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BeachDream

A pedestrian was hit by a car and police attended the accident. The pedestrian was concussed and very confused at the scene but recovered over the next few weeks. No further communication with the driver or the police was received. One year later the pedestrian received a bill from a debt collector for over $4000 for the repairs to the car, the claimant was an insurance company. Can the pedestrian really be made personally liable for the debt.

Anon

Hi there,
If the pedestrian was at fault and caused damage to the vehicle then yes absolutely they would be liable for the repairs.
As there was an injury and police involved, there would be a report into who was at fault. It does seem strange that the person received no prior warning of the repair bill or the report from the police as to the outcome of the accident. I would be asking questions on why there wasn't contact earlier, opportunity given to defend oneself or directly pay for repairs if needed.