I'm On The Hook For <$8,000 For A Hit And Run Accident In Rented Vehicle

Location: South Florida. I am a resident of New York. Incident happened in Nov 2023.

I rented a car using Turo in late 2023 while on vacation in South Florida. I only got the basic insurance. I legally parked the car to visit friends, and when I got back to the car I had been the victim of a hit and run accident. The hit and run driver was apprehended, and the police report has his name, car details, and insurance information.

Turo initially wanted to charge me the full damages, <$15,000. I got them the police report and they went away. Presumably, they pursued the hit-and-run driver's insurance company for damages. This exchange occurred over email, Dec 2023.

April 2025. Turo has settled with Geico for half of the damages, and says I'm liable for the other half. I do not pay this. May 2025, my account is going to collections and the creditor starts calling me. I politely decline to start a payment plan, and start the process of finding a lawyer.

Currently, the lawyers I've called keep asking me who I want to go after. I don't know what my most successful path forward would be. Should I try to sue the hit-and-run driver personally? Geico? Turo? The creditor? All of the above? Should I even try to sue at all, or should I just accept that my life sucks and try to settle with the creditor and/or file bankruptcy (I am in college, full-time, so no income right now, and there is no way I'm coming up with that money unless I start selling ass on the corner).

Additionally, since the amount that I'm on the hook for is <$8,000, one of the agents at the referral services told me that small claims court is an option, since the lawyer fees could be ≥ the amount I'm asking for. Frankly, I'm not looking to make money, just for this liability to go away.

The reason I feel like I want to fight it is because I don't think it's fair that Turo can settle with the insurance company without my input for a ruling that leaves me on the hook for $8,000. Also, my vehicle was legally parked and I wasn't in the car when it happened, so I couldn't be less at fault if we're just talking about the incident.