The Oregon Insurance Division states in their consumer insurance brochure that if you file a claim, you have a right to be informed of the process to be used to settle your claim and the progress of your claim. Insurance companies must respond to claim communications within 30 days. They must complete a reasonable investigation of a claim within 45 days, unless they can justify additional time is needed.

During the claim process you must cooperate with the insurer’s reasonable investigation of your claim. Failure to cooperate may result in a delay in payment or even the insurance company denying your claim.

With a stolen car that is not recovered an insurer will want to do a thorough investigation so it may take up to 45 day limit and even longer if they can justify using additional time for their investigation into how the car was stolen, etc. Insurance companies in general do try to pay claims in a prompt and reasonable amount of time. However, what constitutes "prompt and reasonable" may vary from claim to claim.

Unique situations, special circumstances or an adjuster with an increased case load due to extreme weather events such as a blizzard or hurricane can slow the process the claims process down.

If you want to know more about your consumer rights regarding a comprehensive car insurance claim for a total loss due to your vehicle being stolen you can contact the OR Insurance Division directly. To see if your insurance company has any time limits regarding claims beyond the OR state laws, read through your policy and check with both your insurance agent and the claims adjuster working on your claim.