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PLEASE HELP!!! My car was involved in a hit and run but i was not driving.
Anonymous2 views3 answers
I moved to florida on march 1st. I left 2 vehicles in ohio due to the fact i didnt feel safe driving them that long of a distance. My father was supposed to sell the cars or keep them for when i come to visit. I later found out he decided to drive them. He did not have a license and the cars were not insured. He hit a van and fled the scene, while leaving the bumper with a license plate on it. My aunt had called and informed me that the cops came to her house looking for me (where i previously lived). I also got a letter in the mail stating i was being sued. My father has always been in and out of jail and as a matter of fact hes serving another year. What can i do. Any and all advice would help greatly.
In some states the owner of a vehicle can be held financially liable if they let someone use their car and an accident occurs. You need to talk to a local personal injury lawyer right away. Call the Dayton Ohio Bar Association or go to this web site page to find a referral from them to a local lawyer:
http://www.daybar.org/html/lrs/lrs.htm
. Like any profession, there are several areas of law that some attorneys concentrate in and personal injury law is one of them so you may want to avoid talking to an attorney who does not regularly handle that kind of case. I don't so I won't. Note: if this answer helped, check the box below.
Since you're being sued, you really need to hire an attorney in Ohio to defend you. Unless there are Ohio laws holding car owners strictly liable for the damages caused by the operation of their vehicles, then your attorney might consider arguing that you had abandoned your ownership rights to the subject car. As you stated, you moved out of the state without it, you did not insure it (evidence that you didn't intend to use the car in the foreseeable future), and you authorized someone to sell it. Possession, authority to sell, etc. are indicia of ownership; but you didn't have them. That your name was on the title was a technicality.
I'm a Florida litigator; so I am not giving you specific legal advice. I'm just trying to share some helpful ideas for you to discuss with your Ohio lawyer. Good luck.
Lars A. LundeenPersonal Injury LawyerRutland, VT ·
As I am licensed in Florida and Vermont, I cannot comment specifically on Ohio law. You should contact an Ohio attorney who defends car accident cases and review the specific facts of your situation with the Ohio attorney. It may not be advisable for you to comment further on the Internet, as your comments may be used as later admissions against you. Certainly your father is responsible for the damage caused. The question remains as to whether or not someone could also find you liable. Speak with an attorney as soon as possible in Ohio. If you have actually been served with a summons and complaint, you only have limited time within which you must respond,
