Am I subject to any criminal penalties if I ran over a carpet that was in the road but didn’t stop??
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
Am I subject to any criminal penalties if I ran over a carpet that was in the road but didn’t stop??
I was driving home from work and saw a large flat object in the road up ahead. I thought it was a piece of cardboard or some other trash, so I didn’t make a huge effort to avoid it completely. When I ran over the edge of it, I realized it was some carpet that someone had put in the middle of the street. After I got home, I noticed someone drive past my house and take a picture of my car. I don’t remember exactly which house it was but I would be willing to pay for cleaning the carpet if necessary. But my question is,
Asked on June 11, 2014 under Criminal Law, Michigan
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 9 years ago | Contributor
No, there is no criminal liability for running over road debris or property left in the road and not stopping. It is possible you could be sued for the damage to the carpet, but it's not clear that you'd have to pay: from what you write, you did not necessarily drive negligently or carelessly--you saw what could have been cardboard and reacted appropriately--whereas the person who left a carpet in the road would almost certainly have been negligent in so doing. His or her own fault would reduce, if not eliminate, what you would likely have to pay, even if it had been the case that you were negligent, too--and if you were not at fault, you would not have to pay anything anyway, since liability (the legal obligation to pay compensatation) is derived from fault, or being in the wrong.
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.