Am I respondsable for paying the entire amount of the estimate that they sent to me?

I was in a parking lot and was backing out of my spot when a truck driving behind me and collided. It was a very small impact with little to no damage to either car. She was driving a company vehicle that belonged to landscaping company. We exchanged information. At this time I am uninsured. She told me the truck is insured through the company that she was driving, so most likely would be taken care of through them and not to worrie. Then I got a statement in the mail with a grand total of $824.00 for the estimate to have their truck fixed. I dont know what to do. Why did they assume it was my fault? What about the damage to my car? Who pays for that? Am I automatically guilty because I didnt have insureance? Please help!!
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Answers (2)

Jonathan H Levy

Jonathan H Levy Avvo Pro

Contributor Level 9
They have sent you a bill. You can pay it or not pay it. You can try to negotiate. You can file a lawsuit, they can file a lawsuit. These are some but not all of the possibilities.
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Thuong-Tri Nguyen

Thuong-Tri Nguyen

Contributor Level 9
If this happens in WA, your driver's license can be suspended for driving without insurance. (It probably the same in all other states.)

A person backing out of a parking space generally has a greater duty of care than a person driving forward. Which driver fails the driver's duty of care in your particular case cannot be determined merely from your post.

A lack of insurance is not a factor in determining fault.

The $824 demanded from the other side may or may not be reasonable. You can negotiate with the other side on the claimed damages.

What you may have to look out for is the other driver claiming personal injuries from the impact. A personal injury claim would be much more than $824.

You may want to check if you are required to file a collision report with the State Patrol. Information is available here: http://www.wsp.wa.gov/publications/collision.htm .

Not buying insurance can turn out to be much more expensive than buying at least the minimum required insurance.

You may want to review your facts with an attorney.
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