The Shoulder
The Shoulder
56
Insuranceclear-dove-102

Driver who hit me got cited for no insurance — but she's claiming she has 'some kind of' coverage?

Still pretty shaken up so bear with me.

Got T-boned at an intersection three days ago. The other driver blew through a stop sign and hit my driver's side pretty hard. She admitted right away it was her fault — even said so in front of the officer. Police showed up, ran her info, and she got cited on the spot for no proof of insurance.

Here's where it gets confusing. She's been texting me saying she does have insurance through wherever she bought the car — apparently she just picked it up recently. But when I try to get more details she keeps saying things like 'it only covers the car itself' and 'just send me the repair bill and I'll figure it out.'

I've been in enough conversations with her at this point to know she genuinely might not understand what coverage she has (or doesn't have). She seems willing to work something out personally, but I'm not about to just hand her an estimate and hope she pays me back over time with no guarantee.

My own policy has uninsured motorist coverage and I already filed a claim, but my adjuster has been pretty vague about what happens next and how long it takes.

A few things I can't figure out:

  • Can a dealer let someone drive off the lot without liability insurance? Is that even legal?
  • What does 'only covers the car' even mean — is that just collision coverage on her end with zero liability?
  • Should I be communicating with her at all anymore or does that mess up my claim?

I have photos, the police report number, and all our texts saved. Just don't know what my next steps should be. Any experience with this kind of situation?

10replies

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10 replies

  • 9
    brave-elk-803

    I went through almost the exact same thing last year. The other driver kept texting me promising to 'make it right' and I almost believed her. Spoiler: she didn't. The moment I involved my own insurance and stopped responding to her directly, things actually started moving. Save every single text she's sent you — I can't stress that enough.

    • 15
      quiet-beaver-944

      Watch out with your own UM claim. Adjusters love to drag their feet on uninsured motorist stuff because they're technically paying out of their own pocket. Don't let them lowball your repair estimate or push a fast settlement before you know the full picture — especially if you have any soreness or pain that might need treatment. Once you sign anything, that's usually it.

  • 14
    calm-newt-347

    So 'only covers the car itself' almost certainly means she has comprehensive and/or collision on her own vehicle but zero liability coverage. It's shockingly common, especially with certain dealer-arranged financing deals where the lender requires the car to be protected but nobody checks whether the driver actually has liability. Legally she's uninsured from your perspective, plain and simple. The citation the officer issued is actually really useful documentation — make sure you get a certified copy of that police report if you haven't already.

    • 3
      restless-sidewalk940

      Took me three tries but they finally budged. Don't give up.

  • 12
    clear-seal-962

    To answer your question about the dealer — in most states there's actually a short window (sometimes 30 days) where a newly purchased vehicle can be driven under the assumption that insurance will be obtained, but liability coverage requirements still apply to the driver, not just the car. The dealer didn't necessarily do anything wrong by letting her drive off the lot, but she was still legally required to carry liability. That citation is evidence she didn't.

    Also, I'd stop texting her directly now that you've filed a claim. It's not that it's illegal, it's just that anything you say could get complicated later. Let the insurance process handle it.

  • 15
    spry-wren-948

    Please get checked out if you haven't already, even if you feel okay right now. T-bone impacts are really rough on your neck and back and symptoms from soft tissue injuries can show up days later. Don't wait until something really hurts. Document everything with your doctor so there's a clear record if you need it.

  • 10
    humble-tern-587

    Not legal advice, but — the personal payment arrangement she's proposing is almost never worth pursuing. Even if she means well, there's no enforcement mechanism if she stops paying, and getting a judgment against an uninsured driver is often uncollectable anyway. Your UM coverage existing is genuinely the better path here. Might be worth a free consult with a PI attorney just to understand what your options look like. Most won't charge you anything to talk.

  • 15
    quiet-lynx-677

    Stop texting her. Seriously, right now. You've got what you need from her — the admission of fault, the citation, the texts where she acknowledges it. You don't need anything else from her personally. Your UM claim is your best shot and every extra conversation with her just adds noise.

  • 6
    bold-mole-010

    This sounds so stressful, I'm sorry you're dealing with it. It's actually kind of her that she's trying to take responsibility but you're right not to just trust a verbal payment plan. Please take care of yourself physically too — the legal and insurance stuff can wait a few hours but your health can't.

    • 6
      weary-dreamer756

      Wish I had seen this a month ago — would have saved me a lot of stress.