Hit and Run Auto Accident
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
Hit and Run Auto Accident
my car was park on the street and it was hit by a semi truck who kept going. It all was caught on camera. My vehicle was damage but I didn’t have insurance, How do I go about suing the truck company? Should I get a Lawyer?
Asked on August 7, 2016 under Accident Law, Illinois
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 7 years ago | Contributor
You sue them by filing a summons and complaint against them in court. In the summons and complaint, name the trucking company (which you apparently can identify from the camera) and also "John Doe, the driver of the truck"--you can then "amend" the complaint later to replace "John Doe" withe the actual name of the driver. (You should sue both driver and company: the more people you sue, the greater your chance of recovering money.) As for whether you should have a lawyer: if the damage to your car exceeds $5,000, you should retain a lawyer to help you. If the damage is less than that, you are better off economically suing as your own attorney, or "pro se"--while your chance of winning is less if you act as your own attorney, for a $3,000 or $4,000 claim, legal fees can eat up much, most, or even all of what you may recover. If do act as your own attorney, you should be able to get forms and isntructions from the court.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.