I was in the windy city visiting a couple different friends from last thursday to saturday evening. Turns out that friday night, a group of drunk kids runs a stop sign in front of my house and drive up my front yard. Slamming into one tree, ricocheting into and stoping the vehicle at another tree. If that tree wasn't there the vehicle would def be in my garage. I have a ranch style one story and my house is situated at the facing a street that "t"s up to my street. So image a car coming down a street and going straight thru a "t" up in the front yard of a house. I get home and see car parts and car tracks all over my front yard. It was already dark when I got home. Well the next morning after getting home I look outside and right there is a spec's bag with a 1.75 of whiskey with about a 1/3 left in it. Soonest I could talk to the cop on the scene was today. She said he is only getting charged with failure to stop at a stop sign. She didn't seem to care the bottle was there and told me this happened at 7-8pm. I was under the impression it happened late at night and I was just glad my house's structure was not damaged. This fact makes me start thinking that my kids could have been playing there. My nieghbors 2 kids and my 2 kids run by that tree all the time and thank god I was out of town and my kids at their moms. I had an arborist come by today and say I have about a grand of treatment that needs to be done to my trees alone. I also have significant sod and landscaping damage done to my property. Obviously I have a claim on his insurance. Should I get a lawyer? Advice? I am not trying to be a money grubber, I am just contemplating my options, if any on this situation. thanks guys
If you are going to claim the damages from their insurance and they are going to cover all of it, I'm not sure what the issue is.
As foo82 said, the insurance should cover all the damage. If you're looking for harsher punishment, it's not really your ball. A lawyer can only help you with civil claims. It's the state's duty to prosecute. Best option is go to the police station and talk to officers higher up the ladder.
