Legal Question in Civil Litigation in Pennsylvania

Can I be sued in a civil matter, when I'm paying retitution as part of my probation agreement ?


Asked on 7/19/10, 9:44 am

1 Answer from Attorneys

Sued for what? Are you talking a civil suit for the same damage or injury that resulted in the criminal conviction and restitution?

The answer is a qualified yes. The civil and criminal systems are two different things, so you can be sued civilly and criminally, like in the OJ Simpson case (he was acquitted in the criminal case, but the Brown and Goldman families sued him in civil court and obtained a judgment against him).

It depends on what you are paying restitution for - you do not give me the details. If it was for property damage and you are paying, then I do not think a civil suit is likely because you are paying for the damage already. If you drove drunk and killed someone, restitution only covers medical/funeral expenses and there might be extra damages for pain and suffering which your auto liability policy might handle but for which you could be sued.

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Answered on 7/19/10, 1:27 pm


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