Do I have to pay for damage that I didn’t cause?

Get Legal Help Today

Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save

secured lock Secured with SHA-256 Encryption

Do I have to pay for damage that I didn’t cause?

About 2 months ago, my car slid on ice and collided with a guardrail, I was only going about 5-10 mph by the time I hit it and I only scratched my car no damage was done to the rail. Since no damage was done I started to drive away to get off the freeway to avoid being hit by other cars I saw losing control in the snow and about a mile away a police officer stopped to ask what happened and gave me a red tag saying I did the right thing and didn’t do a hit and run basically. Fast forward to now I got a letter stating I owe $400 for damage. When I called to see what damage was supposedly done they said another car collided in the same spot later that night knocking down three posts and they didn’t know who caused what damage so they split the bill between us. I didn’t do any damage so I don’t think that I should pay and if the officer had asked me to show him where I collided and assessed the scene he would know that but since he didnt theyre unsure of who caused it. Can I get out of this?

Asked on March 1, 2018 under Accident Law, South Dakota

Answers:

SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney

Answered 6 years ago | Contributor

You can refuse to pay, let them sue you, and force them to prove in court that you caused $400 worth of damage. If they cannot prove that you caused this damage, you do not have to pay it: liability (an obligation to pay) must be based on proof by a "preponderance of the evidence" that you caused the harm. It is VERY unlikely they can win by just "splitting the bill"--the law doesn't work that way; you can't make someone pay because they *might* have caused the damage. Of course, if they do sue, you'll have to go through the time and trouble of appearing in court and defending a lawsuit, so you need to balance that vs. the money they seek in deciding what to do.


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.

Get Legal Help Today

Find the right lawyer for your legal issue.

secured lock Secured with SHA-256 Encryption