Q: Back in March I had an accident in the company vehicle and the other driver has filed a suit against me and the company
I was served court papers last Wednesday and it says I have 20 days to respond do I need legal counsel and how much would it cost
A:
Yes you should have an attorney.
Your company's insurance should cover you.
Your own insurance may be back-up.
A:
If you or the company have insurance, you should immediately make a claim, send a copy of the suit that has been filed against you to the insurance company, and ask the insurance company to defend you.
If you do not have available insurance coverage, you likely need an attorney to defend you. Fortunately, defending a motor vehicle accident usually does not require a very experienced attorney, and there are many attorneys who defend such cases. Expect to pay $250-400 per hour and to deposit a small retainer of $5,000-10,000.
Most likely, there is available insurance that will defend you. Most likely, the company will be the target defendant and you should not have to spend too much out of pocket to defend the case.
A: Make copies of the papers you were served and present the originals to your insurance carrier. They should arrange your defense. Good luck
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