being sued in civil court by person who rejected a settlement from my car insurance company involving an accident which I DID NOT HAVE BUT M...

Question

being sued in civil court by person who rejected a settlement from my car insurance company involving an accident which I DID NOT HAVE BUT MY SON DROVE MY VEHICLE AND HAD. I AM SUPPOSED TO REPLY be a certain time. Can I respond by myself with a notarized copy that I reject their claim that I am responsible for my competent adult son's accident? and that I should not be involved in the lawsuit?

Answer

The following is a response based on some assumptions with the information you have given. I would strongly recommend you speak with an attorney. You were likely served a complaint, alleging you knew your son should not be driving at the time of the accident, either because he did not have a license, was a very bad driver, or was under the influence. If that is the case, you have 28 days to file an answer or otherwise plead, if the complaint was filed in an Ohio state court, less time if filed in Federal court. I can't render an opinion if filed in a different state.

If you do nothing, you run the risk of having a money judgment taken against you. Thus, it is critical that you spend the time to have an attorney sit down with you and review the document(s), and discuss the surrounding circumstances.