If my vehicle was stolen and picked up by a tow truck company but they failed to properly notify me and eventually sold my vehicle, am I owed any damages?

Get Legal Help Today

Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save

secured lock Secured with SHA-256 Encryption

If my vehicle was stolen and picked up by a tow truck company but they failed to properly notify me and eventually sold my vehicle, am I owed any damages?

My classis car was stolen about 15 months ago. When I reported it, I provided my current address and contact information. About 10 months ago, it was picked up by a tow company in WA. The company supposedly sent all information to an address in CO that I briefly lived at several year’s ago, even though the vehicle was registered to the address in WA that I had provided to the police. Several months passed and I received a collection notice stating that my car was towed and sold, and that I owed $1,000 in towing fees. They weren’t able to find me when they found my car but instantly found me once it had been sold, and I was being contacted by collections. The car had extreme sentimental value to my family and I.

Asked on February 2, 2019 under Business Law, Washington

Answers:

S.L,. Member, California Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney

Answered 5 years ago | Contributor

You can sue the towing company for negligence. Negligence is the failure to exercise due care (that degree of care that a reasonable towing company would have exercised under the same or similar circumstances to prevent foreseeable harm
).  Your damages (monetary compensation you are seeking in your lawsuit) would be the value of your car.


IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.

Get Legal Help Today

Find the right lawyer for your legal issue.

secured lock Secured with SHA-256 Encryption