is it illegal for a rent a car to harrass you?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
is it illegal for a rent a car to harrass you?
I drive a tractor trailer and a car was getting on ramp and hit me he was driving a rent a car. I gave all the information to my employer so now I keep getting letters from the rental car company harrassing me stating that I’m responsible and they want me to personally pay for over $3,000 in damages. This should be going through my works insurance why are they sending me things in the mail and it’s only the rent a car. This is getting me so mad 3 things were sent to me demanding me to pay.
Asked on July 11, 2016 under Accident Law, Massachusetts
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 8 years ago | Contributor
It doesn't matter if they *should* be going through insurance: if they believe that you caused or were at fault in the accident, they have the right to seek the money from you--at-fault drivers can be held liable for the damage they cause, even when they are driving for work--and there is *no* legal restriction on how often someone (including a business) who believes that another owes they money can contact that person seeking payment.
You don't have to pay, unless and until they sue you, win in court by proving you were at fault, and also prove the amount of damage you supposedly did and which has not yet been paid by any insurance (they can't double collect; if insurance does pay it, they can't get it from you). So they might not be able to actually get money from you, but they legally can keep asking.
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.