Removal of car after an accident?

[ellisbell]

a relative was recently involved in an accident where their car was undriveable. Amazingly no really serious injuries to either party, although the other driver was really lucky. Neither the relative's insurers nor their breakdown service were interested in removing the car and the police had to do so. This has made me realise that I don't actually know if either my insurers or breakdown cover should help in that situation?

I think a breakdown compnay would. An insurance company will go and pick a car up but not straight away, often the next day or the day after. So if car is blocking the road, etc then the police get a firm to remove it and charge.

Why would your insurers or breakdown service be obliged to help someone else? They simply wouldn't. You could get any breakdown service to help for a fee.

After a car accident a couple of months ago, my car was undriveable, and my insurance company (Direct Line) arranged for it to be picked up the same day and taken to the repair company.

OP wants to know if his/her insurance/breakdown will sort out relative's car, I think. The answer to that is a big no. If the relative had only 3rd party cover then the insurance company wouldn't have any responsibility for their car.

after my accident my insurance company arranged the pick up of my car to the repair place

Then you should ask them. What exactly did their insurance company say?

the insurance company referred them to Green Flag, their breakdown service anyway, who suggested the AA, rather an odd thing to do to someone who isn't a member.

Collaborate the insurance company weren't being asked to help someone else. They were being asked to help the person insured (comprehensive policy) with them to remove their undriveable car, a car the insurance company may write off as it suffered substantial damage. It was blocking the road and apparently 4 police cars turned up to manage the traffic. A badly shaken older woman driving alone at night needed help from their own insurers. I'm simply wondering if I found myself in that position who should be removing the car.

I'm glad I'm with a different insurer and a different breakdown service, mine might be more helpful.

When I was in this position with police officers wondering how I had emerged alive let alone without injury the lovely policemen arranged for the car to be removed and then my fully comp insurance paid for this.

Same happened to me as to lizcat. My car was written off and myself and DS injured and carted off to hospital. The police arranged for the wreck to go to a secure compound and my comprehensive policy paid the fee. The money of course was recovered from the bastard lorry driver who tried to kill us!