You may leave a Birmingham car crash in an ambulance, with a family member, or in another vehicle without knowing where your damaged car went.
Later, when you’re dealing with insurance and retrieving your belongings, one basic question can become surprisingly frustrating: How to find my towed car?
Begin with the law enforcement agency that responded to the wreck. Once you identify the towing company and storage location, confirm what you need to retrieve the automobile.
If the collision caused serious injuries, consider documenting its condition before repairs, salvage, or disposal because the damage itself may become evidence.
Contact the Agency That Investigated the Collision
Police records are usually a better starting point than calling nearby tow yards individually. If Birmingham Police Department officers handled the scene, contact the department with as much identifying information as possible.
Be prepared to provide:
- Your full name,
- The vehicle make and model,
- The license plate number,
- The approximate collision location, and
- The date and time of the wreck.
Ask whether the responding officer recorded the towing company and storage destination. Write down any information you receive so you do not have to repeat the search later.
Crashes outside Birmingham city limits or on certain highways may involve another law enforcement agency. If Birmingham Police did not respond, determine which department investigated before continuing your search.
Can the Accident Report Help Locate Your Car?
Yes. A crash report may provide useful information about what happened at the scene and can help you identify records connected with the tow.
The Birmingham Police Department Records Division currently allows eligible parties to purchase accident reports online or in person for $10.
Keep your case number available when contacting the Records Division. The department specifically recommends having it ready when asking about report availability.
Do not wait for the completed paperwork if you already know which tow company removed your automobile. Storage charges may continue while the vehicle remains at a facility.
Call the Tow Yard Before Going There
Once you identify the storage location, contact the operator before making a trip. Release procedures can vary based on ownership, insurance involvement, and the condition of the automobile.
Ask the facility:
- Where is my car being stored?
- Which documents are required for release?
- What charges have accumulated?
- Which payment methods are accepted?
- May I retrieve personal belongings?
- Is there a hold preventing release?
Record the employee’s name and the information provided. If someone else owns the automobile or you cannot travel because of your injuries, ask what authorization is necessary for another person to act for you.
Understand Which Birmingham Towing Rules Apply
Birmingham regulates towing businesses operating within the city. The Birmingham Police Department’s Business Compliance Unit administers a permitting process for towing services and tow truck drivers.
However, not every city towing rule applies identically to an automobile removed after a wreck. Birmingham’s ordinance states that certain recordkeeping and fee-limit provisions for non-consensual towing do not apply to consensual tows or towing from public streets and other locations performed under a city contract.
That distinction matters when researching how to find your towed car, because rules governing a private parking lot tow should not automatically apply to an accident-scene removal.
If you dispute a particular charge or release requirement, identify how the tow was authorized before relying on a specific ordinance provision.
Inspect the Vehicle Before Its Condition Changes
Once you locate the automobile, think beyond simply getting it out of storage. Collision damage can provide evidence about impact direction, force, and how vehicles came together.
With appropriate permission and safe access, photograph:
- Each side of the automobile,
- Areas showing collision damage,
- Deployed airbags,
- Broken windows,
- Interior damage, and
- Other visible crash-related conditions.
These entries contain only words or phrases, so commas are appropriate, with “and” preceding the final item.
For a serious injury claim, speak with a Birmingham car accident lawyer before authorizing destruction or salvage if liability is disputed. An attorney may determine that further inspection or preservation is appropriate.
Retrieve Personal Property Without Disturbing Evidence
Medication, identification, work equipment, child safety seats, and other belongings may still be inside the automobile.
Ask the storage facility about its access procedure before removing anything. When permitted, photograph the interior first. Avoid altering damaged components or discarding objects that might help explain the collision.
Modern automobiles can contain other valuable information. Depending on the vehicle, electronic systems may record certain data associated with a crash. Dashboard camera footage may also be important.
Fob James Law Firm can evaluate whether particular physical or electronic evidence should be preserved in a serious injury case.
Notify the Appropriate Insurance Carrier
After locating the automobile, give the relevant insurer the storage information when appropriate. An adjuster may need to inspect the damage or decide whether the car is repairable.
Ask how towing and storage expenses will be addressed before assuming the carrier will pay every charge. Keep invoices, receipts, and written communications associated with the vehicle.
If an insurer declares the automobile a total loss, find out when it expects to take possession.
Document evidence before control of the car changes, as its condition may matter to an injury claim.
Why Should You Act Quickly After Finding the Vehicle?
Delay can create both financial and evidentiary problems. Storage expenses may accumulate, while a severely damaged automobile could eventually be moved, repaired, or prepared for salvage.
Prompt action allows you to address several issues while information remains accessible. You can document damage, retrieve necessary property, preserve relevant records, and determine what the insurance company plans to do next.
A Birmingham car accident lawyer can handle these issues when serious injuries make it difficult for you to manage everything yourself.
What If You Still Cannot Find the Automobile?
If your first attempts fail, return to the responding agency rather than guessing which company has possession. Provide the case number, vehicle identification, and exact crash location.
Ask whether officers documented a towing operator or whether another agency assumed responsibility for the scene. Highway crashes around Birmingham can sometimes involve different jurisdictions depending on precisely where the collision occurred.
Let Fob James Law Firm Protect More Than Your Vehicle
Finding a towed automobile solves one immediate problem, but a serious crash can create much larger concerns. Medical treatment, missed work, insurance negotiations, and questions about fault may continue long after the car leaves the tow yard.
Fob James Law Firm represents injured plaintiffs, never insurance companies. We intentionally limit our caseload, provide direct attorney access, and prepare serious cases with trial in mind.
Our firm has recovered more than $100 million for clients, although prior results do not guarantee any future outcome. If you were seriously hurt in a Birmingham collision, contact us for a free consultation so we can investigate the wreck, preserve important evidence, and explain your options.
Official Legal and Other Sources
To ensure the accuracy and clarity of this page, we referenced official legal resources during the content development process:
- City of Birmingham, Alabama, Birmingham Police Department
- City of Birmingham, Birmingham Police Department, Towing or Vehicle Immobilization Application Process
- Birmingham, Ala., Code ch. 19, Towing and Vehicle Immobilization Services
Fob James, IV
Fob James obtained a B.S., in software engineering from Auburn University and then continued his education by getting his J.D. from Vanderbilt University School of Law. After working for a large national firm for several years, Fob found that his passion was fighting for individuals who have been seriously injured or wronged by others. Fob believes that the jury is the great equalizer to the power and influence that large corporations have in society. Many of Fob’s cases are high profile and have been featured in, among others: Bloomberg News, PlanAdvisor, AL.com, PlanSponsor, InsuranceJournal, and BusinessInsider. For his work in obtaining numerous multi-million dollar outcomes for his clients, Fob has been recognized by: National Trial Lawyers Top 100, SuperLawyers Rising Star (2020-2026), Birmingham Business Journal Who’s Who in Law (2023-2025), and TrustAnalytica – Top Personal Injury Lawyers in Alabama.