what LEGAL actions can i take?

ive worked as a truck driver for Pappy's Transportation for the last month as an over the road driver. recently i was in ND where the air temperature was around -20 degrees F. when i was trying to exit my truck the door handle would not respond,it would not open from the inside. my employer is now telling me as of 1/31/25 that i am responsible for paying for the damage even though its not my equipment and i was performing the duties of my job. i have a whole thread of text messages from her saying it was me that broke it and everything. my question is 1. can she withhold my pay and 2. do i have legal grounds to sue her for my pay?

 

I told her that its their equipment and that things break, she claims i abused her equipment so she is withholding my pay until she hears from the stealership about what happened

 

Yep. I have her in txt saying that i "abused her equipment"

 

Yeah. I made up a lie that my dad was on his deathbed and i had to get home to OR. I bought a train ticket to get home to ND. If i had been able to pay my rent i have a job already 75% secured in Alaska. But now that she is withholding my pay i cant pay rent. She said i should budget better but i was making under a grand a week. And i ran 14k miles in a month for her.

 

Already have one foot out the door