If you are injured in an automobile accident, odds are your vehicle also sustained some damage. In many instances, this damage renders the vehicle inoperable or at a minimum unsafe to drive. Oftentimes this leads the individual or the police to contact a towing company to dispatch a tow truck to haul the vehicle to a safe storage location. However, before your car is hooked up and hauled away after the accident, there are some things you should do that could help with your injury claim and life in general. We share those tips in today’s blog.
Before You Car Is Towed Following A Car Accident
Here’s a look at five things you should do before your car is towed away following an accident. That being said, receiving prompt medical care should take precedence depending on the extent of your injuries, so if you can’t safely do these things, see if the police, a passenger or a witness would consider doing some of the following actions. Here’s what you should do:
1. Take Photographs – Take photographs of the scene of the accident, including your vehicle and any other vehicles involved in the accident. They can help to prove your version of events and help prevent an unnecessary trip to the tow yard to take pictures after the fact. These photos can also help to prove the extent of the damage before the car was towed away in the event the other side argues that they were not at fault for certain damage to your vehicle.
2. Get Witness Information – Collect the contact information of anyone who witnessed the accident and who can back up your version of events. It’s going to be very hard to find any witnesses once you leave the scene, so get their contact information as soon as possible, especially if you’ll be getting a ride from the tow truck provider.
3. Grab Your Valuables – Many tow truck companies state that they are not liable for the loss of any property that occurs while your vehicle is on their premises. In other words, you’re not going to have much recourse if you leave your laptop or backpack in your vehicle and it goes missing while the car is being stored at the tow yard. Grab any and all valuables from the vehicle before you leave it with the towing company.
4. Get Info From The Tow Truck Driver – You’ll want to get plenty of information from the tow truck driver before they leave with your vehicle. Some questions that are helpful to ask include:
- Where will my vehicle be taken?
- How much will I be charged for towing and storage per day?
- Are there any additional fees?
- Will they instead tow it to an auto body garage? (If repairs can readily be performed).
Get this information and also make sure you have a written invoice or receipt before you allow them to drive off with your vehicle. Having all this information will not only be helpful, it can avoid a massive headache if you can’t find your car or on the off chance the tow operator is attempting to scam you.
5. Contact A Lawyer – While this doesn’t necessarily need to be done prior to your car being towed away, it doesn’t hurt to reach out if you’ll be waiting a while for a tow truck. A car accident attorney can help explain the process of collecting compensation for your injuries or the damages to your vehicle, and they can also provide you with more information about towing, vehicle handling and whether or not you can collect these fees from another party. Reach out to a lawyer soon after your crash to help kickstart the process of collecting the compensation you rightfully deserve.
For more information or for help with your car accident case, reach out to Dean and the team at Margolis Law Office today.
