When you find your car trashed unexpectedly, it puts a wrench in your plans as you're forced to scramble and fix the damage. Here are some things you can do.

Find Out Who it Was

Does the damage look like it was a random break-in or a malicious attack on your vehicle? With a mean-spirited attack towards you or your car, you might see a lot more body damage than just the broken window. If it was an attempt to steal the car, you might see scratches on the ignition. And, of course, theft from inside the vehicle speaks for itself.

But no matter who broke into the vehicle and why, it's a good idea to get the police involved. Especially if it was a malicious attack on you personally, and you think you know who was the perpetrator, get the police to take evidence and possibly look for fingerprints. Random car prowlers are a bit harder to track unless there is video evidence, but a personal attack is something that will affect your security going forward, so it's a priority to confirm who attacked your car. From there, you would be able to press charges or get a restraining order.

Get the Damage Fixed

Hopefully, you have insurance coverage to deal with random occurrences like this. File a claim with your insurer and have an auto body specialist estimate the damages for you. Auto glass replacement will be a priority, since leaving a broken window invites other people to steal from or vandalize your car. Thankfully, windshield replacement is usually a same day service, as long as it's still early enough in the day for the shop to order auto glass for delivery. These specialists will also be able to clean out the inside of the vehicle and make the car more drivable for you.

Evaluate Your Insurance and Vehicle Security

This situation will probably bring your focus back to how to avoid issues like this in the future. There are many ways. If you were left without insurance to cover the broken window and body damage, you might be looking at getting comprehensive insurance coverage (with a $0 auto glass deductible). Another thing that will help is a stronger anti-theft system that will scare away intruders. You might also consider watching where you park your car if you have been leaving it in the open, where it's vulnerable to criminals and hateful acquaintances, alike. For more information on repair service, contact a service like City Wide Auto Glass.