Skip to main content

Justin Bieber Sued Over Car Accident; Gets Into Another

By Daniel Taylor, Esq. on June 26, 2014 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

Pop star Justin Bieber was involved in a car accident in Beverly Hills, California, this week, just as another accident from last year threatens to drag the singer into court.

The latest accident came as Bieber and his entourage were attempting to flee paparazzi, reports the New York Daily News. One of the vehicles in the singer's caravan, a black Cadillac Escalade, crashed into a car coming out a parking structure. Bieber was not behind the wheel, but witnesses reported that he was a passenger in the Escalade and was quickly transferred to another vehicle before being whisked away.

But it's an accident in which Bieber was behind the wheel that may end up costing him in court.

Paparazzo Pedestrian Run-In

As you may recall, Justin Bieber allegedly struck a man with his Ferrari in 2013 as Bieber was leaving a Los Angeles comedy club. The man, a paparazzo, has now filed suit against Bieber, according to TMZ.

Walter Lee's lawsuit claims that he was walking down the Sunset Strip when Bieber's Ferrari struck him. As a result of the crash, Lee claims that he suffered severe injuries, including lacerations, abrasions on his leg and knee, hematomas, and deep vein thrombosis.

Police: No Hit-and-Run

The Los Angeles Police Department investigated the incident as a possible hit-and-run, but after reviewing video of the scene, determined it was not.

However, the paparazzo may still be able to recover for his injuries in a civil suit depending on who the court finds was at fault for the accident. Even if both parties are partially at fault, the injured party may still be able to recover under comparative negligence, depending on the laws of the state where the suit is being brought.

California follows the "pure comparative negligence" approach; theoretically, even if a plaintiff is 99 percent at fault, he can still recover the value of 1 percent of his injuries from the defendant.

It's not clear if Bieber has been properly served with the lawsuit yet. Once served with a civil lawsuit in California, a defendant generally has 30 days to respond.

Follow FindLaw for Consumers on Facebook and Twitter (@FindLawConsumer).

Related Resources:

Copied to clipboard