Small accident - my fault

[njresident23]

What is the name of your state? New Jersey

I need some advice on an accident claim where I was at fault. It was a small accident; no injuries.....little damage to both cars. The person I hit (he's a lawyer by the way) contacted me saying his repair bills equalled about $4000+. He said that his insurance is paying all except $1000 deductible. He sent me a certified letter saying he's expecting me to pay him the $1000 within 5 business days otherwise he'll start legal proceedings against me in which case he'll also ask for legal fees.

I've contacted my insurance company and am having them process this claim. My only concern is that I don't think they'll be able to pay this guy within 5 days. So, can he sue me personally after only giving me 5 days notice? Am I personally responsible for damages to his car or my insurance company is? Even if he does sue me, roughly how much would it cost for me to defend myself? I've no knowledge about that law and how all this process will work so basically I'm just wondering if I should just pay him $1000 now from my own pocket (to spare further expenses in the future) so that he doesn't sue me******************************************Any help/info you could provide me will be much appreciated.

Thank you.

 

[ecmst12]

Contact the lawyer immediately, advise him that you have submitted the claim to your insurance company and to please direct all further contact to them. Provide the adjuster's name, claim number, and phone number. Chances are they will NOT pay him directly anyway, they will reimburse his insurance company and it will be up to his insurance company to reimburse him. But I'm sure he knows that his deadline is not remotely realistic.

If you get suit papers in the mail (or served in person), forward them to your insurance company immediately. They will provide for your defense. He can ASK for legal fees, but if he really files that quickly without giving your insurance company reasonable time to process the claim, he ain't gonna get them.

Of course, you SHOULD have reported to your insurance company right away, so they would already have completed their investigation and would just be waiting for the paperwork from his insurance company. But at least you've let them know now.

 

[njresident23]

thanks for the helps......i talked to the lawyer and told him to contact my insurance company for any claims.

also, my insurance said that they'll provide me with legal representation if the lawyer decides to sue. he probably won't cuz i do understand he was trying to just scare me but in any case, as long as the insurance company is behind me i'm not too worried.