Almost a year out from a wrong-way DUI crash, first surgery done. Has anyone been through the long haul?

Honestly, I'll tell you what I saw from the inside — files with multiple surgeries and an ongoing neuro workup made adjusters nervous. Not because they care about you, but because the uncertainty makes it hard to close the file cheaply. The fact that your treatment isn't done yet is actually significant. A good attorney will make sure nothing settles before your doctors can give a realistic long-term picture. The other side knows that too, which is probably why they jumped early with a lowball.

Don't even think about talking to the other side's insurance directly, not even a friendly call. Everything goes through your attorney. And seriously — if you ever feel like your lawyer isn't communicating enough, ask for a case update in writing. You're entitled to know what's happening with your own case.

A couple of things worth making sure you're doing if you haven't already: keep a daily or weekly journal logging pain levels, how your mental health is, what activities you can't do that you used to, and any days you had to cancel work because of your injuries. Stuff like lost income and reduced capacity is a lot easier to show when there's a consistent contemporaneous record rather than trying to reconstruct it later. Also make sure your attorney has everything related to the lost equipment from the crash — that's a real damages item people sometimes forget to document properly.

I can't imagine going through all of this AND trying to keep a business running. Please give yourself permission to not be okay right now. The PTSD stuff especially — that's real and it compounds everything. I hope you have people around you who are actually showing up.

The numbness and tingling in both arms is worth staying really on top of. Neurological symptoms after a high-impact collision can sometimes be slow to fully show up on imaging, so don't let anyone dismiss it just because the first scan looked okay. If your neurologist isn't being aggressive about follow-up, it's completely reasonable to push for it. Also — after your knee surgery, don't rush the PT timeline even if you feel okay. Cartilage stuff is deceptive.

Multiple surgeries from one crash here — it took me almost two full years before my doctors would even say I'd reached maximum medical improvement. The waiting is genuinely the hardest part. Every time I thought I was done, something else popped up. Just keep documenting everything, every appointment, every bad day, every medication change. It adds up in ways you don't realize until later.

I know it probably doesn't feel like it right now, but the fact that the DUI charges are on the record, there were witnesses, and your lawyer is already fighting for you — that's a stronger position than a lot of people are in when they come here. You're not starting from nothing, even though it feels like everything is on hold.

What's the status of the criminal case against the driver? Has that moved at all? I'm curious because sometimes the criminal proceedings and the civil side interact in ways people don't expect — like if there's a plea deal in the works or the driver is fighting the charges, that can affect timing on your end.