Am i legally responsible for the repairs on the other persons car?

Since you backed into his car you are legally responsible for the repairs on the other person's car. You have defenses to minimize your responsibility (the things you use to explain why he was partly in the wrong) somewhat, but hitting into another person's car is not safe and you can be held liable.

Good luck to you.

God bless.

NOTE: The information and materials provided are general in nature, and may not apply to a specific factual or legal circumstance described in the question. This answer is made available by the lawyer for educational purposes only. By using or participating in this site you understand that there is no attorney-client privilege between you and the attorney responding. This site should not be used as a substitute for competent legal advice from a licensed professional attorney that practices in the subject practice discipline and with whom you have an attorney-client relationship along with all the privileges that relationship provides. The law changes frequently and varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.

I would contact your insurance company first of all and inform them of this potential claim.

In short, you appear to have been negligent and are therefore responsible. However, there is an argument that his car was concealed from view that might minimize your damages.

It sounds like you are liable for his damages, since you backed into a stationary vehicle, which a reasonably prudent person would usually not do. You should contact your automobile liability insurance carrier and report this incident and allow them to handle the claim for you. This is why you pay insurance premiums.



Legal Disclaimer:

Mr. Lundeen is licensed to practice law in Florida and Vermont. The response herein is not legal advice and does not create an attorney/client relationship. The response is in the form of legal education and is intended to provide general information about the matter within the question. Oftentimes the question does not include significant and important facts and timelines that, if known, could significantly change the reply and make it unsuitable. Mr. Lundeen strongly advises the questioner to confer with an attorney in your state in order to insure proper advice is received.

In a word, YES, you are liable.

The other party may be partly at fault. Don't be in a hurry to pay him for his damages. I would advise you to tell him to go to court to prove what he wants to claim. It sounds like there is so little involved that you may never hear another thing about it.

Morally, you owe something for this damage. It's up to you. If you want to offer something, you are certainly doing the right thing. You were clearly in the wrong not looking where you were backing. Legally you owe something. How much you owe is the open question.

Donald Nathan
www.donaldnathanlaw.com