After my recent accident, I had to go to SLC to get my belongings out of my barely-recognizable car. The wrecking yard man was pleasant and showed me to my car, but was not nice when I told him I needed help to get my stuff. As you may know I can barely walk, and moving is extremely tough right now, but he wouldn't let anyone else touch my car. He said, "Only the registered owner is allowed to get near the vehicle". I asked him who could get my stuff if I were dead or in a coma - He said, "Nobody". Very nice. Then he had to go through everything I took to make sure I wasn't taking something that belonged to the car. Very demeaning.

Anyway, I am so mad. I bought my daughter an ipod touch for her birthday. It was in the bottom of the console in my car, under my cds. When I got my belongings out of the car, half my cds, some money, and my daughter's birthday gift had all mysteriously vanished. Tow truck driver? Who knows, but I am not happy at all. Taking advantage of the misfortune of others is inexcusable to me. I asked him if there was anything he could do - He said, "No, that is why we suggest you take all of your belongings before you leave the scene of the accident".
I said, "I was unconscious".
Anyway, I know this is not really LDS related, but I wanted to share it anyway.

How low can a person be to rip off items belonging to people who have been in a near-fatal accident? What repulsive vultures people can be.

I am very sorry that you had to go thru this further outrage after your terrible accident.

Be well.

Tow truck operators can be a unscrupulous bunch...

sorry about your accident....

Happens all the time! I was a cop for 18 years & even investigaged cases where EMT & Fire personnel had sticky fingers!

A few years ago, on New Years Day, my middle son totalled his truck on icy roads & was unconscious for a while. I had given him an expensive Citizen Chronograph watch for Christmas but a few days earlier. It was very difficult to remove because it had a double-lock steel band. He remembers someone in the ambulance taking it off of his wrist...yup...you guessed it nobody knew where it was!

I have no tolerance for thieves!

get a total stranger to help me empty my car and take if for me.

I've heard this story too many times. I'm sorry you had to add this insult to your injury.

Yes it does happen all the time and it is incredibly screwed up. There are some things that can be done though:

Here's some insurance information-

Your auto policy will most likely not cover the stolen items unless you have a ceratin plan that covers CDs/sound equipment, however, if you have renters' or homeowners' it is possible they will cover the stolen items.

Your insurance may then go through subrogation against the tow truck/tow yard. You should be able to find out who towed your car through either your insurance company or the other party's insurance if they were at fault.

itzpapalotl Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Yes it does happen all the time and it is
> incredibly screwed up. There are some things that
> can be done though:
>
> Here's some insurance information-
>
> Your auto policy will most likely not cover the
> stolen items unless you have a ceratin plan that
> covers CDs/sound equipment, however, if you have
> renters' or homeowners' it is possible they will
> cover the stolen items.
>
> Your insurance may then go through subrogation
> against the tow truck/tow yard. You should be able
> to find out who towed your car through either your
> insurance company or the other party's insurance
> if they were at fault.

Check your policy before you report the theft to your Insurance Company. Your deductable will apply. If you are carrying a $500 deductable, and your theft loss is let's say $700 then you will collect $200, no problem, right? Let's say two months later you have a serious claim on your homeowners, like a tree falls on it or something, and the damage is $10,000. You have to turn a claim that size in, and now you have 2 claims within a 12 month period, and at renewal you are going to be "re-tiered" and the policy that was $400 per year is now $1400 per year, for the next 3-5 years. That's $3000-$5000 out of your pocket for a $200 payout! Homeowners policies should be used for large claims only, in todays insurance market, IMO.

+1
That too- I don't explain the homeowners deductible because I was a lowly auto claims processor, not an adjuster or agent.

I have been in serious crashes and cleaned out the car myself at the crash site. Now I know why. I hope your experience helps someone else down the road. I didn't realize how bad it can really be. I'm sorry that you're going through this and I hope you're feeling better soon. Big hug!

Years ago I and my children were in a terrible accident that totaled the car. One of my daughters had some money with her that was scattered in the car during the accident. When DH and I went to the lot to retrieve things from the car a week later, the money was gone.

It was a very disappointing experience.

Sorry for what you have gone through. Knowing that people who are supposed to be helping have taken from you makes it worse.

Check with both your auto insurance company and your homeowners insurance and report it to the police. Can't hurt.

I know the fact that my friends and I are alive is of way more importance. I think I am going to focus on that, as well as getting better, before I do anything about the theft. I am grateful to you all.

I would report it to the police and insurance immediately. That doesn't take a lot of effortm you can probably do it on the phone, and you will jeopardize things if you wait.Once it has been reported, they can investigate the towing company.

Not only will towers and wreckers take your stuff from a car, but even so-called mechanics will take your stuff, if they think they can get away with it. They love to rip off people whose cars break down while in transit or on holiday, cuz they know the folks are off guard and have little power locally. They figure anything left in a car is fair game for them, and consider it their due, in many cases.

Some taxi drivers also love the exhausted international traveler and the drunk, cuz it's easy to divert them away from their bags etc..

You have every right to be angry. And that is so low of anyone to take advantage of a person in a serious accident. How they can live with themselves is beyond me. Take care.

Wow, Wendell, you have really been through so much sh*t that you don't deserve, and yet you seem to keep bouncing back. That is an admirable quality! I know you are ticked off and have every right to be, but just keep remembering that those things are replaceable and your and your friends lives are not. The most important thing is that you continue to get better. (((Hugs)))

So sorry to hear that, Wendell. That wrecking-yard guy sounds smug enough to have been the one who did it.

Suggestion: call your auto insurance company about the loss: if you can show them the receipt and explain what happened, perhaps they will reimburse you for it? Or raise a fuss with them so that they refuse to reimburse the tow company and wrecking company for the tow? (sometimes you can leverage an unpleasant payback)

Best wishes, I hope you and your BF and friends are recovering well.

My worthless ex (Mlk priesthood/temple worthy (what a joke) was a tow truck driver-(low life). He would brag about taking stuff from vehicles towed and never turn it in. He would pawn it. I loathed his morals but he would strut around church like a man of virtue!!!

So, if I were going to try to "lift you up" (so to speak) I would say something like...Now, Wendell- these are only things you lost. Everyone in the car is still alive and will recover. But truth be told, it sucks all the way around. Getting in a car accident (and a bad one like you were in) is an awful thing to happen to someone. Then some asshole comes along and rifles through your stuff and steals what's valuable! Fuck him! sigh. Sorry.

At least report it to the police right away, then you can decide about the insurance later. Isn't there a serial number or something on an ipad touch? If the towing company/wrecking yard is doing this regularly, chances are they'll get caught eventually, if it's reported.

Sorry for your problems Wendell

it seems there are some really nasty people out there... http://www.aolnews.com/2010/12/30/police-jody-bennett-stole-video-games-from-teen-bradley-mccombs/

That is almost unbelievable, and I am truly sorry about your accident and then having your belongings stolen. Maybe you will turn out like me, unable to trust people, because of things that have happened to me in my life. I am finally learning to trust again, but it has taken a while, and I am very careful about who I will put my trust in. All the best of luck to you , I hope you and your 3 friends will all heal totally and soon. I am very sorry for all you have gone through.

But this episode has caused me to think a little about whether or not trusting others is a good idea. It's really sad actually.

http://www.apple.com/ipodtouch/features/find-my-ipodtouch.html

See if you can get the serial number, because whoever has stolen it will have to give the serial number when they call in for service. Maybe that might help.

I am assuming you were transported to a hospital ER.
I worked in an ER for several years and when patient stuff went missing it reflected badly on not only the ambulance EMT's but the ER dept,because nobody knew exactly where the stuff went. For example an expensive watch or jewelry could disappear in an ER or ambulance.

The hospital adminstrator and Er manager can put the screws on paramedics and Emts that transport patients to their department.They need to know what happened to you so they can fix a problem they may not be aware of. They can pressure the tow truck drivers to either be honest or they will call someone else.