Washington Car Accident Legal Questions

Most insurance policies give the right to settle to the insurance company but you can contact your insurance company and contest their decision to settle. I would make it clear to them you believe their conduct is in bad faith because paying a claim will more likely than not increase you premiums. I would put that in writing. This response is general in nature and is not legal advice. No attorney client relationship is formed by it. Further, the response does not represent the opinions or views of LexisNexis or its affiliated companies.  ... Read More

Sarah, First, you should be aware of the fact that you are not necessarily at fault bcs you had no insurance. Having no insurance is a traffic offense but does mean you are responsible for an accident. It the woman slammed on her brakes at a green light, she may be at fault for the accident. Second, your mother's license should not be suspended bcs her name was on the title. She should contact the DOL and clear that up. I would need more information to adequately address your other questions. For example, you say you are being sued. Have you responded to the lawsuit or was a default judgment entered against you? If a default judgment hasn't been entered you need to answer the complaint as soon as possible. I'm afraid you will need an attorney to properly answer the complaint. If the amount they are asking seems wrong you should contest it. The attorney will have to prove the amount they are asking for is reasonable with documentation. You should request that documentation. If the lady had insurance, it is probably an attorney from her insurance company that is pursuing this claim for the insurance company. This response is general in nature and is not legal advice. No attorney client relationship is formed by it. Further, the response does not represent the opinions or views of LexisNexis or its affiliated companies.  ... Read More

If you had insurance, contact your insurance company. They have a duty to defend you. I you don't, you will need to hire an attorney. The statute of limitations is 3 years from the date of the accident. If the law suit was filed after that it should be dismissed but you will probably need an attorney to do that. This response is general in nature and is not legal advice. No attorney client relationship is formed by it. Further, the response does not represent the opinions or views of LexisNexis or its affiliated companies.  ... Read More

The police will not get involved in a case like this and certainly have no authority to force you to pay anything. If the guy's insurance company paid for the damages, they would be the ones requesting reimbursement. I would not pay the guy directly. If his insurance company asks for payment, you might work something out with them. This response is general in nature and is not legal advice. No attorney client relationship is formed by it. Further, the response does not represent the opinions or views of LexisNexis or its affiliated companies.  ... Read More

I'm afraid there is no mental anguish damages available for damage to your personal property. This response is general in nature and is not legal advice. No attorney client relationship is formed by it. Further, the response does not represent the opinions or views of LexisNexis or its affiliated companies.  ... Read More

A “social host” in Washington State is not liable to a third party who is injured by the guest who consumed the alcohol.   Reynolds v. Hicks, 134 Wn.2d 491 (1998) and Crowe v. Gaston 134 Wn.2d 509 (1998), affirmed 98 Wn. App. 677. This does not apply, however, to serving a minor.   This response is general in nature and is not legal advice. No attorney client relationship is formed by it. Further, the response does not represent the opinions or views of LexisNexis or its affiliated companies.  ... Read More

This is not a personal injury question but I can tell you a collection agency cannot take away a person's vehicle and revoke their license. They can, however, report the accident to the Department of Motor Vehicles and they can suspend the at fault person's license if they didn't have insurance and refuse to pay for damages they caused. As the driver in this case, you, not the vehicle owner are responsible for the damages. The collection agency does have to provide you with proof of the damages. This response is general in nature and is not legal advice. No attorney client relationship is formed by it. Further, the response does not represent the opinions or views of LexisNexis or its affiliated companies.  ... Read More

If you had uninsured motorist coverage for property damage, you can have your insurance company take care of it. If not, you should get an estimate and present it to the person who hit you. If they do not want to take care of it, you can either take them to small claims court (if the damages is less than $5000) or hire an attorney to file a lawsuit for your damages.... Read More