Florissant, MO asked in Civil Litigation for Missouri

Q: I was at fault in an accident, no insurance. Who do I pay?

The other person told me at the scene they would sue me if I didn’t pay for the repairs within a week of receiving the estimate.

They sent me the estimate but it says their insurance covers it. So do I contact their insurance company to reimburse them?

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1 Lawyer Answer

A: A Missouri attorney could advise best on how an insurance carrier would handle this, as insurance practices are governed by state law. But your question remains open for two weeks, and you were concerned about responding to the other person in a week. As a general matter in many jurisdictions, auto insurance carriers will subrogate these losses, meaning they pursue the funds from the responsible party after paying their own insured. It looks like the other driver handled this as a first-party claim through their insurance. If you're concerned about things falling through the cracks, or the insured or their carrier hastily moving toward pursuing funds from you, you could contact them to let them know of your willingness to pay the repair costs as originally agreed. If you have questions regarding state-specific elements of exactly how this would work in Missouri, contact a local attorney. Good luck

Tim Akpinar

1 user found this answer helpful

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