After calling for a tow truck, man ends up with more damage and dispute over repayment

UNION COUNTY, N.C. — After hitting a deer while driving in Union County, a North Carolina man called a tow company to give he and his truck a lift.

Holden Conkey told Action 9′s Jason Stoogenke he called A-1 Towing and Recovery to save the day and instead ended up with an even bigger headache.

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“He showed up, pulled up, backed up, and it just kept going, the back of the bed,” Conkey said. “He was like, ‘Oh, it won’t stop, it won’t stop.’ And I stepped sideways and got out of the way, because I didn’t want anything to happen to either one of us.”

Cameras at a Mineral Springs gas station caught the crash as it happened. The bed of the tow truck hits the customer’s truck causing the hood to buckle.

Conkey told Action 9 the tow company was hesitant to pay the damage. A-1 Towing and Recovery told us that isn’t true. They say they took responsibility for their involvement, but said Conkey wanted the business to cover damage done by the deer.

Both sides told Action 9 that after Stoogenke got involved, the tow company sent out an adjuster to check the truck. It wasn’t clear why that hadn’t happened sooner.

Conkey said the business’s insurance cut the body shop a check, but for less than he thought it should have been.

Action 9′s advice if you have damage following a crash and are in another wreck:

Always be honest about any damage that was already there, even if that damage is in the same spot as the new damage. You don’t want someone to accuse you of insurance fraud.
It’s great if you have pictures of the damage that was already there. That way, the adjuster can compare.
If you don’t feel you’re getting a fair amount, you may want to talk to a lawyer.

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