If a tow company damages your car, you may be entitled to compensation. When you’re involved in an accident and need your car towed, it’s important to know what sort of insurance coverage you have and what rights you might have when it comes to any damage done to your car.
Your best bet is to contact your state’s Department of Motor Vehicles and ask them about their state’s laws regarding tow companies and liability. In most states, two companies are required to carry insurance for bodily injury and property damage.
In some cases, the police department that authorized the tow may also be held liable for damages. If you believe that a tow company damaged your car during the course of servicing it, there are several steps you can take.
Contact the police department that authorized the tow so they can investigate any allegations of wrongdoing by the company. Contact an attorney who specializes in personal injury law so they can advise on how best to proceed with filing a lawsuit against both parties if necessary.
Contact your insurance provider so they can provide guidance on filing a claim with their company if necessary. Take pictures of all damages before repairs begin.
What is the best way to document the damage?
You may have been driving and then suddenly your car died, or maybe you were parked and someone hit you. Either way, you want to make sure that the tow company knows about all of the damage so that they can take responsibility for it and fix it for you.
The best way to document the damage is with photos. If possible, take pictures of every inch of your car before the tow truck arrives, including any parts that may have come off during the accident.
These pictures will help when you’re filing a claim with your insurance company later on. You should also get photos of any other cars involved in the accident if there are any this will prove that they weren’t at fault either.
What to do if you’re involved in an accident with a tow truck?
If you notice that the driver has damaged your vehicle while moving it from one place to another, it’s important to get their name and contact information. You’ll also want to take photos of the damage so that you can show them later when filing an insurance claim.
If you think they’ve caused any damage at all while moving your car, then it’s important that you file a police report as soon as possible this way they won’t be able to say later on that no damage was done.
What is the first thing you should do if a tow company damages your car?
The first thing you should do is call the police. The police can help you get your car back, but they cannot help you get compensation. You will need to hire a lawyer to get reimbursed for any damages caused by the tow company.
If you want to avoid this situation in the future, be sure that your insurance covers any damage done to your vehicle while it’s being towed. If not, talk with an insurance agent about adding coverage for that purpose.
What rights do you have?
You can file a claim with the towing company. Unfortunately, this is often a dead end because it’s very difficult to prove that the damage wasn’t there before the tow. If you want to take action against the tow company, you’ll need to go through small claims court. This is where you’ll be able to present your case and get compensation for your damages.
You can also file a civil lawsuit against the tow company if they damaged your car in a way that goes beyond just physical damage. A civil lawsuit requires hiring an attorney and can be costly, so it’s important to consider how much money you’re willing to spend on legal fees before pursuing this route.
How can you protect yourself?
Get an estimate for repairs before letting the tow company take your car. The more information you have about what needs fixing, the better equipped you’ll be to negotiate with them.
Ask for proof that they’re insured and bonded. This will help protect you if they don’t have enough money to pay for the damage they caused or if they disappear after hitting your vehicle.
Make sure there’s a witness who can testify that the tow truck driver acted responsibly. You might even want to ask them to stay in touch with your insurance company while they’re working on repairs so that they can answer questions about what happened during the accident.
Write down everything that happens from when you call for help until they return your vehicle and keep records of all conversations and emails between yourself and anyone else involved with this process. This will make it easier for everyone involved if something goes wrong later on down the line.
Conclusion
If you are not sure whether you want to use a tow company to get your car out of the ditch, then think about the consequences of doing so. You may end up paying more money than what you would have paid for an insurance claim, and you will have to deal with the headache of filing a claim with your insurance company and getting your car repaired.
