Will My Car Insurance Cover a Tow Truck?

You expect your car to get you from point A to point B without incident. But, nothing is perfect. You might experience a breakdown or have a wreck — either of which might make driving any further impossible. In this case, you might need a tow truck or other roadside assistance. Can your car insurance policy provide this coverage?

There are perks to seeing if your policy includes a roadside assistance coverage option. With this coverage, you’ll often have assistance in the event of common breakdowns. However, it is your car’s collision insurance that will likely pay for the towing costs after a wreck.

Why You Need Towing Assistance

A vehicle breakdown costs money. Accident damage is also expensive. One of the costs that might arise is that of moving your car. Hiring a tow truck, and the required labor, could deal a blow to your wallet. Given that you likely didn’t anticipate a breakdown or a wreck, then you might not have a lot of money laying around to help you cover the costs.

Most car insurance policies can include an option for roadside assistance coverage. This is coverage that will apply to such costs as towing and labor to move the vehicle to a repair shop following a breakdown. This is beneficial to the policyholder because the insurer will dispatch a tow company that they trust, to move the vehicle to a repair service that they will reimburse.

In most cases, you will pay the cost for roadside assistance up front. However, you will then submit documentation of the receipt to your insurer. The insurer will then reimburse you for the cost of the tow, even though certain limitations may apply.

Towing And Collision Insurance

If you have a wreck, most insurers understand that you will likely not be able to drive your car home. Even if you could, doing so could further damage the car. Therefore, if you have collision insurance, it will likely pay for the costs of towing the damaged car to a repair service.

Keep in mind, in most cases, your car insurance does not include coverage for either roadside assistance or collision damage unless you request this coverage. Most policies only offer liability insurance as a basic policy level. Therefore, you’ll have to add the extra physical damage protection by notifying your insurer that you want it. In most cases, these policy elements are among the most-sound investments you can make in coverage.

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