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NKOTB's Joey McIntyre Sued Over Car Accident From 2012

By Brett Snider, Esq. on June 20, 2014 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

New Kids on the Block member Joey McIntyre is being sued after a car accident ... that happened two years ago.

Surendra Patel filed a suit on behalf of his family, claiming that McIntyre rear-ended their car in Burbank, California, in 2012. The suit covers damages stemming from the crash, including medical expenses and lost earnings, reports TMZ.

Needless to say, McIntyre may be hangin' tough -- legally, that is.

A Less Lucrative 'Crash'

The Patels claim that NKOTB's Joey McIntyre was driving "negligently, carelessly, recklessly" when he allegedly rear-ended their car in 2012. TMZ reports that the Patels were at a stop light when the accident occurred and that all five passengers, including two kids, were "badly hurt."

Because the details as reported are sketchy, it's hard to say how much the Patels believe their car accident case is worth. Still, why did they wait so long to file their case? In California, the statute of limitation for personal injury cases is two years, meaning the Patels' case is likely very close to the deadline.

It could be that the extent of their injuries weren't fully realized until recently, or perhaps they only later realized that McIntyre was a celebrity with potentially deep pockets. But there's another troubling issue: Why wasn't this crash covered by insurance?

Was Either Party Insured?

When you've been hit by an uninsured driver, you may often get compensation via your own insurance's uninsured motorist coverage. But perhaps the Patels were uninsured, or their policy only covered a small fraction of their injuries.

If McIntyre was insured, then his insurance policy would likely step in to handle the Patels' injury claims, potentially even handling his claims in court. However, it could also be that neither party was insured, and neither McIntyre nor the Patels reached a settlement regarding the damages and injuries. All of these ambiguities indicate a real need to consult with a car accident attorney, and that's likely what the Patels did before filing suit.

Now only time will tell if their suit has the "right stuff."

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