Are we obligated to pay financially for possible auto damage and chiropractic care if my son hit a car but no police report was filed?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
Are we obligated to pay financially for possible auto damage and chiropractic care if my son hit a car but no police report was filed?
My son hit a car that abruptly stopped because a bus stopped. The car was driving behind the bus and moved to his lane and had to stop so she slammed on her brakes and my son hit her. There was no damage to either car and she called police but they didn’t get there quick enough so they exchanged numbers. My son gave her my number just in case and she said she’d call him after she had her car looked at. She called me later that day to tell me my son hit her car and that she possibly had whiplash. She told me she didn’t call police so my son wouldn’t get points and my insurance wouldn’t go up.
Asked on April 30, 2012 under Personal Injury, Michigan
Answers:
S.L,. Member, California Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 11 years ago | Contributor
Your son is still liable for the accident even though no police report was filed. Since it is your insurance, I assume you are the registered owner of the vehicle. As the registered owner of the vehicle, you are liable for the accident. If the other driver's car was not damaged, there would not be any property damage claim. It is possible for an injury such as whiplash to occur without property damage to the vehicle. If the other driver was injured as she claims, you would be liable for her medical bills, pain and suffering, which is an amount in addition to the medical bills, and wage loss. Compensation for the medical bills is straight reimbursement. Compensation for pain and suffering is based on the medical reports which document the nature and extent of the injuries and as mentioned is an amount in addition to the medical bills. Compensation for wage loss is straight reimbursement.
It would be advisable to refer the matter to your auto insurance company.
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.