Auto Insurance Claims: LIABILITY AND CLAIM COLLECTION, dui accident, punitive damages

Question
HELLO , About 2-3 years ago I was in a DUI accident! I hit my rental car into the rear wheel of a parked semi truck . The rental company charged me on that which I am currently paying for off of the credit card I used but now I just started receiving phone calls from a collection agency from which I believe is atempting to collect on behalf of the semi truck's insurance claim .When I was in criminal court neither party came after me nor showed up to the punitive damages side and that case ended with the no contest plea etc. but no award to either side. So now this collector has sent their first letter saying I owe them about $8200. I dont think that much damage was done and I dont want to admit or even acknowledge the debt because they never even contacted me about it or what the damage actually was!My question is how should I approach this matter and what is the smartest way for this issue to be resolved without some kind of garnish of wage or strike against my credit report?  

Answer
Hi MRMACJR,

Unfortunately this is a no win situation. Liability is clear. You caused the damage. However, you should request that they provide you with a copy of all repair documentation so you can actually see the cost of repairs.  Then about the only thing you can do is to try to reach a settlement agreement with them.

I hope this helps
Richard Hixenbaugh