Are you covered?
Your level of insurance can be a big indicator of your towing coverage. The truth is that the majority of insurance suppliers don’t have a basic package which includes towing and roadside assistance. That means that if you have the bare-bones plan, you won’t get help with towing needs.
Will roadside assistance help?
You may be offered an add-on roadside assistance plan with your insurance, which will allow you to upgrade your basic package, and get some basic assistance when you are stuck on the roadside. You may be able to get help from Mick’s Towing Service with this level of insurance.
Read your insurance details
Get the best from your insurance cover by reading the details provided by your insurance provider. Your towing cover will depend very much upon the provider, and so you will need to discuss your coverage with them before you sign.
Who covers towing after an accident?
Who pays for towing if I am at fault?
- If you have comprehensive car insurance, the cost of towing will usually be covered by your insurance policy. Of course, you will have to pay the insurance excess, but after that, the cost of towing should be included in the cost of repairs.
- If you have third party fire and theft insurance, you’re out of luck if the accident is your fault. You’ll have to pay for the cost of towing your vehicle out of your own pocket.
- Obviously, if you have no car insurance, you won’t be covered for anything, and you will have to pay for repairs to your car and the other car if the accident was your fault.
Who pays for towing if someone else is at fault?
- If someone else is at fault and they have either comprehensive or third-party fire and theft insurance, then you won’t have to pay for towing. The other person’s insurance will cover the cost of towing your car.
- If the other person is at fault and they don’t have insurance, but you can identify them (that is, you have taken note of their name, driver’s licence information and car registration number), then most insurance companies will cover you for towing and repairs.
- If you can’t identify the other party, then your insurance should still cover you for towing, but you will have to pay an excess.
Cover for breakdown towing
Your car insurance will cover you for the cost of towing if you are involved in an accident, but in most cases, it won’t cover you if your car breaks down and needs to be towed to a repair shop.
If you are a member of your state’s motoring club, such as the RACQ, NRMA or RACV, your membership may cover the cost of having your vehicle towed to the nearest repair shop.
Most of these clubs will cover you for towing up to 20km from the place where the breakdown occurs, in metropolitan areas.
If you have the equivalent of a ‘premium’ membership with one of these clubs, you may find that you are covered for the cost of towing for up to 50km in metropolitan areas, and up to 100km in remote areas.
This type of insurance is definitely worthwhile if you are going to take your vehicle off-road or you live in a remote area.
One-time tow cover
Sometimes, you may be able to get a single-incident cover from your insurer, which will cover you for the cost of a single tow. This is ideal if you need to get off the road quickly.
We recommend that you talk to your insurer before you accept your insurance policy to find out if this type of immediate two cover is available.
Getting reimbursed for towing
If you need to call a tow truck and you are not sure whether you are covered for this kind of roadside assistance, then your best option will be to pay for the service in the moment, and then talk to your insurance provider about reimbursing you for this when you make a claim.
Some situations require you to act fast for safety reasons. In any case, you don’t want to be stuck at the side of the road for too long.
Call for immediate assistance
Whatever type of cover you have, you can always call us at Mick’s Towing Service when you need an emergency tow truck in the Gold Coast and Brisbane area.
You can contact us on 0411 715 630 for speedy assistance. We offer great value and outstanding service.
