Repairing or replacing a broken car window is one of the unavoidable duties associated with owning an automobile. Everything from a small pebble propelled by the tire of the vehicle in front of you on the highway to a falling tree limb can cause severe damage. And, of course, there’s always the unfortunate case of being the target of thieves or vandals.
Whatever the cause, when you find yourself with a broken windshield, there are a few basic actions that you must always avoid.
Forget to Take Pictures of the Broken Car Window
Years ago, it was understandable when a car owner wasn’t able to whip out a camera and snap a few pictures of his car damage. However, smartphones put a camera in everyone’s pocket. Don’t leave it there. Take several pictures from various angles before anything is moved or changed at the scene.
Forget to Take Inventory
If someone smashed your car window, there’s a good chance he also had time to steal something. Even if the window was broken by a falling tree limb, an opportunistic thief might have taken advantage of the situation. So, it’s a good idea to carefully look through your glove compartment and other areas to see if anything is missing.
Allow a Thief Time to Steal Your Identity
Immediately alert the proper authorities if any personal identification was taken. This includes your smartphone, which has enough information about you to pose a legitimate threat of identity theft.
Your bank, your credit card issuer, and your employer are just a few of the other authorities that you might have to contact depending, of course, on exactly what was stolen.
File an Insurance Claim Without Doing Your Homework
Would it be cheaper to pay for the damage or file an insurance claim? It depends. It’s a good idea to either re-read your policy or to contact your agent for clarification.
If you automatically file a claim without checking your policy, you may find that you’ll have to pay more to fix a broken window if the insurance company steps in. Why? Because your policy may have a high deductible.
Immediately Start Cleaning Up
Don’t be quick to try to tidy up your automobile. Both the police and the insurance company will want to see things as they are. An untouched scene will make it easier for the police and the insurance company to understand what happened. If you move anything, you could complicate the investigation.
Leave the Window Exposed
Once the police and the insurance company have visited and made their reports, you can feel free to begin cleaning up the damage. Primarily, you want to cover the window to keep rain, leaves, pollen, bugs, and stray cats out of your car.
If your local forecast, doesn’t call for rain, you can use cardboard to cover the window. But if rain is on its way, choose a plastic sheeting. Whatever material you select, it will probably be best to secure it from the inside of the car rather than the outside so that you don’t damage the paint.
Procrastinate Scheduling Your Repair
Don’t forget to call a qualified repair technician like the ones you’ll find at Multi-glass of Texas LLC. You don’t want to leave your car with a plastic window for too long. It invites thieves. It could even get you into trouble with your neighborhood covenant or your town’s local code of ordinances.
Want to Learn More About Maintaining Your Automobile?
After you’ve repaired or replaced your broken car window, you’ll begin thinking of other things that you’d like to upgrade on your car. So, if you start to come down with a case of DIY fever, don’t fight it. Feed that fever with the helpful articles you’ll find in our repair section.