an unlicensed minor stole and crashed my car. who do I sue?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
an unlicensed minor stole and crashed my car. who do I sue?
A minor stole my car, got into a car
accident, and caused damage to my car.
Who do I sue to get my money for the
repair of my car? They found my car
immediately. The minor was unlicensed
and took along a few friends in the
car. She also hit 2 other cars. The
police did take a report.
Asked on May 10, 2017 under Accident Law, Oregon
Answers:
S.L,. Member, California Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 7 years ago | Contributor
You can sue the minor's parents for negligence. Your damages (monetary compensation you are seeking in your lawsuit) would be the cost of repairs (property damage) to your car.
Depending on the amount of damage, you might be able to file the lawsuit in small claims court.
Upon prevailing in the case, you can enforce the court judgment with a wage garnishment. Another method of enforcing a judgment is to place a lien on the parents' home.
The criminal case against the minor for auto theft is separate from the civil case (lawsuit for negligence) discussed above).
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.