Car stuck in tow lot racking up fees after uninsured driver hit me — what are my options?

I went through almost the exact same thing two years ago. Uninsured driver, old car, lot fees piling up fast. What I ended up doing was calling my own insurance company first and asking them to handle getting the car released — sometimes they can negotiate directly with the lot, especially if you have uninsured motorist property damage coverage. It saved me a ton of stress because I didn't have to keep calling the lot myself. Don't just sign the title over without at least making that call first.

Be really careful here. Tow lots are notorious for letting fees balloon on purpose — the longer your car sits, the more leverage they think they have. Don't let them pressure you into signing anything quickly. Get everything in writing before you make any decision, and document every single phone call (date, time, who you spoke to, what they said). Adjusters and lots sometimes have cozy relationships that aren't in YOUR best interest.

From my time working claims, here's what I'd say: pull out your policy and look specifically for 'uninsured motorist property damage' coverage — that's separate from your liability or collision coverage. If you have it, your insurer should step in and handle the total loss process, which includes dealing with the lot. The adjuster assigned to your claim can often get storage fees reduced or stopped once they take over the vehicle. The key is opening that claim ASAP because every day you wait is another day of fees your insurer may push back on covering.

A couple things worth knowing: most states have laws that cap how much a tow lot can charge for storage, and some require them to notify you within a certain number of days. It's worth doing a quick search for your state's towing regulations — if the lot violated any notice requirements, that can sometimes be used as leverage to negotiate the fees down. Also, signing the title over is basically abandoning the vehicle, which could affect your insurance claim depending on how your policy is worded. I'd hold off on that until you've talked to your insurer.

Call your insurance company today. Like, stop reading this and call them. Open the claim, tell them the car is in storage and fees are running. That's step one and honestly the only step you should be focused on right now. Everything else flows from there.

Hey — how are YOU doing physically? You said you were T-boned, which can do a lot to your body even if you walked away feeling okay in the moment. Adrenaline masks a ton of stuff. Whiplash, soft tissue injuries, even concussion symptoms can show up days later. Please don't get so focused on the car situation that you forget to get checked out if you haven't already. Document any symptoms you're feeling, even minor ones.

Quick question — did you actually confirm in writing that the other driver had no insurance, or did they just tell you that at the scene? Because people say that sometimes hoping you'll drop it. If you got their plate and info, it's worth running it through your state's motor vehicle insurance verification system if that's available where you are. Just want to make sure you're not missing a potential avenue here.