Q: Received $15,000 lawsuit demand after minor fender bender, no injuries reported. What to do?
My son was involved in a minor fender bender two weeks ago, resulting in a scratch on our car and some cosmetic damage (headlight knocked out and a bumper dent) to the other vehicle. He received a warning ticket for failure to yield right of way, with the police report stating no injuries. While we were on vacation, we received a letter dated February 24, 2025, from an attorney seeking to sue us for $15,000, despite no mention of injuries. We haven't heard back from our insurance company yet. What should we do in response to this legal claim?
A: Your insurance company is contractually obligated via your insurance policy to handle this claim. There is nothing you need to be doing. I suggest following up with the handling adjuster to get a status update. I suspect the claim has already been resolved.
Tim Akpinar agrees with this answer
A: Your insurance carrier is probably setting up a claim, if it hasn't done so already. It sounds like it's only a letter at this point. You probably already did so, but if you haven't, turn the letter over to your insurance carrier after making a copy for your own files. If the matter goes into suit and you receive a summons and complaint from that same attorney, make a copy of the paperwork and turn the originals over to your insurance carrier. If that happens (which may not necessarily happen, given the $15,000 demand), your insurance company should assign an attorney to defend against any such lawsuit. I hope your son and all involved are okay. Good luck
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