I was at fault in a car accident in Orange county, California and I can’t afford to pay damages. What do I do?
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I was at fault in a car accident in Orange county, California and I can’t afford to pay damages. What do I do?
I was at fault in an auto accident in Orange county, California. One of the parties in the accident wants to sue me because their damage exceeds my insurance coverage. I am a full-time student who doesnt make any income and I live with my parents. I can’t afford to pay. What do i do?
Asked on May 19, 2009 under Accident Law, California
Answers:
B. B., Member, New Jersey Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 14 years ago | Contributor
If you are sued, you may need to hire a car accident lawyer in Orange county, California to defend you. One place you can look for counsel is our website, http://attorneypages.com. Auto accident attorneys are organized by geographic location and practice area.
Ordinarily, your insurance company would hire a lawyer for you. But in cases like this, they might be able to simply turn over the maximum policy limit that they have to pay and walk away from the case.
Right now, you might be "judgment proof," because you don't own enough in your own name to collect a judgment against, and you have no income to attach. But that won't always be true, and the judgment will remain open and they can come after your income when you graduate and get a job, and it will also hurt your credit, so you can't ignore this.
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.