Accident & Collision Towing in Plainfield, IL
BJ Towing provides 24/7 accident and collision towing in Plainfield, IL and the southwest suburbs. The car rides on a flatbed, vehicles that left the road are winched to firm ground first, and you get one flat price plus an itemized receipt for your insurance claim.
Matching the method to the damage
The damage picks the method. Most wrecks, along with AWD models, EVs and low or expensive cars, are safest on a flatbed, and anything that left the pavement has to be recovered before it can be towed. Handled correctly, what your adjuster sees is precisely what the collision caused and nothing more.
- Wheel knocked out of line, or a car that can’t roll: flatbed, keeping the broken corner off the road all the way to the shop
- AWD or 4×4: flatbed; towing it on two wheels loads parts the crash never reached
- EV or Tesla: drive wheels off the ground, as the manual says (see EV towing)
- Lowered, classic or luxury: a slow load at a shallow angle so nothing underneath scrapes (see classic car towing)
- Ditch, snowbank or mud: winched to solid ground first, then loaded
- Sprinter, box truck or work truck: too long for a car-class truck, so a longer rig (see medium-duty towing)
- Motorcycle: carried upright, never pulled (see motorcycle towing)
You don’t have to know any of this. Answer what you can, guess where you can’t, and the driver inspects the wheels and steering before loading. Expect five questions: make, model and year; AWD, 4WD or electric; does it roll and do the wheels point straight; is it in a lane, on the shoulder, in a ditch or in a yard; and is anything leaking or dangling. Because every BJ Towing job uses a flatbed, you never need to request one, and after a collision that’s worth something: putting the wrong car on a wheel-lift can turn bodywork into a transmission job.
Stuck rather than wrecked? Recovery comes first
A slide into a ditch on Caton Farm Road after an ice storm, a wheel off the edge of a soft shoulder on Route 126, a driveway that turned into a snowbank: these are winch-outs, and they’re usually quick. The most important thing you can do is stop spinning the tires. Digging in makes the recovery harder and can damage the drivetrain. We pull the vehicle back onto solid ground, check it over, and either send you on your way or load it for the tow. Roadside assistance covers the plain stuck-in-snow call in more detail.
What to do right after a crash
- Move to a safe spot if the vehicles can be driven; otherwise turn on your hazards and stay out of traffic.
- Call 911 if anyone is hurt or the roadway is blocked.
- Exchange insurance and contact information and photograph both vehicles and the scene.
- Call BJ Towing at (708) 400-3917. You can choose your own tow company unless police order the vehicle removed immediately for safety.
- Tell us where the car should go. If you don’t know yet, we’ll take it to your home while you talk to your insurer.
When the truck arrives
The method was decided on the call, so what’s left are a few choices that protect the car, your things and your claim. Get out only if it’s safe, stay away from traffic, and then:
- Take photos of all four sides, the inside and the place it stopped, so the damage is documented before anyone moves it
- Pull out whatever you’ll want this week: charger, wallet, child seat, house keys, garage opener, medication, tools for work
- Take your registration and insurance card out of the glove box
- If police came, note the report number
Then choose where it goes, and take that seriously. Your driveway, a storage lot, the dealer or a body shop you’ve used before can all hold the car while the claim moves, and in most cases the insurer can’t make you use a particular shop. Haven’t decided? Say so; our only rule is that the car ends up where you approved. A crash late on a Saturday night means your shop is closed, so before the truck leaves, ask where the car will spend the night and whether a storage yard is part of that. Know the full delivery address, the number to call for updates or pickup, how the price was figured and whether a receipt comes with it, and whether any daily storage charges apply.
The bill after a crash
Many companies charge a hookup fee and then every mile to the destination. BJ Towing gives you a single price before the truck rolls, with no hookup charge and no mileage. We deal with auto insurers on accident tows regularly and provide a detailed, itemized receipt on request; keep every receipt and send copies to the adjuster. Plan for the bad version of the night: freezing weather, the car dead on the shoulder, your phone nearly flat. The driver will need a destination, and “my mechanic, sometime Monday” isn’t one. Give the shop’s name and address, or ask for storage plus a phone number to call in the morning, and write that number down before your phone dies.
Who ends up paying
Fault and your own coverage decide it, and paying the tow company yourself and claiming it back afterward is normal. The sooner the right insurer hears from you, the shorter that wait.
- Their liability coverage: when the other driver caused it, the tow can fall on their policy; those claims move slowly, so guard the receipt
- Your collision coverage: when it was your fault, or the other insurer stalls, your own policy can pay, less the deductible
- A towing rider: a cheap add-on some insurers sell that can cover the tow even when collision coverage doesn’t apply
- A plan you’ve forgotten: new-car warranties, credit cards and motor clubs often include roadside benefits; check before you pay
- Out of pocket: when nothing else fits, you pay now and submit the receipt to whichever insurer handles the claim
If you have the chance, call your insurer from the scene and ask whether accident towing is covered and whether there’s a cap on dollars or miles. That answer decides between a shop near you and one across town.
If police order the tow
When someone is injured, the car is in the lanes or the driver can’t make calls, an officer may order the tow, and the car can land in a lot you didn’t choose. It can be moved to your own shop later, at the cost of a second trip and a second bill. If you’re in any shape to speak up, tell the officer you’d rather call your own company.
What happens to the car next
Minor damage goes straight to a body shop. But if the airbags deployed, the frame looks off or the car is older, the insurer may total it, inspect it and send it to salvage, and a car headed for a total-loss decision that lands at a repair shop first can collect teardown charges for work nobody will do. Ask the adjuster before picking the drop-off. If the car is leased or financed, the lender gets a say; some leases insist on factory parts or a dealer-approved shop, so check the paperwork so you don’t move the car twice. None of it has to be resolved before you call. Tell us what you know, we deliver the car where you choose, and the rest can wait until you’re safe.
Crash response across the suburbs
We respond to collisions and stuck vehicles throughout Plainfield, Naperville, Joliet, Romeoville, Bolingbrook, Shorewood, Lockport, Crest Hill, Oswego, Aurora, Montgomery, Woodridge, Lemont, Darien, New Lenox, Lisle, including the rural stretches of Will and Kendall County where ditches run deep and shoulders are soft.
Need accident & collision towing now? Call (708) 400-3917; a dispatcher answers 24/7.
Need help now?
- Live dispatch, 24/7/365
- Flatbed trucks only
- Upfront pricing
- Licensed & insured in Illinois
Related services
Accident & Collision Towing FAQs
Police already ordered a tow. Now what?
The car may be on its way to a lot you didn't pick. You can have it moved to a shop of your choice later, paying for that second trip. If you're able to, ask the officer whether you may call your own towing company instead.
Can my insurer tell me which shop to use?
Generally no. You decide: a body shop you trust, the dealer, your own driveway, or storage until the claim is sorted. If you're still choosing, let the driver know; the car goes nowhere you haven't approved.
My shop was closed when I crashed. Where does the car go?
Ask the driver where it waits until the shop opens and whether a storage yard is involved, so no surprise storage bill follows. Our line is answered all night, so a late crash never waits for morning.
Will you work with my insurance company?
Yes. We provide an itemized receipt and photos of the vehicle's condition, and we can deliver directly to the shop your adjuster names. Most insurers reimburse towing after a covered accident; check your policy for the details.