Providing Protection When a Vehicle Breaks Down in the Winter

As many drivers have found out recently with the arrival of winter and in past seasons, driving this time of year can be quite treacherous.

The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) has unveiled a new program targeted at spreading awareness of what is now known as “predatory” or “rogue” practices being utilized by tow-truck companies.

According to NICB, a large number of tow-truck businesses nationwide continue to take advantage of drivers who have been involved in accidents or vehicle breakdowns even though there are state and local regulations in place to fight such practices.

The practices in question generally involve unsolicited tow-truck drivers responding to accidents and encouraging the owner of the inoperable vehicle to sign off on the costs tied to a tow. The expenses often end up being very costly, ranging in the hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

The expenses oftentimes lead to direct hurt to the auto owners, given the fact they have agreed to and signed a document noting they will pay the costs resulting from their tow and since insurance policies covering towing expenses will typically cover them up to what is considered a reasonable amount.

In 2007, the Illinois attorney general filed a lawsuit against a trio of towing companies operating statewide. The goal was to fine each company a minimum of $50,000 for defrauding customers.

According to the AG’s office, one tow truck business allegedly took a consumer’s car who had been hospitalized following an auto accident to its storage facility as opposed to her residence as she had verbally requested.

At the time the woman left the hospital and went to get her vehicle back, the towing company reportedly asked for $530 in storage fees. Even worse news was that her insurance policy only covered $195.

According to the AG’s office, the excessive fines in these cases that led to the case ran between $340 and $1,650.

For consumers to avoid this kind of problem, the NICB advises that drivers not utilize the services of any tow-truck drivers who were summoned to the scene by neither the police nor motorists themselves. Additionally, consumers may want to check their policies or through an agent to find out whether and which kinds of tow fees are covered through a policy.