What Drivers Should Document at the Scene to Ensure Insurance Covers Their Tow

A tow can cost a few hundred dollars, and whether your insurer reimburses it often comes down to what you documented at the scene. A few minutes of careful record-keeping in a Calgary parking lot or on the shoulder of Deerfoot Trail can be the difference between a covered claim and an out-of-pocket bill. Here is exactly what to capture.

Photograph the Vehicle and the Scene

Before anything is moved, take clear photos from several angles. Your phone’s time stamp and location data help establish when and where the incident happened, which insurers look for when validating a claim.

Capture the whole scene as well as the details, because a wide shot showing road conditions can support a claim after a winter slide that a close-up alone cannot.

• All four corners and any visible damage to your vehicle
• Other vehicles involved, including their plates
• The road surface, weather, and any ice, debris, or potholes
• Skid marks, the final resting position, and nearby signs
• The odometer, if the tow is being billed by distance

Record the Tow Company’s Details

Note the name of the towing company, the truck number, and the operator’s name. If a tow was requested by police at an accident scene, you may not choose the company, so recording who took your vehicle is essential for tracking it down later.

Ask where the vehicle is being taken and write down the address of the storage yard or shop. Vehicles can be surprisingly hard to locate after the fact if you did not note this.

Get the Charges in Writing

Always ask for an itemized invoice or receipt showing the hook-up fee, per-kilometre rate, and any storage charges. Insurers reimburse based on documentation, and a vague hand-written total is far harder to claim than a clear breakdown.

If you authorized the tow yourself, keep any paperwork you signed so the amounts match what you are claiming.

Contact Your Insurer Promptly

Report the incident and the tow as soon as you safely can. Many Alberta policies have time limits and specific procedures, and an early call lets your adjuster tell you what they need before details fade or receipts go missing.

Ask directly whether your coverage pays for towing and storage, and whether they prefer a particular process, so you are not caught off guard later. It also helps to ask whether your policy offers direct billing with the towing or repair provider, which can spare you from paying up front and waiting weeks for reimbursement.

Keep Everything Together

Store your photos, the tow invoice, the police file number if there is one, and your notes in one place. A single organized folder, even a photo album on your phone, makes the claim smoother and protects you if there is any dispute over the amount.

Good documentation also helps if the tow itself caused damage, since your before-and-after photos show the vehicle’s condition when it was loaded.

Watch for Storage Fees

If your vehicle ends up in a storage yard after a police-ordered tow, daily storage charges can add up quickly. Document the date and time your vehicle arrived, and ask how storage is billed so the total does not surprise you or your insurer.

Move promptly to release the vehicle or have it transferred to your chosen shop, since every extra day sitting in the yard is another day of fees. Your adjuster can often help coordinate the release, so loop them in early rather than letting the charges build.

Need a tow after an incident in Calgary? Call Towing Calgary at (587) 330-2417 for professional accident towing and clear paperwork for your insurance tow.