Secondary Damages: Overview

There is always a chance of damage or loss whenever you’re towing, transporting, or recovering someone’s vehicle.

WHAT IS DAMAGE FREE TOWING?

What does “damage free towing mean”?

  • Does it mean – if you damage my car while towing or transporting it that I don’t have to pay for that damage?
  • Does it mean – I get a free tow?

Nothing is free. Particularly damage. If there is secondary damage done and the damage was avoidable, some is paying for that. It may be you, as an operator, who is paying for it. It may be the owner of the company who ends up paying for it. Maybe the customer pays for it. Perhaps the company’s insurance or the customer’s insurance pays for it.

When insurance pays for it – we all pay for it.

HOW CAN THE WRECKMASTER DISCIPLINE HELP?

This is a step-by-step procedural survey on every job to help minimize the chance of damage or loss and maximize efficiencies.

This process helps identify any issues or problems that are associated with the circumstance and conditions that are present. This process also helps with establishing a solution to overcome issues or problems that an operator may be faced with.

UNAVOIDABLE DAMAGE

Unavoidable damage can happen in towing and transport, but is particularity common in winching and roll-overs.

EXAMPLE: A car on it’s roof needs to be rolled over onto it’s wheels. Chances are that there is going to be some unavoidable secondary damage caused in rolling that car back onto it’s wheels.

Such as a broken side-view mirror, body damage to a door panel, front fender or rear quarter. Perhaps broken glass, hood damage, or even roof-pillar damage.

DOCUMENTATION

Documentation is very important when dealing with damage. There could be pre-existing damages – damages that were on the car before you even got there. It’s very important to document the damages in this case. Take some photos, identify and point it out to the customer if they happen to be present.

There are also claims of damage that were not cause by the towing, transport, or recovery. Maybe the customer did not even know that their vehicle was damaged. Maybe the vehicle got damaged when they put it into the circumstance or condition that you found it when you arrived on scene. Such as a car going off the road into the ditch.

WHAT HAPPENS IF I CAUSE UNAVOIDABLE DAMAGE?

It is very important that you recognize and identify what the damage was and what caused it. Document the damage, take photographs, immediately contact your customer service representative at the company and let them know what took place so that company can begin the process of resolution of that problem.

If the customer happens to be present, apologize to them and point out what happend. Explain to them that there is a process where the company will be in contact with them to help resolve this issue.

BE HONEST. DOCUMENT. DOCUMENT. DOCUMENT. BE FORTHRIGHT.