Florida Man Gets Into Car Accident. Then Police Call A Tow Truck—He Doesn't Realize That Tow Truck Driver Has One Problematic Goal

A Florida personal injury attorney says the tow truck that shows up after your crash might have an interest in where your car ends up, and that most drivers might not even know they have a choice in where they take it.

His warning drew more than 57,200 views, along with a comments section full of tow operators who say the advice leaves out the part where somebody has to pay the bill on the spot.

Todd Miner (@toddminerlaw), an Orlando, Florida, attorney whose channel is largely promotion for his injury practice, posted the 50-second video. His profile carries the disclaimer "Informational - Not Legal Advice."

He films from his car and gets to the point quickly. "If you're involved in an accident and the investigating officer calls a tow truck to the scene, chances are that tow truck driver's got one goal in mind," he says. "And that's to take your vehicle to their storage lot where the storage fees are going to pile up fast."

The fix, he says, is knowing you can override it. "In most states, you can tell that tow truck driver to take your vehicle where you want it to go—your home, your dealership, your body shop, almost anywhere you choose." He closes with a line about timing: "Know your rights before you need them." Miner identifies himself as a personal injury attorney and "also a former insurance company attorney."

Getting A Tow Post-Accident: What The Statute Books Actually Say

In Florida, at least, the law backs up his claim. The Highway Patrol's wrecker system exists to remove wrecked vehicles from a crash scene under state law, "in the event the owner or operator is incapacitated or unavailable or leaves the procurement of wrecker service to the officer at the scene."

County and city systems work the same way, assigning tows through "geographic zones, a rotation schedule, or a combination of these methods." That statute also spells out that it "does not prohibit, or in any way prevent, the owner or operator of a vehicle involved in an accident or otherwise disabled from contacting any wrecker operator for the provision of towing services."

Miner's warning about fees has a legal basis too. Florida's towing lien law gives an operator a lien for towing and storage, with no storage fee chargeable if a vehicle sits for under six hours. But an unclaimed vehicle, or one whose charges go unpaid, "may be sold free of all prior liens 35 days after the vehicle or vessel is stored by the lienor if the vehicle or vessel is an older model or 57 days" if it is newer.

Florida also requires maximum rates for Highway Patrol tows to be published online, with "a process for investigating and resolving complaints regarding fees charged in excess of such maximum rates."

Gallery: The Best Tow Truck In The World

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The Tow Drivers Have A Rebuttal

Operators in the comments section did not dispute that drivers can pick a destination. Their objection was about money changing hands. "I'll take it wherever you want it to go, but before it comes off my truck, you are responsible for all the fees," wrote CraigOller, who described a set base fee for police calls. "Insurance must pay if it goes to my yard."

A commenter posting as Ruger made the same case at length. "You can request that the car be taken anywhere after they pay the tow bill," they wrote. "The car cannot be unloaded until the tow bill is taken care of, otherwise the tow companies would never get paid."

Al3x_22 laid out the incentive plainly: when a car goes where the owner wants, "they have to pay the fees," but when it goes to the tow yard, "insurance pays for everything."

Miner engaged with the criticism. To a commenter who said collision coverage picks up towing and storage in full, he replied that the assumption does not hold for everyone.

"You are assuming everyone carries collision coverage. They don't," he wrote, adding that most policies carry "a $250, $500, or even a $1000 deductible." Asked by a tow operator what happens in a wreck with no insurance in play, he turned the question around: if the at-fault driver flees or is uninsured and the owner has no towing coverage, "who pays? The owner of the car pays."

Where The Advice Runs Out

The choice disappears in some situations, as Miner acknowledged in replies. Cars get impounded over parking violations, he wrote, or when a crash "is being investigated for potential criminal charges such as DUI Manslaughter or Vehicular Homicide." Commenters added that officers clearing a live traffic lane will not wait an hour for a roadside assistance provider to arrive.

Results varied by geography, in line with Miner's "most states" statement. Kevin Budny said he tried it in Wisconsin, and "they do not do it." A commenter posting as INES said the same of Chicago. Asked directly about Florida, Miner replied: "In Florida, you can choose."

Other viewers described big fees from their own experiences. Big Pop described a friend whose truck sat while an insurer deliberated, leaving him owing $2,900 in storage.

Another commenter, caemarcelino, wrote, "Mine charged $3,000 for 4 days."

DangrusDana put the cost in blunter terms: "I had no idea. I lost a good car this way."

The sharpest question came from Bill Holland, and it went unanswered in the thread. "How does one get to know their 'rights'?" he asked. "Can't find them all written down in plain English, not legalese."

Motor1 reached out to Todd Miner by email for comment. We'll be sure to update this if he responds.