Car Accident Towing in Palm Beach County

You’ll see tow companies at the scene when you drive past a car accident. These tow trucks are usually dispatched after the officers investigating the collision need the wrecked vehicles towed. Tow drivers also help clean up the mess left behind on the road from fallen and broken debris from colliding vehicles. Tow drivers will also sweep to ensure the road is cleared of sharp objects that could damage other vehicles.

Towing Your Vehicle After A Car Accident

Police departments have contracts with local tow companies, but that doesn’t mean you have to rely on them to tow your vehicle. Most drivers do not know that they can request a specific tow company to pick up their vehicle from the scene of an accident. If you have a favorite tow company that you trust and rely on, you can call them to make arrangements to get your vehicle safely towed away from the scene of the accident after the police officers are done documenting it. Otherwise, your damaged vehicle will be towed by a company you may not be familiar with.

Where Do Tow Companies Tow Your Wrecked Car?

Crashed vehicles are typically towed to the collision repair shop of your choice, your home or the tow company will store it at their facility. Depending on your insurance company, they may request that the tow truck take your vehicle to them for inspection. This only happens if the insurance agency you use has a facility specifically for inspecting wrecked cars. Only major insurance companies like Allstate, State Farm, GEICO, and Progressive have them.

The most common choice by drivers who have been in an accident is to have a tow truck take their vehicle directly to a paint and body shop as it gets the process to have it repaired started much faster. We recommend you call the collision center to let them know your vehicle is being towed to their repair facility. You’ll also want to find out if they will be able to start on it immediately or if there is a waiting period because they have other cars, trucks and SUVs in their shop being repaired already.

Some people opt to have their vehicles towed to their homes. One of the reasons you would do this is because you want to wait for an insurance adjuster to examine the vehicle to determine if it can be repaired or is a total loss. Just keep in mind that some HOAs and rental complexes do not allow damaged vehicles to be stored on the property, and you may receive a violation notice, or they may have your vehicle towed. The other downside is that you may have to pay out of pocket to have your wrecked vehicle towed to a repair facility from your home.

The last place tow trucks may transport your vehicle is to their storage lot or facility if there is nowhere else to take it. Most tow companies charge a daily storage rate which can add up quickly and become expensive if your vehicle sits for several days or weeks. This is why it is recommended that you make arrangements with your insurance company as soon as possible to either start the repairs at a collision center or to have their insurance adjuster declare the wrecked vehicle a total loss.

Does Insurance Cover Towing?

Insurance companies will cover the cost of towing after an accident, however, only if it is included in your policy. If your policy does not cover towing, the at-fault person’s insurance company will pay towing fees for the other parties involved who needed their vehicles towed. This means that the person who caused the accident is responsible for covering the cost of towing for every vehicle transported by a tow truck.