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Sarah Frost-McKee
Guest
In August,2000 a friend and I were in an accident in Eugene, Oregon. My friend, who is 18,did not have a liscense at the time, only a permit. I gave her permission to drive my car because her mom had said that there was some new law that allowed someone with a permit to drive with anyone who had a liscense, regardless of their age. So I let her drive. My friend was at an intersection turning left onto a one way street. She had a green light but was to yield to oncoming traffic. There was a car coming in the opposite direction with there blinker on as if they were going to turn right onto the same one way street. Assuming they were going to turn my friend proceeded to turn left into the first lane of the one way street. The car that had had their blinker on to turn right did not turn and continued to go straight and then hit us on the right rear fender in the middle of the crosswalk of the one way street we had turned on to. There was over 2,400 dollars of damage done to my car and only a bent bumper on the ladys car who hit us. The police responded to the accident but did not take down any names. So I, not my friend, exchanged insurance information with the driver of the other car. There was also a witness who stopped and gave us her number.
The next day I filed a claim with my insurance company aswell as with the insurance company of the driver that hit us.The driver of the other car also filed a claim with my insurance company. My claim with her insurance company was denied because the witness didnt actually see the accident and gave conflicting versions of the accident. My insurance company also denied the claim of the lady driving the other car and said that my friend was in fact proceeding in a legal manner when making the turn. I then filed a claim with my friends mothers insurance company to see if she was insured under her policy. This claim was denied because they said that my friend was not insured at all under her mothers policy.Because my claim was denied by both insurance companies I then tried to negotiate with my friend an amount that she would pay me for the damages that were done to my car. Nothing satisfactory has come of that. So my question, what it comes down to, is I am wondering if my friend is legally responsible for what has happend and the damages that were done to my car? Do I have legal grounds to take my friend to small claims court and satisfactorally win a case against her? I hope to hear from you soon. Sarah
The next day I filed a claim with my insurance company aswell as with the insurance company of the driver that hit us.The driver of the other car also filed a claim with my insurance company. My claim with her insurance company was denied because the witness didnt actually see the accident and gave conflicting versions of the accident. My insurance company also denied the claim of the lady driving the other car and said that my friend was in fact proceeding in a legal manner when making the turn. I then filed a claim with my friends mothers insurance company to see if she was insured under her policy. This claim was denied because they said that my friend was not insured at all under her mothers policy.Because my claim was denied by both insurance companies I then tried to negotiate with my friend an amount that she would pay me for the damages that were done to my car. Nothing satisfactory has come of that. So my question, what it comes down to, is I am wondering if my friend is legally responsible for what has happend and the damages that were done to my car? Do I have legal grounds to take my friend to small claims court and satisfactorally win a case against her? I hope to hear from you soon. Sarah