Towing Damage: Who Pays?

When your car suffers towing damage, who’s liable? Is the towing company responsible for paying for repairs, or are you forced to deal with your own insurance company, even though you aren’t to blame?

Discovering and repairing towing damage can be stressful, but trying to recover your funds can be even more frustrating. Here’s how you should approach the situation.

Avoid This Mistake

First of all, why was your car towed? If you left it in a tow-away zone and it was taken to a tow yard, you’re probably upset and ready to sign any paper they put in front of you, so long as you get your car back.

Here’s the catch: You shouldn’t. Don’t sign anything from the tow yard until you have looked over your car from top to bottom, checking for signs of towing damage and for any missing valuables in the vehicle.

The papers they will try to get you to sign most likely contain clauses releasing the towing service from liability for any damage to your vehicle while it’s in transit or in storage, including items stolen from inside.

If you sign these papers, you are not going to be able to recoup any money for towing damage the company caused.

Proving the Towing Company Caused the Damage

If you believe the tow service caused the current damage to your car, it’s on you to prove it.

First, see if you can find documentation from the tow service that described the state of the car before they towed it away. If the new damage was not on that list, you may be able to file a successful claim, either with your own insurance or the company itself.

If you have any pictures or video evidence that shows a difference in the car’s condition between the time you released it to the towing company and when you picked it up, it will help build your case.

What Does Your Insurance Cover?

Many car owners prefer to work with their own insurance companies when it comes to collecting for damage. If you have collision coverage, any towing damage is probably would be covered under this category, since it most likely happened during transit.

You still will have to pay your deductible before your insurance will pay for repairs, but don’t worry — you may be able to get reimbursed. If the insurance company investigates and decides the tow service is at fault, they may pursue reimbursement from them and you may see some or all of your deductible returned.

You also can deal with the towing company itself and try to negotiate payment for repairs. You may still have to notify your insurance company of damage to your car, so stay aware of the requirements of your policy.

Avoid Towing Damage

Of course, you can completely avoid this entire problem and work with a company that’s highly trained, extremely experienced, and much more trustworthy than the average tow service. Call Stauffer’s Towing when you need assistance, and you can forget all about the worries of towing damage — your car will arrive safe and sound.