Coming down to your car and finding your tires slashed, or even just one slashed, can be infuriating and very inconvenient, too. There are many different scenarios possible if you have had your tires slashed.
You may have a good idea who did it and why they did it. You may have even seen them slashing your tires. It may have been a random act of vandalism, or a deliberate attempt at intimidating you personally. It may be a one off event, or one of a number of incidents that have happened recently.
Whatever the reason for the tire slashing, it is potentially a criminal act. Not only are you affected financially, but you have a duty to file a police report to alert the authorities to what happened. If they decide to investigate, they may find sufficient evidence to charge the tire slasher.
This may help you if you decide to pursue a personal injury claim for property damage against the perpetrator. An attorney will be able to help you when making a decision about what legal action you could take.
Deliberate Tire Slashing Is a Criminal Offense
Depending on the circumstances and whether you know who slashed your tires, you may decide to press charges against the person who did it. To do this you should file a police report at your nearest police station.
In most states, there are various ways you can file a police report. You can do it online or by personally showing up to a police station and filling in a report. You may also be able to do it over the phone, but generally this is not a suitable option as the police cannot be certain of your identity. You will be given a chance to describe what happened and what you know about the tire slashing.
The police will ask you whether you want to press charges. Each state has different rules about tire slashing, but unless you have a very expensive car with very expensive tires, the offense is likely to be called something like ‘criminal mischief’ and be a misdemeanor.
Whether it is a felony or not depends on the cost of the damage. A conviction for misdemeanor criminal mischief could result in a fine, time in a county jail and/or probation. Much depends on whether there were prior offenses committed and whether the tire slasher shows genuine remorse.
A PI Claim Could be Filed After Your Tires Were Slashed
Depending on the value of the tires slashed, you may decide to file a personal injury claim against the person who slashed the tires. This is not an ordinary personal injury claim for damage to property as the act was deliberate rather than a result of negligence.
It is highly unlikely that the person’s insurance policy, if he or she had one, would cover such a deliberate act. You may decide that the easiest option is to make a claim against your own insurance policy if the deductible is not too high, otherwise you may have a hard job getting compensation directly from the individual tire slasher.
Don’t Take Action Into Your Own Hands – Talk a Lawyer
Even if you are enraged by the fact that your tires were slashed, there is no good that will come by taking the law into your own hands. File a police report, press charges and if your tires were particularly valuable talk to a personal injury attorney about the possibility of filing a personal injury claim against the perpetrator. To speak with a lawyer who can help with your claim, complete the Free Case Evaluation on this page.
