Q: Can someone sue me for a car accident after it was dismissed with prejudice?
In 2014 I was in an at fault car accident. It was later resolved with a dismissal with prejudice. I just found out my license is suspended and when I called they told me I had a lawsuit against me for the accident. I looked up the florida court records and they had opened a new lawsuit against me that I knew nothing about. Is there anything I can do to fix this besides giving them over $60,000 that I don't have to give?
A: If the second suit is for the same incident and same claimed damages, a motion to vacate the judgment in the second suit should be filed and set for hearing before the judge currently assigned to that case number. You must compare the complaint filed in the first suit to the one filed in the second suit to confirm it was an invalid second bite at the apple. Aside from that issue, there's the issue of why you never knew of the second suit before now. The file in the second suit would reflect why it was presumed that you were validly served with process, with no response from you, and a legal defect might be seen there.
Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.
