Despite the many technological advances and the significant investments made by manufacturers to offer ever more modern and more resistant windows, both for cars and for homesglass breakage is still one of the most frequent claims. And when this happens, whether following an accident, an act of vandalism, an attempted break-in or even a natural disaster, you don’t always know what to do. In this article, we therefore share with you the advice of the experts on what to do in the event of a broken window.
Summary
For your home
If the glass in your window or door breaks following an impact, you must first secure the premises. Put on thick gloves, pick up the glass on the ground and remove any pieces on the dial. Once this is complete, follow these steps:
Install temporary protection
In order to avoid an intrusion into your home and to protect its inhabitants from cold or heat, plug the opening caused by the breakage. For this, it is strongly recommended to use polyane paper, a material commonly used in thermal insulation. You can also lay wooden planks, plywood or OSB boards using nails and screws. Click this link for more tips: https://youtu.be/Vkp3yRE9wv8
Contact your insurance
Glass breakage coverage is included in most multi-risk home insurance policies. However, to benefit from it, you have the obligation to report the claim within a maximum of 5 days using the means of contact provided by your insurer (telephone, mail, online declaration, etc.). Your declaration must detail:
- The place, date and time of the loss;
- The circumstances under which the window was broken;
- The extent of the damage.
You also have the option ofadd pictures to help your insurer better assess the situation. If the damage is significant, it could dispatch an expert on site for an assessment. If they are minimal, you can directly ask for their agreement to start the repair work and receive a refund. To find out how much compensation you will receive, consult the general conditions of your contract. The information is there.
Beware of warranty exclusions!
Note, however, that the glass breakage guarantee is not valid if the glass has been intentionally broken or if the damage was caused by a lack of maintenance. In addition, only the broken window is supported by the insurer. Window or door elements made of aluminium, PVC or wood are not covered. If in doubt, do not hesitate to ask your insurer.
Also read: Choosing the right home insurance
For your car
If the windshield, a door window or even the rear window of your vehicle is broken, your glass breakage warranty may come into play. Indeed, it generally appears in all-risk, extended third party, third party plus, intermediate or median insurance contracts.
But before any claim for compensation, remove the shards of glass from the interior of the car and protect the passenger compartment with a tarpaulin. Afterwards, within a maximum period of 5 days from the date on which you noticed the loss, report the incident to your insurer. The latter will give you his agreement for the compensation and you can take your car to the garage of your choice. Some insurers also offer to carry out repairs in a partner garage.
However, if your broken window is due to attempted theft, vandalism or natural disaster, the procedure to follow is somewhat different: https://youtu.be/2fyykEbJzaY
Declaration of glass breakage due to an attempted theft or an act of vandalism
If your car has been vandalized and one of your windows is broken, here is the procedure to follow to obtain compensation:
- Take pictures of the broken glass : this is an optional step, but it will allow you to expand your file;
- File a complaint at a police station : this is a mandatory step for glass breakage due to attempted theft or an act of vandalism;
- Send a file containing your contact details, a description of the claim and a copy of the complaint filed with your insurer within 2 working days. And this, from the moment of the observation of the loss.
Declaration of glass breakage due to a natural disaster
To obtain compensation following a climatic event that has caused damage to one or more glass parts of your car, an interministerial decree indicating the state of natural disaster must be published in the Official Journal. As of the date of publication, you have a maximum of 10 days to report the claim to your insurer. Here too, do not hesitate to add photos of your broken window to your claim file.
Finally, whether it is a home insurance contract or a car contract, be aware thatan excess is usually included in the terms and conditions. This is an amount that will remain your responsibility after compensation from your insurer. It varies from one insurer to another. To know it, and above all, to avoid any unpleasant surprises, read the terms of your contract carefully before subscribing to it. The offer with the lowest price is not necessarily the most advantageous for you.
Broken glass: Choose your insurance wisely!
We cannot repeat it enough, it is important to anticipate problems. It is not when you are confronted with the problem that you should be interested in your insurance. In addition, you should know that you will have a waiting period to receive compensation in the event of a claim from the subscription of the contract.
If you are worried about having a broken car window: get a quote for car insurance from several insurance companies. Don’t bother asking for it on different insurance sites, because you’ll waste too much time. The easiest way is to use an online comparator directly. In 5 minutes, you will receive your quotes in your mailbox. It is obviously free and without obligation. Of course, this also works in the case of broken glass in your home.
Using a comparator will not only save you time.
- It will also save you money. On average, you can expect to save 300 euros per month. This is possible thanks to the very rich database of the site.
- It is also very practical. Indeed, you can make your quote requests at any time. It can be both during the day and in the evening. You can also tackle it during the week or the weekend. Also note that the comparator will be accessible from a computer, a digital tablet or even a smartphone.
- You will have a personalized offer, since you will start by answering a questionnaire. This allows you to target your needs precisely.
You can imagine it, but if a quote suits you, you can continue your process with an online subscription. All you have to do is sign the contract online and send the supporting documents, and of course, a deposit. For supporting documents, this may be your statement of information in the context of car insurance.
Whatever happens, you must select an insurance that suits your needs. Attention, you must also pay attention to the exclusions of guarantee and the deductibles. Of course, you are not only interested in broken glass, whether for your car or your home.
You have understood that even if the comparator site will save you time, you must take some time to properly compare the offers. This will save you from having to change it after a few months.
Read also: The importance of calling in professionals in the event of an impacted windshield
