Getting Your Car Towed from the Scene of an Accident? 3 Things You Should Do Before Getting Your Car Hitched
Posted on: 13 March 2017
Share
According to the National Highway Traffic Administration, a car accident happens every minute of the day, which means that over 5.25 million driving accidents occur each year. While you can easily drive your car away from the scene of the accident if the accident resulted in a minor fender bender, you'll have to call a tow truck and have your car towed to an auto shop of your choosing. Before you let the to truck driver move your vehicle, here are 3 things that you should do.
Remove Insurance Papers from Your Car
Check the inside of your car to ensure that you haven't left any valuable or essential items, like your cell phone or your wallet, behind. It's easy to forget to remove these items after the shock of a big accident. You should also remove any perishable items, as you might not know how long your car might sit in storage while you work through the aftermath of the accident.
Most importantly, you should grab any insurance papers you have sitting in your car with you. While you can get the information you need by calling your insurance company, getting new paperwork might mean that you'll have to jump through several hoops and sit through several hours of being placed on hold on the phone. Having your insurance papers in front of you while you file or process a claim will be a lot easier.
Ensure You Have Adequate Photographs of the Damages to Your Car
Don't let the tow truck driver take your car away before you've gotten several good photographs that can detail the type of damage that was done to your car. If you plan on getting your car repaired as soon as possible, having the photographs of the damages can come in handy if you plan on filing a personal injury claim in the future. You can also send the photographs to the insurance company when you file a claim with them, so that you don't have to bring the vehicle in for an examination or inspection.
You can even take photographs of the damages after the tow truck driver has hitched your car to the tow truck. This will give you a better angle for taking photographs of the underside of your vehicle.
Make Sure You Have Your Keys with You and Give a Spare to the Towing Company
After a traumatic accident, it's not unusual for car owners to become too shocked to remember what to do. Look for your keys and keep them on you. You should give a spare to the tow truck company just in case they might need it in the future. The tow truck driver will usually specify that a key was provided at the time that the car was towed, so that the mechanics at an auto shop will know whether they need to contact you for your key or whether they already have the key in their possession.
If you have an electronic fob, the fob can usually be taken apart, and there will be a physical key stored somewhere in the fob. The fob can be quite expensive, so it might be a better idea to only hand over the physical key to your car.
The tow truck service will usually confirm with you that you have everything that you need before towing your car away. They will give you paperwork detailing the type of services that they are providing you with and the lot or auto shop where they will be towing your car to. Keep this paperwork with you for when you go pick up your car.