She should have read the small print.

clint f. Loc: Priest Lake Idaho, Spokane Wa

There is more to this story than we are being told. Insurance companies are in the business of paying claims. They have statisticians and actuaries to make sure they are on the correct side of the equation. They make their money in the financial markets with institutional loans and such. The downside to not paying a legitimate claim is an allegation of bad faith in dealing with the claimant. Some states have treble damages as they are considered consumer protection violations. The insurance industry is highly regulated, some states have an insurance commissioner who approves the terms of coverage/exclusions. Like I said there is more to the story. Also, an exclusion for theft if you didn’t lock the car would never fly. If you gave the keys to a repairman, as an example, and he ended up stealing the car does that violate the terms of the policy? Of course not, although who knows in the UK or other foreign countries.