What To Do If Your Car Is Towed After a Wreck
Posted in Car accidents on April 7, 2025
In some car accidents, the damage to your vehicle is substantial. You may not be able to drive it away from the scene. Or, if you are hurt in a car accident, you may not be able to move it yourself. That often leads to your vehicle being towed away after the wreck.
If the police call a tow truck, you may be unsure what to do next. Even if the accident is not your fault, you still need to know how to get your car back or what steps to take. A Nashville car accident lawyer can assist with your claim.
What to Expect After a Tow
One of the factors to consider is getting your vehicle back. If it was towed, the police would know where it went. You will likely have to pay a fee to have access to the vehicle. Towing costs range widely based on how it was towed (such as a flatbed truck), as well as how far it had to be towed.
In some situations, the damage is severe and the likelihood of repair is very low. Your car may be headed to a local salvage yard in those cases. These often charge a daily fee for as long as the car remains there. If it goes from a garage for repair to a salvage yard, that often means paying towing charges twice. Some of the fees you can expect include:
- Hookup fees
- Mileage costs
- Emergency service fees, especially for holidays and nights
- Type of vehicle costs
- Distance of the tow, such as if it is going to a location far from the accident site
Covering Towing Fees After an Accident
If you are the victim of a car accident, meaning someone else caused your injuries, you have the right to include towing vehicles in your claim against the at-fault party. That includes storage fees and related costs.
This depends on where the accident occurs as well. As long as you are in an at-fault state, the towing costs are paid by the at-fault driver. This is the case in Tennessee. In situations where the at-fault driver does not have insurance, there are several potential routes you can take to recover these costs.
- Use your uninsured motorist coverage. If you have an uninsured motorist coverage plan – a type of insurance policy you purchase yourself – you can file a claim for the losses you have up to the value of that policy.
- File a lawsuit against the at-fault party. The at-fault party still owes for the losses even without insurance. It can be hard to make them pay without filing a lawsuit in your case.
Having a skilled Nashville personal injury attorney is critical in each situation. Your lawyer will ensure that you receive fair compensation for your car. If it is towed and the tow truck damages the vehicle further, that could be an added step in recovering damages. Many times, the car cannot be repaired, and that means you need to fight for fair compensation.
Because your car is a valuable asset, ensure you are working with a skilled Nashville truck accident attorney to recover your losses. You do not want to be put back into a vehicle that is, in any way, unsafe for you. At the same time, you need fair compensation to cover all of your losses.