Advice? Employer trying to take all my pay!

I made the mistake of working for an owner operator that was extremely shady. He told me he would teach me everything about flat beds. He taught me nothing and just threw me right in. He told me to run illegally and use PC time to go from one load to another, then to come home. I was a contractor but he tried to treat me like an employee. He had me working 14 hour days. One night I got off at 6 pm and he wanted me to be back to take a load at midnight. Before I quit, I accidentally cracked the fog light on the bumper, other side was already broken before I had the truck. I called the owner to tell him what happened with the light, he asked how it happened then told me I would have to pay for a new bumper. Then he said he would take it out of my check in installments. The truck wasn’t in good shape and didn’t pass inspection. He told me to not get it fixed, just drive it back. Pretty sure he didn’t get anything done after I brought it back. Obviously I decided I didn’t feel comfortable working for him and quit after getting home. I told him I left the truck and everything else in the yard and I thanked him for the opportunity. I got paid for the week prior and he did a reversal and took the money back. My questions are, why can’t he use insurance for the fog light? He told me he took my check for the week before for an load abandonment fee for the load I was supposed to do the next day. And for the bumper. I also didn’t get paid for the work the week that I quit. This guy doesn’t seem to have much experience in general, only been driving for 3 years and that’s how long he’s supposedly been in business too. Would it be worth it to sue him?

 

Yes I signed a contract. He took $1800, and still owes me for the last week of work too. He said it would be extremely expensive to fix the light. Is that the case?

 

So worth suing him in small claims court or contacting a lawyer? He claimed it would expensive because he would need to replace the whole bumper. He texted me and said I would still owe him for the light after taking the $1800 and my last check. Over $2000. I talked to a lawyer that I know and he said I should sue him before he sues me.