Toller wrote:
My son drove my car into a ditch. The tow truck operator winched it out,
but slightly damaged a panel. He pointed it out and said it was
unavoidable. It isn't much, but any sheet metal damage is expensive to
fix.

The car was a 2001 Golf in perfect condition.
There was no damage from going in the ditch.
The damage was a slightly bent panel behind the driver's front wheel, and
damage to the paint there. My insurance would go up way too much to file a
claim on it.
There is a responsible witness to the operators pointing out the damage he
had done.
Legally, the liability is clear; that is not the issue.

Several people have implied that I am a lousy father for letting my son
avoid his responsibilty; but that is largely the issue. If the tow truck
operator is responsible, then my son is not (and visa-versa). I want to
hold the right party responsibilty. Eventhough I could recover from the tow
truck company, I don't want to do it if it is wrong.

I think the point is your son used your car, had an accident, and it's
his responsibility to fix the situation. There is little reason for
you to get involved if your son is of legal age. Let him learn how
these things work.

The damage sounds slight, a couple or few hundred at worst. If he
wants to take the tow truck company to small claims court, let him.

It might also be time to talk about him getting a car of his own and
his own insurance. You could reimburse him for the amount of money he
would add to your policy if he was under your coverage...or not. That
would depend on how independent you want him to become, how soon and
his age.

R