You may not know this, but many liability-only and full coverage insurance plans don’t provide towing accommodations. Therefore, you’ll be responsible for covering the costs, even after an accident. However, if you’re not at fault for the crash, the other driver’s insurance will cover the damages to your car. Their insurance may cover towing expenses as well.
Luckily, most insurance providers offer some sort of towing coverage. However, like mentioned above, towing coverage isn’t typically included in regular plans, so you’ll need to ask for it. It’s fairly common to assume that you get towing coverage automatically, but that isn’t always the case.
In this article we will talk about how to get towing coverage with your car insurance provider.
Towing Coverage Options
Many insurers provide some sort of towing accommodation. It’s worth mentioning that each insurance provider will have a different way of going about towing coverage. Therefore, you need to talk with your provider and see what options you have.
If your insurance provider covers the towing cost, one option is they may dispatch a tow truck operator to your location. From there, the truck will bring your car to the nearest repair shop. However, some companies only provide reimbursement options to policyholders. A policyholder must pay for the towing services and file a claim to obtain money from the insurer. Note that this option only has a $50 limit.
Moreover, when you get towing coverage through your insurer, you need to clarify the plan’s limitations. Such limitations can include only offering a reimbursement or not being able to use it anytime and anywhere. If that’s the case, you may want to seek coverage elsewhere.
What to Do if an Accident Isn’t Your Fault
If you don’t have coverage for roadside assistance, you’ll have to pay for these expenses out of pocket. However, the circumstances change if an accident isn’t your fault. The at-fault driver’s liability insurance will cover the towing expenses for your damaged vehicle.
Therefore, the other driver’s insurance company will send a tow truck to haul your vehicle to the nearest shop.
If you’re wondering, do you tip a tow truck driver, refer to our blog.
How Do I Find My Car after It’s Been Towed?
Typically, a car needs towing in two cases. First, the owner of the vehicle requests a towing service to transport the vehicle to the nearest repair shop. The owner will usually retrieve the car later. In that case you need to ask the tow truck company for their address and phone number.
If you’re wondering, how much does a tow truck cost, refer to our article for information.
Secondly, a police officer may decide to tow your vehicle from the scene of an accident to get it off the road. In this circumstance you would need to call the local police department to find out the whereabouts of your damaged vehicle.
If by chance you were transported to the hospital while this occurred, then you’ll need to call the police department in the city where the accident took place.
Summing Up
In a nutshell, in most cases your insurance company will offer some type of towing coverage. It’s important to find out what that is exactly and what the limitations are.
Source
https://www.caranddriver.com/car-insurance/a36355282/does-insurance-cover-towing-after-an-accident/