Tow company billed my insurer WAY more than the law allows — should I say something?

Went through almost the exact same thing after a fender bender two years ago. The rotation tow company billed what felt like a ransom for like six hours of storage. I did end up mentioning it to my adjuster just casually, like 'hey I looked this up and the rate seems off' — she actually thanked me and said they'd look into it. Nothing bad happened to my claim at all. I think adjusters are used to dealing with predatory tow yards, honestly.

Honestly? Tell the adjuster. We used to catch inflated tow bills pretty regularly but we didn't always catch every single one, especially when claims were moving fast. If a claimant pointed it out we'd look into it — it never hurt the person who flagged it. The tow company is the one with exposure there, not you. The insurer has zero incentive to penalize you for doing their job for them.

Not legal advice, but from what you're describing — a bill that appears to exceed state-mandated caps on police-dispatched tows — that's potentially a violation the state AG's office or consumer protection bureau would care about, separate from whatever your insurer does. Filing a complaint costs you nothing and creates an official record. Just keep copies of everything: the itemized bill, the rate schedule you found, and whatever response you get. Doesn't hurt to have it.

Tell the adjuster, file the state complaint, move on. This won't complicate your claim. You're not disputing liability or trying to lowball repairs — you're pointing out a potentially illegal overcharge on a third party's bill. Those are completely different things.

How is your husband doing physically? I know the billing stuff feels urgent but make sure he's been checked out even if he felt okay at the scene. Rear-end collisions can do a number on the neck and upper back and symptoms sometimes show up days later. Don't let the paperwork stress crowd out the recovery stuff.

How sure are you that the state rate caps apply to your specific situation? Some of those rules have carve-outs depending on the type of tow, the vehicle weight, whether it was a highway vs surface street, etc. I'd double-check that you're reading the right part of the statute before you go to the adjuster with it — you want to be confident in what you're saying.

A couple of practical things: first, request the full itemized invoice from your insurer if you don't already have it — you want to see exactly what line items they billed, not just the total. Second, screenshot or save the state rate schedule you found so you have a dated copy. If you do file a consumer complaint, that documentation makes it way more credible than just saying 'the number seemed high.' Most state consumer protection offices have an online portal and it takes maybe fifteen minutes.