How do I protect myself if I am being sued over a minor accident? 32 Answers as of February 20, 2012

It sounds like it will be a credibility contest. If the judge believes you, youll win. If he thinks the other guy is being truthful, you will likely lose. You might argue laches which is a delay in bringing the claim forward, even if it is within the statute of limitations. You should use the fact that he has waited so long to show that this is a revenge tactic because you broke up with his friend.

Immediately turn all information over to your insurance. They must defend you, including hiring an attorney.

You should report the incident to your insurance company and let them defend the claim.

Answer the complaint. Deny everything. Also, deny that you did the damage. Because he waited so long to demand you repair the damage, there is no way to prove that your car did the damage he alleges was done to his car. So much time passed that he may have independently damaged his bumper or someone else damaged it. Finally, because he waited so long, he deprived you of the ability to examine the damage in the light of day, take pictures, and get a second opinion on the damage. Having denied you the ability to verify this damage he impaired your rights to be assured that you a) actually did the damage, and b) the damage is as much as he says it is. At trial (because this will be small claims court), demand the original estimate of the damage. If he fails to produce it, ask the judge to exclude it using the "best evidence rule." (You have to produce originals). Finally, deny that it costs $800 to repair the bumper. That sounds like the cost to replace the bumper. If the damage was cosmetic, the cost to repair it would be some buffing and new paint.

Of course you have a complete defense if there was no damage. But what you really need to do is turn the lawsuit over to your insurance company and let them worry about it.

Sure. Turn it over to your insurer. They will handle the defense.

If you own your own vehicle you should contact your own insurance company which will probably provide coverage to you for this.

If you think that a claim is going to be made against you then you should notify your insurance carrier of same. If you wait too long they have the right to disclaim do to the fact that same was not reported timely. It appears that you are aware that the incident took place and now there is a question of if there are damages.

He will have to prove you caused the damage. Did you take any pictures at the time you bumped into his car? It is a small claims case and the only thing you can do is testify as to what happened. It would help if your ex boyfriend testified the same way.

Yes. Get an estimate from someone else but ultimately you will have to pay for the damage.

Yes. He has the burden of proving that the damage he claims was caused by you.

You should refer the claim to your insurance company for it to handle.

You should contact your insurance company and allow them to defend it.

If you caused the accident, and the accident caused the damage, you are liable. The only questions would be whether the damage they're claiming was actually caused by your accident. You should submit the claim to your insurance company, this situation is exactly why you pay for insurance every month.

If you did not damage the car, you can defend the case on the basis that the damage was caused by someone else. If you did the damage, then it probably doesn't matter that your boyfriend initially told you "not to worry about it." If you had auto insurance covering property damage, your insurance company will help you. You should let the insurance company know right away about the lawsuit and/or hire a lawyer immediately. If you don't file an answer within 20 days of being served, you will be defaulted and you may lose your ability to defend yourself.

You should report the accident to your insurance company and/or the insurance company for the vehicle you were operating at the time of the accident. They will take over the handling of the claim and pay what needs to be paid and defend you appropriately. If there was no insurance coverage, then he does have a right to sue you for the damages to the vehicle caused in the collision. Unfortunately, cars today are not as well made as they used to be, plus they cost much more to fix. I have seen minor impacts result in considerable damage - even if the damage is not visible. Good luck with everything.

The insurance company of the car you were in should defend you on this matter for free. You should tell them everything and that at the time you saw no damage at all. They will handle it for you. Best of luck.

Unfortunately, body repair is a license to steal. Even a repair of a scratch can cost hundreds of dollars because they have to work on the entire quarter panel, including replacing any pinstripes, decals, or trim. Call your insurance company immediately and report what has happened. Let them handle it. If they bump your premium, find a new company.

Report this to your insurance agent. This is what insurance is for. One thing insurance companies are good at is squashing phony claims. If you do not have insurance, then send the "friend" a nastygram giving notice that he had previously admitted that there was no damage, and that further, such later generation of a damage claim is clearly based on motive. Give notice that should "friend" opt to bring a small claim or other process that you will seek your cost of defense.

Sure; talk to your insurance carrier.

You should immediately report the claim to your car insurance company and let the company handle the defense of the claim.