Does Erie Insurance Cover Towing?

If your car breaks down or is involved in an accident, you may need towing services to get it to a repair shop. But does your Erie auto insurance policy include coverage for towing costs?

The answer depends on your specific Erie policy and coverages. Below we’ll explain when and how Erie covers towing, your options for roadside assistance, any limits or exclusions, and tips for getting towing reimbursement.

Does Erie Insurance Cover Towing After an Accident?

If you have collision coverage with Erie, it will generally cover the cost to tow your vehicle after an accident that caused damage. This applies regardless of who was at fault.

Erie collision insurance helps pay for damage repairs to your car from accidents with other vehicles or objects. The towing needed because of the collision would be included as part of the total loss payout up to your coverage limits.

Liability coverage through Erie pays for damage you cause to others in an accident, but not your own vehicle damage or towing.

• At-fault accident: Erie collision insurance covers towing
• Not-at-fault accident: The other driver’s liability insurance covers towing

If you only have liability coverage with Erie and are in an at-fault accident, you would need to pay towing costs out of pocket unless you have roadside assistance coverage.

Does Erie Cover Towing for Mechanical Issues?

If your car breaks down due to a mechanical problem like an engine failure or dead battery, Erie insurance by itself will not cover the cost of a tow truck coming out.

However, you have two options for getting towing reimbursement:

1. Add roadside assistance coverage through Erie
2. Use your auto club membership (AAA, etc.)

Here are more details on both options:

Erie Emergency Roadside Service

Erie offers affordable roadside assistance coverage starting around $5 per year per vehicle. It can be added to policies that include comprehensive or collision.

Erie roadside assistance provides:

• Towing up to 20 miles
• Lockout service
• Jumpstarts
• Flat tire change
• Fuel delivery

To request a tow, you can call Erie at 1-800-367-3743 or file a claim online. Erie partners with Agero for nationwide roadside help 24/7.

Auto Club Membership

Most auto clubs like AAA offer different membership levels with varying amounts of included towing miles per year. For example:

• AAA Basic: Up to 5 tows for 5 miles each
• AAA Plus: Up to 100 miles of towing
• AAA Premier: Up to 200 miles of towing

So having an active auto club membership can provide more extensive towing coverage for mechanical breakdowns compared to Erie’s limited roadside assistance miles.

Erie Insurance Towing Limits

If you use your Erie roadside assistance for towing, there are some mileage limits:

• Towing is covered to the nearest repair facility that can service your car
• An additional 20 miles of towing are included beyond the nearest facility

So for example, if the closest shop is 15 miles from where you broke down, Erie would cover towing up to 35 miles total.

Any mileage beyond the initial service facility plus 20 miles would be your responsibility or may be covered by an auto club membership.

Getting Reimbursed by Erie for Towing

If you need a tow after an accident or breakdown, here are some tips for getting reimbursed quickly and easily by Erie:

• For accident tows, file a claim with both Erie and the at-fault driver’s insurer. Provide any police reports, photos, and towing invoices. Erie will include the towing costs in your collision claim payout.

• For roadside assistance tows, call Erie or Agero first whenever possible so they can dispatch a tow truck and directly handle payment.

• If you use your own towing service, submit the itemized invoice and proof of payment to Erie. Ask them to reimburse you or apply it toward your collision deductible.

• To get reimbursed for a tow covered by an auto club like AAA, provide the invoice showing the towing mileage and services.

• Keep receipts and take photos of your car at the breakdown location in case Erie requests additional documentation.

The bottom line: Erie auto insurance will cover the cost of towing your vehicle after an at-fault accident if you carry collision coverage. For tows due to mechanical problems, add Erie roadside assistance or use an auto club membership for the broadest coverage.