Pay $192 tow bill myself or have State Farm pay?

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Denver, Colorado, USA
19 year old step-son used a tree, rather than brakes, to stop my 94 Jeep Cherokee Sport. Excellent condition (garaged and TLC), low mileage.

Only liability with $2.50 towing.
If State Farm pays, will my rates go up?
Should I NOT send them tow bill?
 
If the kid can trash the jeep, he can pay the towing.
Sounds like a valuable life lesson for him.
twocents.gif
 
Yes. Inexcusable. NOT an accident.
When he gets a job, he will start paying for the Jeep. I'm still trying to determine what it WAS worth.

It was going to be his first vehicle. (He and mother arrived from China in 2005.) I'm a former AAA driving instructor and taught them to drive. I have everyone, especially elderly, repeatedly practice quickly taking foot from accelerator and applying brake.

I bought him new shoes because he is going to be walking and riding the bus from now on.
No, I forbid his mother driving him anywhere in her car, nor will he drive it.
If he wants a car, he can buy his own piece of junk and insure it himself.
 
I agree with you robert.

I would never put an underage kid on my insurance plan.

My folks made me get my own insurance plan, it made me more responsible, just for the sake of saving money on the premium.

I took it one step further and bucked the trend, and bought geico insurance, and saved myself even more money. I've been with them for 5 years now, and the rates are going down every year as planned.

I'm 24 now, and I'm looking at getting rid of my hot rod, and my suv, and buying a econobox scion. Go figure.

One day the kid will grow up, its just a matter of time (you can hope).

As for the tow bill, I suggest that you purchase a AAA motor club card for 45 dollars per year.

Good piece of mind, and free tows. This way you aren't at the mercy of some tow operator.
 
It will impact your premium, as your policy underwriter will see a tow claim by listed INSD under 25; I suspect if you had filed the claim (and have a low claim ratio/good scores), the policy ding would be much smaller.

That said, $192 is fairly large tow claim; unless there were significant mitigating issues, I wouldn't authorize payment...it would have to get kicked to an examiner. Typically, the company I work for will reimburse INSD's an average of $60/tow...though there is some wiggle room as we usually work off the bill numbers relayed by the INSD (having them fax it in later). Note: Labor (jump starts, flat tires, lockouts, etc.) is grouped with tow coverages and also runs about $60/hour, with a limit of one hour.

Are you sure State Farm would even reimburse you that much for a tow? You might want to bounce it off your agent, not the 1-800 number you have for claims. If you call it into claims, their CCR's are going to document it as a claim contact (w/claim number), even if you don't proceed for reimbursement. You know who sees that in the file? Underwriters...
 
This claim is paid at the office level. The agent could care less. They will pay it cheerfully and you'll be on your way. Windshields, stone damage (including headlights, etc.) all went on my comprehensive and I was cut a check (windshields they just give you a toll free number to call). I've never seen an "individual" rate hike in any form of surcharge on any of my 3+1 policies with them. They bent over backwards to offset my $390 tow bill to bring my minivan back from 100 miles away saying that it had to be "winched". The winching was from the highway onto the flatbed ..and THEY (the agent) "convinced me" that this was covered so that they could give me another $100 (IIRC) toward the bill.

This is the road service rider to your policy. There is no differentiation between getting towed from being embedded in a tree and breaking down on the highway. This is one element that I've used quite a bit compared to collision which I've used very ..very little.
 
I have to agree with Gary, Iv used my towing with State Farm and never had a rate increase because of it. I recently switched to Allstate and kept the Towing, Ive even used it to pick up what AAA wouldnt (10 mile limit) No problems, the agency office cuts the check.
 
Thank you, ALL.
He was driving my vehicle with my permission, just as I could allow a neighbor or friend to drive my vehicle with my permission.
He has a different address - at my mother's home within walking distance of his high school.
I have been with State Farm since the 70's.
I shall submit the bill to them.
Thank you,
Robert
 
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