Soldato
- Joined
- 18 Oct 2002
- Posts
- 6,669
As always, this is complicated and you'll soon see why I'm posting this on here rather than going to our familes / friends for help/advice.
I'm not after legal advice, just general "help, what do I do?" advice.
My friend has some emotional issues / depression / low self-esteem. Last night she got drunk and took my car and accidentally crashed it into a parked car. No one was hurt (thank goodness). She is a learner driver and named on my insurance.
She came home immediately after doing this (it was walking distance away from the house we share) and the police were round a minute later. As far as I know (they haven't allowed me to see her yet) she is being charged for drink driving, dangerous driving and leaving the scene of an accident.
At the moment, I don't want to go to our families for help because her family are the primary cause for her low self-esteem and my family will think badly of her, although they are both wonderful parents (mine) I worry they won't understand. If we really need to, we could turn to them, but I worry what they will think of her.
Can anyone tell me where to go from here and what is going to happen? I've never had any legal problems before so I'm not familiar with getting a solicitor for example.
Here are my thoughts:
1) Get a solicitor. How do I find one?
2) Contact her GP for some sort of support from a medical standpoint - e.g. that she has a history of depression etc.
3) What happens to the third party's car? At the moment, I'm assuming that she will be responsible for paying the repair costs?
4) Does my insurance company need to be involved at all?
Any and all advice appreciated.
(I realise there may be some of the usual internet responses that are unsympathetic especially re: drink driving, but there is a mental condition that is the primary cause in this case. I'm donning the flame-proof suit).
I'm not after legal advice, just general "help, what do I do?" advice.
My friend has some emotional issues / depression / low self-esteem. Last night she got drunk and took my car and accidentally crashed it into a parked car. No one was hurt (thank goodness). She is a learner driver and named on my insurance.
She came home immediately after doing this (it was walking distance away from the house we share) and the police were round a minute later. As far as I know (they haven't allowed me to see her yet) she is being charged for drink driving, dangerous driving and leaving the scene of an accident.
At the moment, I don't want to go to our families for help because her family are the primary cause for her low self-esteem and my family will think badly of her, although they are both wonderful parents (mine) I worry they won't understand. If we really need to, we could turn to them, but I worry what they will think of her.
Can anyone tell me where to go from here and what is going to happen? I've never had any legal problems before so I'm not familiar with getting a solicitor for example.
Here are my thoughts:
1) Get a solicitor. How do I find one?
2) Contact her GP for some sort of support from a medical standpoint - e.g. that she has a history of depression etc.
3) What happens to the third party's car? At the moment, I'm assuming that she will be responsible for paying the repair costs?
4) Does my insurance company need to be involved at all?
Any and all advice appreciated.
(I realise there may be some of the usual internet responses that are unsympathetic especially re: drink driving, but there is a mental condition that is the primary cause in this case. I'm donning the flame-proof suit).