Tow devastated my 911

[Brotok]

Got my '79 SC towed in San Francisco the other day and cannot believe how much damage they caused. I admit that I deserve to be fined/towed for parking illegally, but for $300 you would assume that the towers can display a minimal degree of professionalism - not so. They used a dolly under the rear wheels and hooked onto the front wheels, which were fully turned. The damage that I have found so far by lifting the car, but without really digging in is the following:

1. Dented front left suspension arm.
2. Dent in the front left fender well.
3. Steering wheel now needs to be turned slightly left to drive straight.
4. The steering wheel locking mechanism now allows a lot more play than it used to (about 1/4 turn) and there is a new noise when I turn the steering wheel before it locks.

I will file a claim with the towing company and if they refuse to pay it I will most certainly take them to court - I am actually currently an out-of-work attorney so I would be quite entertained by this.

I have a few questions that I hope the individuals on this forum can help me with:

1. What else needs to be checked for damage? Tie rods? steering rack? shocks? etc. (by the way, the car has monoballs, turbo tie-rods, and elephant racing bushings).
2. How far does your steering wheel turn before it locks?
3. For anyone who has been in these situations, I appreciate any advice on how to best deal with it.

Many thanks.

[BlueSideUp]

I would assume your parking brake was set when it was towed. It sounds like they dragged it up on a flatbed using straps on the front suspension.

I would measure the suspension pickup points in the front suspension against the Porsche measurements. Since the rear attachment point for the front A-arms is aluminum I would check the crossmember for bending or cracks. Just hold up a straight edge to it. It's also possible the front A-arm attachment points may be tweaked.

When you say the control arm is dented do you mean it is creased/bent or just dinged up?

My brother had the same thing happen to his GTI when it was towed. The driver just threw his strap around the front suspension. He was trying to wrap around the front control arm but also wrapped it around the tie rod and bent it. In his case the car had broken down and was just being pulled onto the flatbed with the parking brake off. Once the car was fixed the alignment issue was noticed and the shop paid in full. Being an enforcement tow they might be less inclined to repair your car. As an attorney I'm sure you'd know what level of negligence comes into play.

[Zeke]

As an attorney, you know you will need paperwork. Take the car into the shop for a proper estimate. For this, I might even go to the dealer if they will consent to work on a '79. All you have to do is point out what you know so far.

You say the steering lock is now sloppy? How about the steering itself? You may have a potentially dangerous situation. Wouldn't that be great if they released a car that is unsafe to drive? You might have this towing company by the gonads.

[porschenut]

I have no first hand knowledge, but I thought I was told once that towing companies aren't liable for damage when towing a car that was parked illegally.

[real550A]

Towing companies are liable for towing damage in most municipalities. They are bonded and insured as part of their towing contract with the city. Normally, you would inspect the car at the impound lot where you picked it up. A damage claim would be made right on the spot, before you take the car off the lot. Usually, the
towing company will want to inspect the car at the same time.

[dan88911]

Brotok as an attorney I hope you stickem good,from the stories I have read in local papers these towing companies and their storage yards are notorious for ripping people off and vandalizing their cars.

[jh225]

Sorry to hear about the damage, but I must ask........How does an attorney become an out of work attorney?

[Nine9six]

Hmmm,
Tow companies or attorneys...
I'm still struggling with the lesser of two evils.
Karma perhaps?

[sailchef]

Originally Posted by Nine9six

Hmmm,
Tow companies or attorneys...
I'm still struggling with the lesser of two evils.
Karma perhaps?

LOL

As a plaintiff wouldn't you have to prove that the damage wasn't pre existing ?

[Pazuzu]

Originally Posted by Brotok

4. The steering wheel locking mechanism now allows a lot more play than it used to (about 1/4 turn) and there is a new noise when I turn the steering wheel before it locks.

If there's damage to the ignition lock, then you might want/need to replace the ignition switch, and NOW. There have been a couple of us with funky ignition locks...they tend to start locking WHILE you're driving when the mechanism gets damaged.

You do not want that...

[EarlyPorsche]

How can you prove the vehicle was fine before they towed it. I can't imagine this being something easy to pursue. Reality is that if they don't pay you then you are probably stuck paying for it yourself. Then again the thought of being sued might make them settle and pay rather than pursue it in court.

[s_morrison57]

if you ever get towed from parking in a lane that is used for traffic at 4:30 and you show up at 4:35 walk around the area and look for your car. these tow guys have a small amount of time to clear the lane so they do a quick grab and park it off the beaten path so they can go back for another car, once they hide a few cars and the lane is clear thats when they go back and take your car to the impound yard. most times in their haste they do damage and sometimes don't hook the car properly . I heard this story from a buddy who watched a car being hooked up and towed as it went around the first corner the car came off the back of the tow truck and smashed into a parked car, he waited and as the driver was telling the cop a BS story he went over and told the cop the truth, he used to work as a tow truck driver and told the cop he was doing the grab and go and had not hooked it properly , by this time the owner was there and steaming mad , don't know the out come of the story but I'd bet the tow driver ended up in a world of sh**, the haste in picking up your car probably caused the damage to it. If it was hooked up properly there shouldn't be any damage.

[175K911]

First, a decade ago when I lived in DC, my Audi was towed. They just lifted the front of the car and drove away, a mortal sin in an AWD car. Dealer provided an estimate of the drivetrain damage, submitted a claim to both the city and the tow company, and got reimbursed for the damages. Took 6 months but got paid by the tow company's insurance.

If you have suspension and body damage, why don't you take it to a reputable body shop that knows Porsches? They're used to submitting claims to insurance companies for payment and the good ones know how to look for both body and suspension damage. If their estimate is good enough for State Farm, it should be good enough for the tow company's insurance.

[brads911sc]

Also if you report this to your insurance company as a comprehensive claim, they often will pay to have it repaired and then go after the other insurance company if one is involved through a process known as subrogation. Not sure if the circumstances (illegal parking) will change that, but that is why you have comprehensive coverage. Often it is easier to have your insurance fight the war with the liable party to recover the funds.

[jlex]

Milt is right about needing an "expert" opinion re the damages issue as well as causation. As you're not a qualified expert, your opinion can be excluded at the hearing. Go to whoever knows the car & get their opinion in writing before proceeding.

regards,

jlex.

[porschenut]

Originally Posted by brads911sc

...they often will pay to have it repaired and then go after the other insurance company if one is involved through a process known as segregation.

I think you mean subrogation.

[mtnfir]

Originally Posted by Nine9six

Hmmm,
Tow companies or attorneys...
I'm still struggling with the lesser of two evils.
Karma perhaps?

ahahhahahahahahah
dude, you are a prick. A very funny one though.
aahahhahahahahahahaahahahhaah

[Brotok]

Thank you all for your responses, I will try to comment on what everyone has said.

I will most certainly take the car to my mechanic for an estimate - but before I go, I want to do my legwork and see what needs to be checked - I don't want him to have to go through the entire steering and suspension system, neither do I want things to be overlooked; hence, I am asking the questions here.

There seem to be a handful of legal questions here, so let me direct those, at least superficially - by the way, you've heard this before: this in no way constitutes legal advice, for legal advice please consult an attorney. First, I do not think that towers are immune from this type of liability - just because someone parks illegally does not give the towers free reign to damage the vehicle - simply doesn't make sense - of course it's still possible, I'll have to look into it. Second, I will certainly have to prove that the damage was not pre-existing. However, what people generally overlook is that in a civil case the burden of proof is "more likely than not" - meaning that I need to prove that there is a 50.1% probability that the damage was caused by the tow and not a subsequent act. Given that I have documentation of damage to the suspension and fender, the dents are unrusted and of the nature that a dolly would cause. The fact that my steering lock is broken, and the fact that my mechanic will probably testify that I keep the car in order and this is the type of damage that an improper tow can cause, the case is fairly strong.

Pazuzu, thank you for the warning on the ignition lock, I'll put that at the top of the list.

Brotok as an attorney I hope you stickem good,from the stories I have read in local papers these towing companies and their storage yards are notorious for ripping people off and vandalizing their cars.

Thank you for the support. I'll do my best an report here on the outcome.

Sorry to hear about the damage, but I must ask........How does an attorney become an out of work attorney?

If you have to ask, I guess I'll answer. In my case, I resigned from the firm where I was working. But generally, attorney's are getting laid off left and right in the current economy. There is nothing unusual about an unemployed attorney, thousands of them out there right now. You have to keep in mind that attorneys are usually fairly specialized, e.g., corporate mergers, securities, medical malpractice, etc. Hence, when the economy starts to slide and fewer suits are filed, or fewer companies/people want to spend money on legal fees, attorneys get laid off. Seems pretty simple, hope this answers your question.

Hmmm,
Tow companies or attorneys...
I'm still struggling with the lesser of two evils.
Karma perhaps?

Trite and immature but still funny. Generally I wouldn't comment on this but I did come across an interesting fact that is quite relevant to this comment. Hitler's first move in perpetuating the genocide was to take away the license to practice law from all Jewish attorneys because he saw them as the biggest impediment to his plans - I'm not Jewish but make of that what you will.

best, and thank you all again.

[scottb]

Originally Posted by Nine9six

Hmmm,
Tow companies or attorneys...
I'm still struggling with the lesser of two evils.
Karma perhaps?

I guess you can smugly feel this way, until you need one or the other. Then they're your best friend in an emergency.

[Nine9six]

Originally Posted by scottb

I guess you can smugly feel this way, until you need one or the other. Then they're your best friend in an emergency.

Scottb,
No disrespect intented, but you must have bumped your head.
I would agree if your statement was about our men in blue who protect and serve...However...
Unfortunately, I have multiple first hand experiences with both; with each species of parasite just managing to rise to the rank of RAT BA$TARD$
Finding an honest, respectful tow company is like finding an honest, respectful attorney. Without a referral, you may as well bend over and spread em.
Nuff said.