I caused an accident and I didn’t have any insurance at the time. What are my rights?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
I caused an accident and I didn’t have any insurance at the time. What are my rights?
The accident happened in WA state and that is where I lived at the time. Now I live in CA but I still use my WA driver’s license.I am being “billed” (apparently it’s something like a civil tort or something) from a 3rd party company that is working with the insurance company. They are just sending me a dollar amount that I owe without itemizing any of the costs or listing what the costs are for (ie car repair, medical bills, physical therapy, etc).Is it my right to demand an itemized document before paying? What other rights do i have?
Asked on May 27, 2009 under Accident Law, California
Answers:
L.M., Member, California Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 14 years ago | Contributor
You are absolutely entitled to a full accounting of what claims are being made against you and for how much. If you know which insurance company it is, contact the adjuster handling the claim directly and get all of the information. If you don't know what insurance company it is, ask this third party company for their contact information. If it is property damage, have them send you a written estimate for repairs. If it is medical bills, get copies of all the bills and a copy of the medical report indicating what the injuries are and what treatment was delivered. Be sure it sounds reasonable based on the facts of the accident. This sounds like the insurance company paid their insured, and now they are subrogating against you (making a legal demand for reimbursement). If you think they paid their insured too much, sometimes you can negotiate a settlement with them for less.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.