Was your car vandalized? Here is what you need to know about who can be held liable

An Ontario man says he’s being held liable for damages done to his vehicle by a random pedestrian while he was stopped at a stop light. (Supplied)

If you drive in Ontario, you must have liability insurance, and there are options to pay extra for collision and comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive insurance will repair your car in the event that it’s vandalized, but you’ll still be on the hook to pay the deductible.

One Ontario man feels it’s unfair he’s being held liable for damages done to his vehicle and is worried his insurance could go up, even though he did nothing wrong.

“Randomly someone just attacks your vehicle,” Rana Mashud, of Scarborough, Ont., told CTV News.

In May, while Mashud was returning home after a night out with friends, he said he was stopped at a red light when a woman started kicking the front of his vehicle without warning.

“She made a hand gesture like she was holding a gun and shouted at the vehicle and then kicked it again,” he said.

Mashud said while the incident only lasted seconds, his car was extremely damaged.

“My front bumper, my grill, my camera is broken. My sensors, and one of my headlights is gone.”

Mashud said he called the police and the woman was arrested however, he found out he would have to pay the $500 deductible for his insurance to cover the damage.

“You’re the one that has to pay your own deductible because it was not a vehicle that hit it, but a pedestrian,” said Mashud.

When CTV News reached out to Mashud’s insurance company Allstate Canada on his behalf, a spokesperson said in a statement, “Allstate Canada understands that experiencing vehicle damage can be both upsetting and disruptive; we are committed to supporting our customers through the claims process.”

“Deductibles are a standard component of many auto insurance policies, and their application—including in cases of vandalism—is governed by provincial regulations. Where possible, Allstate will pursue recovery from the responsible party and reimburse the customer’s deductible if successful. We encourage customers to connect with their Allstate agent to ensure they have the coverage that best suit their needs.”

According to the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC), while Mashud will have to pay the deductible, he can still try to get the person who caused the damage to his vehicle to reimburse him by going to court.

“It is very standard in every auto insurance policy when you have the physical damage, that there is a deductible,” said Anne Marie Thomas with the IBC. “There is the potential of the driver taking the person to small claims court to recoup their deductible.”

Mashud told CTV News he feels it’s unfair that a person can vandalize a car and not have to pay to repair it.

“As an innocent person, it doesn’t make any sense to have my vehicle damaged and be liable for a deductible,” he said.