Police Impounded Car After An Accident That Was Not My Fault

[BernardC]

What is the name of your state?Florida
I do not know what to do and I need help.I was in a 5 car pile-up accident in which a person in a car was killed. I was one of five cars stopped at a red light. A driver of a pickup truck crashed into the car that was three cars behind me and caused a chain reaction collision. Unfortunately the driver of the first car hit was killed.The driver of the truck ran from the scene but was captured by the police and charged with vehicular manslaughter and grand theft auto. My car as well as all the other cars were impounded by the police as part of the death investigation. Apparently, the driver of the at fault truck had stolen the truck. The problem is it has been two weeks and the police will not tell me when my car will be released, nor will they allow my auto insurance adjuster near the vehicle. I contacted an attorney, but after his initial investigation and discovery of the at fault drivers lack of auto insurance and the fact that I only had state minimum, he will not handle the case. I do not know what to do. I need my car back in order to go to work. I have borrowed a friends car temporarily, but they need it back in a few days when they come back from vacation. Any advice would be deeply appreciated,

 

[LdiJ]

What is the name of your state?Florida
I do not know what to do and I need help.I was in a 5 car pile-up accident in which a person in a car was killed. I was one of five cars stopped at a red light. A driver of a pickup truck crashed into the car that was three cars behind me and caused a chain reaction collision. Unfortunately the driver of the first car hit was killed.The driver of the truck ran from the scene but was captured by the police and charged with vehicular manslaughter and grand theft auto. My car as well as all the other cars were impounded by the police as part of the death investigation. Apparently, the driver of the at fault truck had stolen the truck. The problem is it has been two weeks and the police will not tell me when my car will be released, nor will they allow my auto insurance adjuster near the vehicle. I contacted an attorney, but after his initial investigation and discovery of the at fault drivers lack of auto insurance and the fact that I only had state minimum, he will not handle the case. I do not know what to do. I need my car back in order to go to work. I have borrowed a friends car temporarily, but they need it back in a few days when they come back from vacation. Any advice would be deeply appreciated,

Talk to your insurance company and see if you have any coverage for a rental car. Otherwise, you may need to consider using Uber for a while. Or perhaps public transportation. I am sorry you are going through this.

 

[BernardC]

Thank you for your reply. Unfortunately, I do not have rental car coverage.Is it legal for police to impound a car for excessive amounts of time without the owner having any recourse? I mean, I was three cars up from the poor person who was killed. I was just one of the remaining four cars that got rear ended from the car directly behind them. As far as I know, none of the other cars' drivers were even injured besides maybe a bit of whiplash.

 

[adjusterjack]

Is it legal for police to impound a car for excessive amounts of time without the owner having any recourse?

Under the circumstances the answer is a resounding yes, it's legal.

It's extraordinary circumstances like this that requires people to keep an emergency fund for car rental or alternate transportation or a credit card.

Call some car rental companies, or ask your adjuster, and see who has insurance related discounts for long term rentals.

Or take an Uber to work tomorrow and hit up coworkers for a carpool.

 

[BensonBingham]

I'm sorry to hear you're going through this. Since your car is part of a death investigation, the authorities may hold onto it longer than usual. However, you have a right to know the status of your property. It might help to contact the police department directly and ask for a timeline or explanation. If you’re not getting answers, consider reaching out to another personal injury attorney who can assist you in dealing with the police and your insurance company. They might be able to expedite the process of getting your vehicle released.

 

[quincy]

This thread is from June 16. At the time of posting, BernardC said he needed his car back “in a few days.”