The Shoulder
The Shoulder
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Insurancequick-fox-313

Driver who rear-ended me is now threatening me with insurance fraud — I'm genuinely hurt??

I don't even know where to start. About three weeks ago I got rear-ended at a stoplight. The impact wasn't massive but it wasn't nothing either. Right after it happened I was shaken up but I honestly felt okay-ish, so I didn't make a huge deal out of it at the scene.

Over the next couple days my neck and upper back started tightening up BAD. By day four I could barely turn my head. I went to urgent care and they found muscle strain and sent me to a chiropractor. I've been going twice a week and I'm still in real pain.

Here's where it gets wild. The other driver somehow got my number — I'm guessing from the accident report — and has been texting me saying I'm "faking" because I "looked fine" at the scene. He's straight up telling me I'm going to be investigated for insurance fraud and that I should "think carefully" before pursuing anything.

I hired an attorney after my doctor told me I should document everything legally. Now this guy is ramping up the harassment.

Here's the thing: delayed pain after a crash is completely real. I wasn't lying at the scene. I didn't know yet. Adrenaline is a real thing.

Has anyone dealt with this kind of intimidation from the at-fault driver? I'm honestly starting to second-guess myself even though I KNOW I'm hurting. Am I actually at legal risk here? Should I be worried? And should I tell my attorney about the texts?

13replies

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13 replies

  • 11
    wise-dove-467

    Oh my gosh I went through almost this exact thing. I felt fine at the scene, even apologized for "making a big deal" when we exchanged info. Two days later I couldn't get out of bed. The other driver called me a scammer too. My doctor literally explained to me that the body floods with adrenaline during a crash and masks pain — it's textbook. You are not making this up and you are not committing fraud. Hang in there.

    • 9
      careful-neighbor999

      This is really helpful — thank you for posting it.

  • 13
    daring-swan-285

    Not legal advice, but I want to be direct: delayed symptom onset after a crash is well-documented in medical literature and courts see it constantly. Showing up at the scene without obvious injury does NOT equal fraud. What you're describing — worsening pain over days, documented medical visits, inability to work — is a legitimate injury pattern. More importantly, screenshot every single text that driver has sent you and forward them to your attorney today. That contact could actually become relevant to your case. Seriously, do it now.

  • 13
    wise-swift-170

    I'd bet anything someone coached this driver to do this — whether it's his own insurance adjuster, a friend, or he just looked up scare tactics online. This is a pressure move designed to make you drop your claim or second-guess yourself. Don't respond to his texts. Don't explain yourself to him. Every word you send back can be twisted. Just document and hand it to your lawyer.

  • 7
    clever-sparrow-764

    Worked in claims for years. Delayed-onset soft tissue injuries are one of the most common things we processed. We were literally trained to expect them. Nobody in a legitimate fraud investigation is losing sleep over someone who went to urgent care a few days after a rear-end collision. The driver threatening you has zero power here — he's not the one who investigates fraud, his insurer is, and if your medical records show a consistent treatment history, you're fine. What he's doing is just noise.

    • 2
      plainspoken-sidewalk593

      This thread is gold. Thanks everyone.

  • 21
    bright-elk-593

    The neck and upper back tightening up 2-3 days post-collision is SO common. Muscles go into protective spasm after trauma and it can take 24-72 hours to fully set in, sometimes longer. I've seen it hundreds of times. Make sure your urgent care visit and every chiro appointment is thoroughly documented — what your pain level is, what movements are limited, everything. That paper trail is your best friend right now.

    • 1
      patient-survivor448

      This is exactly what I needed to read today. Thank you.

  • 8
    plain-swift-402

    Honestly reading this made me so angry on your behalf. You're already dealing with real physical pain, you can't work, and now this person is harassing and threatening you? That's so unfair. Please stop engaging with him at all — block him if you need to for your own mental health — and let your attorney deal with it. You deserve to heal without this stress piled on top.

  • 19
    spry-finch-325

    Three things: 1) Stop responding to this guy entirely, like right now. 2) Screenshot and save every message he's sent. 3) Call your attorney today and read them every text word for word. That's it. That's the whole playbook. The fraud threat is empty — he's scared and he's bluffing.

    • 7
      steady-driver206

      Seconding this. The same approach worked for me last year.

  • 12
    sharp-hare-301

    Quick question — did you tell the other driver at the scene that you were fine, like actually say the words "I'm not hurt" or "I'm okay"? Not saying that changes everything, but your attorney will want to know exactly what was said so there are no surprises later. Either way, a verbal statement at a chaotic scene isn't a sworn affidavit, but worth looping your lawyer in on the full picture.

    • 7
      thankful-backseat724

      Saving this whole thread. Really appreciate the honesty here.