Let’s say you got involved in a car accident, and the car damages make it so that you can not drive it, maybe because the car won’t start or it’s not safe to operate it in the current condition. One of the first things you will do right after the accident is to call the police, they will come promptly, make a report and assist the drivers involved in the accident.
Obviously, you are not going to be able to abandon your car wherever it is or leave it by the side of the road, the police officer will tell you that you need to tow your car, he or she will ask you if you would know of a tow company and want to call them.
This option may be covert by your insurance company, make sure that you check with them prior to calling the tow truck company, if it’s not, then the expenses will come out of pocket and most likely have to be paid right on the spot. We estimate that the average cost out of pocket for this towing service in San Diego, CA will be approximately between $300 and $400 for 17 miles of towing.
A better option may be to ask the police officer to call a towing company for you. They have a list of preferred businesses that they use for these type of scenarios.
When the police call for the tow truck, they usually arrive pretty fast, the only time this happened to me in San Diego, CA they took 20 minutes to arrive, the average time is also around 20 to 35 min.
The tow truck operator will write down your personal information, ask you to remove all your personal belongings from your car and give you a business card or piece of paper where it states the contact information for the towing company, phone number, and address of the place where your car will be located.
Fees associated with your car being towed
Your car is going to be stored at one of the towing company’s preferred locations, sometimes they have more than one place where your car could be stored. If you call them they will tell you exactly where to go.
There are fees that you will incur for each day that your car is in their possession. Fees range between $40-$80 for companies in San Diego County however, this fees usually don’t include the initial towing fee, the cost for picking up your car after the accident, this may be more expensive, starting around $100.
When you are ready to pick up your car, bring your id, and proof that you own the vehicle, you will need to pay any fees for towing and storage of your vehicle before you can retrieve it.
Negotiating high towing fees
If your car is totaled, it’s not worth to repair because the cost of repairs will by far exceed the value of the car, you may wonder if you still need to pick up your vehicle from the towing place or you should just abandon it.
Many people make the mistake of ignoring their vehicle and not go to pick it up for many days, in the meantime, your fees associated with the towing and storing keep elevating. You are legally responsible for covering this fees and if you refuse the company will most likely take you to small claims court.
Keep in mind that the owners and employees of the towing business are simply doing their job. Our advice is that you call the business as soon as possible after the accident and ask what are your options. In the case of a total loss, they may offer to waive some of the fees like storing fees and only charge you the towing fees if you transfer the car over to their name or they may also consider reducing some of the storing fees.
