Insurance-Instructed Towing: What Drivers Need to Know

If you have been involved in a road accident and your car cannot be driven, your motor insurer will typically authorise a recovery as part of your claim. Insurance-instructed recoveries work slightly differently from direct-pay callouts, and understanding the process will help things run more smoothly at what is already a stressful time.

How to Trigger an Insurance Recovery

After a road accident, call your insurer's claims line as soon as it is safe to do so. They will ask for details of the accident, your vehicle, and your location. Most insurers will then either call a recovery company on your behalf or give you a reference number and ask you to call an approved recovery operator directly. Greater Tow Services is approved by most major UK insurers. Simply provide your insurer's claims reference when you call us and we will bill your insurer directly — you will not need to pay upfront.

What Your Policy Typically Covers

• Recovery of the vehicle from the accident scene to a secure compound or approved repairer.
• All labour and vehicle costs for the recovery operation.
• In most cases, a courtesy vehicle or onward transportation for you and any passengers.
• Documentation and photography of the vehicle's condition prior to recovery (for your claim).
• Storage fees at the recovery operator's compound if you cannot arrange immediate access to a repairer.

Our Process for Insurance Jobs

When we receive an insurance-instructed callout, our driver will photograph the vehicle condition before loading, document the collection location and time, obtain your signature on a condition report, and deliver the vehicle to your insurer's approved repairer or to our secure compound. We provide full digital documentation to your insurer within 24 hours. If you disagree with anything during the recovery process, raise it with our driver before signing — not after.