Accident storage in London, where there is nowhere to put it.

Parking in most of inner London is controlled, permitted or both. An undriveable vehicle in a resident bay is still subject to the rules of that bay, and a vehicle left where it should not be can attract penalties, and in some cases removal, while you are still waiting for an insurer to call you back.

Even where you have somewhere to put it, a damaged vehicle outside your home for several weeks is an invitation — for further damage, for parts to disappear, and for weather to get into whatever the impact opened up.

It is not just parking. Until the damage has been properly assessed, the vehicle is evidence of what happened to it. Keeping it secure and unaltered protects your position: engineers may need to inspect it, photographs may need taking, and the assessment may need revisiting.

It also keeps the process moving. A vehicle in storage can be assessed and then go straight into repair, rather than needing another recovery job to get it from your street to a workshop.

Storage is chargeable, and people are right to ask who pays. Where those costs are recoverable as part of an eligible claim, we can assist with seeking them from the appropriate insurer.

We will not tell you they will definitely be met. Whether any particular cost is recovered depends on the circumstances of the claim and on the decision of the relevant insurer. What we will do is be straightforward with you about the position before your vehicle goes anywhere, rather than after.