Legal Question in Insurance Law in California

If a criminal case is dismissed due to lack of evidence how is it that a insurance company can send the former "suspect" a invoice requesting payment for damages & cite a police report for a case that never reached arraignment due to lack of sufficient evidence.


Asked on 4/16/13, 2:55 am

1 Answer from Attorneys

Quite simple, the standard of proof for civil liability is very different from criminal conviction. Criminal charges must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. Civil claims only have to be proved by a "preponderance of the evidence" which is an old fashioned phrase that means "more likely true than not true." A classic example of this is O.J. Simpson being acquitted of murder but found liable in the lawsuit by the families for wrongful death for killing Nichole Simpson and Ron Brown.

Read more
Answered on 4/16/13, 6:34 am


Related Questions & Answers

More Insurance Law questions and answers in California