First accident ever at 21 — someone blew a red light into me, wrist hurts, totally lost

I used to work claims for a major carrier, so I'll be straight with you. When adjusters call that quickly after an accident, there's usually a playbook involved — get the claimant talking early, lock in their description of injuries while they're still minimizing, and move toward a fast low settlement before the person realizes how hurt they actually are. Your wrist might feel like 'just a sprain' right now but adrenaline masks a lot. Go get imaging done before you talk to anyone.

Not legal advice, but generally speaking: a red-light violation with clear liability, documented property damage, and a wrist injury that needs medical evaluation is exactly the kind of situation where at least consulting with a PI attorney makes sense. You don't have to hire anyone — just get informed. Most work on contingency so there's no upfront cost. The consult is free. Go to the doctor first though and make sure everything is documented.

Please go get that wrist looked at — like today if you can. Wrist injuries after airbag deployment can involve fractures that don't show up obviously right away, and the swelling and pain often get worse on day 2 or 3, not better. A sprain and a fracture can feel really similar initially. You also want everything documented in your medical records from the start. Don't wait on this one.

I just want to say I'm really sorry this happened to you. It's so overwhelming when you've never dealt with something like this before and suddenly everyone wants something from you. Please take care of yourself first — go get checked out, rest, let yourself process it. The insurance stuff can wait a couple days, but your health can't.

Three things: 1) Go to urgent care or your doctor TODAY and get that wrist imaged — do not skip this. 2) Do not call the other insurance back until you've at least talked to an attorney for free. 3) Document everything right now while it's fresh — photos, a written timeline of what happened, how you're feeling physically. You can thank yourself later.

From a process standpoint — you are not required to give a statement to the other driver's insurance company. Your own policy probably requires you to cooperate with your own insurer, but the at-fault driver's carrier? You can decline or delay. Most personal injury attorneys offer free consultations, so at minimum it costs you nothing to have a quick call and understand where you stand before you make any decisions. That's just information gathering, not a commitment.

The good news is you caught this early enough that you haven't made any big mistakes yet. You haven't given a statement, you haven't accepted anything, and you're asking the right questions. You're actually in a better position than a lot of people who come here after they've already talked to the adjuster three times. There's still time to do this right.

The fact that the other insurance is already calling you twice in two days is a massive red flag. They are NOT calling because they care about you. They want to get you on a recorded statement while you're still shaken and in pain, and ideally get you to say something that limits what they have to pay. Do not call them back without knowing your rights first. Seriously.

Quick question — do you have any documentation that the other driver actually ran the red? Like a police report that notes it, any witnesses, or traffic cameras at that intersection? I'm not doubting you at all, just asking because liability stuff can get complicated fast if the other driver decides to dispute it later. Knowing what evidence exists changes the picture a bit.

Oh man, this was basically me two years ago — first accident, didn't know what to do, almost talked to the other insurance right away. Please don't do that yet. I made the mistake of giving a recorded statement before I understood what was happening and it came back to bite me. Take a breath, get checked out medically first, and figure out your options before you call anyone back.