I am being sued for accident that happened 2 years ago. Will they will the 2 millions they are asking for??

2 years ago I rear-ended an older woman and both vehicles in my eye had very minimal damage. We exchanged insurance and I thought that was the end of it. I recently got a summons for court where the plaintiff and her husband along with their lawyer are asking for 2 million dollars. She said she lost $2000 in work wages, $3200 in medical bills, and now she has a herniated disk as a result of the accident which will she have to constantly spend money at the doctor so she's asking for 2 million??? Is it likely she will get the money she is asking for 2 years later?

The summons actually states $32,000 for medical bills and not $3,200.

They likely wouldn't get the full 2 million, they're looking to settle and your insurance company would be responsible for the payment and will handle your defense. If the settlement/judgment is for more than your insurance policy, you'd be personally responsible for anything in excess of your policy. A plaintiff will always ask for a judgment which far exceeds what they expect to get so that they have "negotiating room." She'll also have to be able to prove that the herniated disk is a direct result of the accident (which if it was a minor rear end fender bender, I'm not sure how that would've happened...whiplash yes, herniated disk, doubtful). She'll also have to prove how she lost $2000 in wages (she'd have been out of work for at least 2 weeks, maybe 3 or 4 depending on what she does) and $3200 in medical bills (ah, the old go to the chiropractor for years to milk the medical bills trick). Good luck. Sounds like she's seriously trying to take advantage of you.

Tell her you can't afford to lose 2 million dollars, make sure you humanise yourself, make it personal. Tell her about any financial difficulties you are having, about how it will affect your life and family if you have to pay that much. Ask if she is willing to just accept an apology. Although if you are rich this strategy probably won't work.

Anyway, if that doesn't work, get yourself a lawyer.

Two years is not a lot. Presumably, they have been negotiating with your insurer for a while, but were unable to reach an agreement. Your insurer will defend you and pay any judgment up to your coverage limits. If the jury awards more than your coverage, you are personally responsible for the rest.
2 million for a back injury seems steep and you should consult a lawyer and have someone protecting your interests. How much a jury actually awards is up to the jury but the jury will be instructed that they may consider future damages directly caused by your wrongdoing.

Hire a lawyer immediately.

Plaintiffs have received millions because our legal system is broken beyond belief. I would not begin to give advice. If a jury can award millions for coffee that is too hot or a ladder without a warning that you can get hurt using it then the system is simply off the hook nuts

Protect yourself - get a lawyer.

Assuming you have liability insurance on your auto policy, your insurance company will handle this for you. It is a nuisance suit, and they will be highly likely to settle out of court.

I鈥檇 get a good lawyer to counter sue. If she was hurt that bad, why did she wait 2 years?

$2 million is a bit much. I highly doubt you would ah veto pay the full amount IF she won.

First, contact your insurer immediately... they are, more than likely, required to defend you (assuming you have liability coverage/Bodily injury coverage). However, it is important that you notify them asap... someone is required to file an "answer' to that summons/complaint within 20-30 days depending on which state you are in.
Assuming that you have the above stated coverage, the insurer will probably have local counsel to represent you. These attorneys are usually very well trained, and they know what they are doing. This attorney will then handle everything for you: filing an answer, complying with discovery requests, investigating the medical claims etc.... STAY CALM!!!!!! Talk to the attorney, and he will be able to tell you what is going to happen, and fill you in on how your local legal system works.
Finally, I would be quite surprised if...based on what you have told us, this lady gets 2 million dollars. In my state, the majority of these bills (meds. and lost wages.) would have already been paid by PIP (personal injury protection insurance), so just stay calm!!!!! Talk to your attorney, and rely on his/her advice.
good luck,
Janpbs

P.S. two years is not a long time between accident and lawsuit. In my state, approximately 90% of all cases settle before trial...just relax.

In answer to the poster who asked why it's taken two years for a suit to be filed....

Two years in the life of a personal injury claim such as this is very reasonable. Many injuries, especially back and spine injuries need to have an established history of treatment and therapy that only time can determine. And in most states, the statue of limitations for a claim to be made in car accidents is one year for property damage and three years for personal injury, so it's well within statute.

To the asker....

Your insurance company is the one they are suing. You are being called as a witness. Unless you have an extraordinary amount of wealth, they are going to get very little out of you. It's just a fact, however, this will not absolve you of any personal responsibility. Your insurance may have already paid the limits outlined on your policy and if so, there's a good chance they won't be made to pay more.

*******You do need to seek legal advice.****** And I would DEFINIETELY ask for a jury trial.

The fact is that many many people are injured in car accidents everyday and as a result, many many people are in chronic pain from those accidents. It's hard to put a price tag on being painless....until you no longer are. I highly suspect that the reason for the high price tag probably stems from many nights of agony and stress by both parties due to her pain. Keeping that in mind helps. It puts a humanity perspective on it. (I have answered many a phone call at my bosses office from people who are standing at the pharmacy literally CRYING....SOBBING from being in so much pain and finding out that worker's comp or the insurance for the guy who ran into them will no longer pay for their pain meds. They've called BEGGING for my boss to MAKE the pharmacy give it to them. That's what some people deal with and it sucks.)

There are also greedy people out there, looking for a free ride. Can't deny that. A jury will likely weed them out and award nothing. Gold diggers piss juries off.

And for the poster who mentioned the millions in the McDonald's hot coffee lawsuit....here's a link to the story. McDonald's pissed the jury off here and that's why they awarded the way they did.

http://library.findlaw.com/1999/Nov/1/12...

A jury is really THE BEST defense and bullshit meter a courtroom has.