What can I do if I wrecked my girlfriend’s car and due to a break-up her mom is now is telling the insurance company that I did not have permission to drive the vehicle?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
What can I do if I wrecked my girlfriend’s car and due to a break-up her mom is now is telling the insurance company that I did not have permission to drive the vehicle?
I am a 20 year old college student. I was involved in a rear-end accident that was my fault. I was the only person in the vehicle when the accident occurred. There were no injuries but there was damage to both cars. At the time I did not own a car, nor did I have insurance. The vehicle I was driving was my girlfriend’s car that was insured and registered to her parents. About a week after the accident, my girlfriend and I broke up. Angry over the break up, her mom called the cops and her insurance company and claimed that I had did not
have her permission to drive the car at the time of the crash. There were no charges filed. However her insurance company, is now refusing to cover the other vehicle damages in the crash, due to their customer saying the vehicle was stolen. I recently received a letter from the insurance company of the other car in the accident demanding $15,000 from me. I don’t have that money nor do I have any assets for them to come after. I am worried they will garnish my wages. Should I just ignore the letter?
Asked on February 10, 2019 under Accident Law, Oregon
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 5 years ago | Contributor
If you ignore them, assume they will sue you and get a judgment against you--you were at fault, as you write. That judgment will be enforceable against you for at least 10 years--so if you make money, get any assets or property or vehicles, etc. during that time, they can go after it. They can also garnish your wages at any time during that period.
Unfortunately, you can't force your ex-girlfriend's mother's insurance to cover you, since you were not a driver on the policy, so there is no one else to pay this for you.
You may wish to consider trying to settle with them for a some lesser amount, payable over time, which you can afford. They may not agree to do so, but you are not worse off if you try and fail--it doesn't make you any more responsible than you already are.
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.