My question involves a traffic citation from the state of: California
I parked my car in a private lot and I believe that it was legally towed. However when I went to pick up the car I was handed papers to sign and a fee to pay in order to reclaim my car. Everything looked in order and I was led to my car. I immediately noticed body damage on the front passenger side that was not documented on the paperwork given to me from the tow truck company. This damage consisted of one long scratch down the side of the passenger door perhaps about 4-5 inches. The most severe damage was on the part below the door on the rocker panel (I drive a 09 Honda Civic LX), there is an indentation into the rocker and several gash marks about 6-7 inches long. As soon as I noticed this I mentioned it to the individual at the time and he refused to address the issue and kept repeating if I had a problem to sue the company. It's odd because the tow company noted very minor scratches in other places but did not note this damage. If it were on here before the towing it should easily have been the most recognizable. The damage appears to have been due to some kind of impact while the car was moving because I see streaks in the gash marks.
I called today and spoke to a manager who refused to admit any possibility of damage and asked if I knew how they caused the damage which obviously I don't because I didn't see them. I took the car to a auto body shop and they did an informal estimate and said it was most likely several hundred dollars to replace and repair the damage. What recourse do I have against the tow truck company? What information or steps should I take if I want to pursue this further perhaps into a small claims court?

