Accident Scene Management

A car accident and its aftermath can be an emotional, time-consuming, and costly process. But you don’t have to manage it alone!
Stella’s Towing is here to help make the process easier for you. We’ll support you every step of the way with quality, professional services and advice.
Before we arrive to help, there are a few things you can do to ensure you and your vehicle remain safe.

On Scene

First, take a few pictures of the accident scene if you can, before the tow truck arrives. This is especially important if you believe you are not at fault. The insurance company is going to want proof and pictures are one of the best ways to provide this proof.

Another great piece of documentation is the accident report from the state highway patrol (on-scene police officers). Your vehicle will be towed from the scene either by a towing company you request or by a towing company that has been vetted by the state police.

Next Steps

Contact the towing provider and they can help coordinate the next steps for you. Things get hectic on the scene of an accident and you may have left personal effects in the car that you want to retrieve. (This can be arranged by your tow truck provider. They’ll coordinate a time for you to go to their tow yard and gather your belongings.)

If the accident report was not completed on-scene, your towing provider can help get this for you.

Also, while you may only be in a few accidents in your lifetime, your towing company handles accidents often—consider us your “accident experts”. We’ll survey the extent of your vehicle’s damage and make realistic recommendations based on our industry experience.

Towing and Storage Fees

Who pays the towing and storage fees? It depends on who was the at-fault driver.

If you caused the accident, then they are your responsibility (or your insurance company). If the other driver caused the accident, then they (or their insurance company) are responsible for these fees.

In the event that the at-fault driver doesn’t have insurance or enough insurance to cover these fees, you should contact your own insurance company to see if towing is a covered service for you. The good news is that this is included in most insurance plans.

Getting Back on the Road

Typically the insurance company responsible for repairs (at-fault driver) will survey the damage to your vehicle while it is in storage at the towing yard. The determination is made to repair or salvage the vehicle. If it is salvaged, the insurance company will give you a check for the current market value of your vehicle. If it can be repaired, the insurance company will coordinate the towing of your vehicle directly to a repair facility of your choosing. The time from the day of your accident to getting back on the road again is two to four weeks, on average.

Have questions? 

We pride ourselves in providing a variety of fast, dependable, and affordable flatbed towing services in Charlotte-Mecklenburg, Union, and Lancaster counties (including Waxhaw, Marvin, Ballantyne, Charlotte, Fort Mill, Indian Land, Weddington, Pineville, and Wesley Chapel). Call Stella’s Towing today at (704) 256-7700 for more information. We look forward to helping you get back on the road.