What do I do if I am being sued related to a suicide incident?

If you are the owner of the car you are liable for its operation. Anyone injured has a claim. If you don't have enough coverage then you may want to consider bankruptcy, see a good lawyer for full review.

Funny I just indicated this in another post but sometimes people's own insurance companies mislead the insured's i.e. you in such a manner to cause some stress so that they shade their story and testimony to benefit the insurance company. Don't know if that's happening with you, but you need to understand that if you are sued your insurance company has an obligation to hire an attorney who will defend you. However insurance companies always recommend that you consult with your own attorney if there is the potential of an excess liability judgment. You would be wise to pay for an hours worth of time to stop discuss this matter with an attorney. Although you have not given enough information, I imagine that your son was named on your automobile insurance policy and was a covered driver. His own personal liability would only make his assets subject to attachment if there is an excess you have not judgment over the insurance limits. Your personal liability will did depend on a number of factors and he given enough information as to whether you may bear some personal liability. If you decide not to get your own attorney, you must be very vigilant and if you're insurance company is offered a policy limits settlement and the insurance company fails to take advantage of the policy limits offer of settlement and a judgment is rendered that is in excess of your policy limits, you may have a bad faith claim against your own insurance company. Therefore make sure you tell your lawyer to make you aware of any offers of settlement and to discuss whether those offers should be accepted.

The ONLY way that I know of, in which you could be liable, would be because the car was owned by you and was being driven with your permission. However, if you did not give him permission to go out and kill himself in your car, perhaps you could have a defense. Talk to your insurance companyabout that.

If you get sued because you were the owner of the car, your liability is limited and your insurance should cover you. If the claim against you is for something you actually did, or failed to do, that somehow contributed to cause damage, you still should be covered by your insurance and the company should fulfill its obligations to you. Unless you did something to intentionally cause harm, your insurance should protect you up to policy limits.

In general, you can only be held liable for the acts of your child if the plaintiff can prove 1. That your child had a dangerous proclivity, 2. You knew or should have known of your child's dangerous proclivity, and 3. You failed to exercise reasonable care in controlling that proclivity. Without knowing more about your situation, I cannot tell you whether or not I believe the plaintiffs could prove those elements but, in general, I think it is unlikely. There is also a statute in Washington, RCW 4.24.190 that provides for an action against parents of children who willfully injure other people or property. While a claim against you under this statute may be viable in your situation, the statute limits the plaintiff's recovery to $5000. The responses provided on this site are intended for informational purposes only and should not be construed as providing legal advice regarding an individual situation. No attorney-client relationship is created between the reader and Kirk D. Miller PS.

Unless they can prove you negligently entrusted your car to your son, you would have no personal liability.

Don't be a fool. Sit down with a lawyer.

You should consult a lawyer immediately. If your son was insured under your policy, the insurance company should hire a lawyer on your behalf.

You need to retain representation, the issues that you will be dealing with require a knowledgeable person.

If some one is suing you, they must file a Complaint in a local court and have you served with a Summons and the Complaint. If that has/does occur, turn those papers over to the insurer for the vehicle your son was driving. Depending on the policy language and the facts of the incident, they will hire a lawyer and defend the claims, or let you know they are disputing coverage and must file a Motion with the Court to settle the issue of whether they have a duty to defend you. They would have to serve you with such a Motion. You have the option to hire your own counsel if they are disputing providing a defense or if the demand of the Plaintiff exceeds the policy limit of the insurance. If there is some question about whether the insurance company is being "straight" with you, ask them to put their advice, disputes, etc. in writing so it will be clearer to you. You can then take their position to an independent lawyer that you hire to give you advice as to your rights. Generally you are not responsible for the actions of your son, but if you were the titled owner of the vehicle he was driving, then you have liability as the owner. Certainly anyone suing must also prove that their injuries meet the requirements of Michigan law, and any insurance lawyer defending you should explain all this to you and if the Plaintiffs injuries don't meet the legal requirements, they should file a Motion to Dismiss the case.