Typically, yes. Remember, it may take days, or in rare instances, several weeks before the other insurance company completes their investigation following your car accident. If, for example, your vehicle is taken to a municipal storage lot, costly storage fees are accruing and it is very important that either you or a person you authorize retrieves your vehicle and personal items from storage. If you have collision coverage through your own insurance policy, you can authorize your insurance company to move the vehicle to a lot that does not charge for storage. In that case, your insurance company will need to pay the storage fees in order to have the vehicle released. If you transfer the vehicle yourself, you can ask your insurance company to reimburse you for storage costs.
If your vehicle is taken to a repair shop that ultimately performs the repairs, the repair shop may agree to waive its storage fees. However, if the vehicle is deemed a total loss, the repair shop will likely want to be paid for having stored the vehicle until the time it is removed. Ideally, if you are unable to move your vehicle from the accident site yourself, you need to make arrangements with the help of friends, family members, or road-side assistance to get the vehicle from the accident site to the repair shop or home. The other insurance company will not automatically assume all storage costs, particularly those costs that could have been avoided with your prompt attention.
Have you been involved in a car accident? Contact us online or call us directly at 1.800.800.5678 for your free consultation.