“I Have Been Sued!” Now What?

I was involved in a car wreck in Springfield, Tennessee last Spring and last Friday I got sued.  What do I do now? 

First, call your insurance agent and tell him or her that you have been sued.  

Second, your agent may tell you to send the papers to him or her.  Do it promptly.  Make sure you can prove that you sent the papers.  If the agent gives you the name, address and telephone number of someone else who needs to receive the papers, send the papers to that person.  Once again, make sure you can prove that you sent the papers.

Third, wait until you hear back from your insurance company or the lawyer that your insurance company will hire for you.  Do not attempt to respond to the lawsuit on your own.  Then, let the insurance company lawyer guide you through the process.

If you did not have insurance in force at the time, you will need to hire a lawyer to represent you.  Act quickly, because under Tennessee law you must file a response to the lawsuit within thirty days of the time it is served on you.  Do not attempt to defend the case on your own.

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Are you a personal injury lawyer who came across this post?   John Day writes a blog for personal injury and wrongful death lawyers called "Day on Torts."    John handles personal injury and wrongful death cases of all types across Tennessee and can be contacted either  here or by either of the  forms to the immediate right of this post.