Auto Insurance Claims: Towing Damage, tow company, tow trucks

Question
My car was recently towed.  When I got it back the steering wheel was cocked to the right so i figured I needed an alignment.  I brought it in the next day and the repairmen called me back in and said the my lower left control arm was bent down and asked if I had it towed recently.  They said this was a common damage done by tow trucks and there was no way i could have bent it down.  So now it needs to be replaced and the car is not driveable.  At the time of the tow my insurance had lapsed, but by the time I picked it up i had renewed my insurance.  Will my insurance company still help me with this? How do I handle this with the towing company?

Answer
Hi Colleen,

Your insurance company will not help you with this at all. You will need to get pictures of the damage as well as a written estimate of the cost of repairs. You should then go meet with the tow company and present them with the bill. You can call first to see how receptive they are. Tow companies are very difficult to deal with. They will likely deny that they caused the damage. It may result in you haveing to file a law suit against the tow company and letting a judge decide.

I hope this helps
Richard Hixenbaugh