The Shoulder
The Shoulder
64
Car accidentssteady-crane-008

Got hit by a car that was BACKING UP to escape its own crash — now I'm somehow at fault?

I still can't wrap my head around what happened or how I ended up being blamed for any of this.

So I'm driving through a green light, minding my business, when the SUV ahead of me plows into a van that was cutting across. I stop immediately — I had plenty of space between us, I wasn't anywhere near the first crash. Then the SUV driver panics, throws it in reverse to pull free from the van, and slams right into the front of my car. Like, I was stationary. She drove into me.

The officer on scene was dealing with the first crash and wasn't positioned to see what happened next. And here's the kicker — when the original report came out, it listed me as involved in the initial collision, which is just... not what happened. The officer did later write a supplemental note acknowledging he didn't witness the second impact and had assumed it all happened at once. He admitted his body cam wasn't running during the interviews either.

Her insurance is now giving me the runaround, acting like the situation is murky because of how the report was originally written. My car has moderate front-end damage. My neck has been stiff and sore for weeks. I've been to urgent care twice.

I've never dealt with insurance claims before and I genuinely don't know if I should just keep pushing with the adjuster or if I need to get someone in my corner. Has anyone been through something similar where the police report was just flat-out wrong and you had to fight it?

Any advice helps. I'm exhausted.

9replies

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9 replies

  • 8
    mellow-hare-673

    Oh wow, the police report being wrong is SO much more common than people realize. Mine had the wrong sequence of events too and I spent weeks trying to get it corrected. The supplemental note your officer wrote is actually really valuable — that's him basically saying 'I got it wrong the first time.' Hang onto every version of that report.

  • 17
    careful-dove-985

    The adjuster is absolutely using the original report language as cover. They know it's messy and they're betting you'll either give up or accept a lowball offer just to be done with it. Do NOT give them a recorded statement without understanding exactly what they're trying to establish. That 'murky situation' framing is a tactic.

  • 12
    silent-seal-586

    I used to work claims and I'll be honest with you — when there's a supplemental report that contradicts the original, adjusters are trained to see which version helps their insured more and lean into it. The fact that the officer admitted he assumed the sequence without actually seeing it? That's significant. Get that supplemental in writing if you don't already have a physical copy, and document everything about your injuries with dates and providers. Gaps in medical care hurt you later.

  • 7
    brave-bison-475

    A few practical things: First, request the full report packet including all supplements and any dispatch logs — sometimes there's timestamped radio traffic that can help establish the sequence. Second, if there were any other drivers, pedestrians, or bystanders nearby, even a statement from one witness can shift the whole picture. Third, your urgent care visits are medical records — make sure you're keeping an itemized list of every appointment and what it's costing you, including any time off work.

  • 9
    curious-swift-123

    Not legal advice, but this is exactly the kind of scenario where a free consultation with a PI attorney is worth your time. A fact pattern where a third vehicle backs into you while you're stationary — and the officer's own supplemental admits he didn't witness it — is not a hopeless situation. Most attorneys will tell you quickly whether it's worth pursuing. Don't sit on it too long though; there are deadlines.

  • 9
    warm-grouse-782

    Please don't ignore the neck stiffness. I know it's easy to push through it when you're stressed about the insurance stuff, but soft tissue injuries from whiplash can get significantly worse if they're not properly evaluated and treated early. Urgent care is a start, but if you haven't seen your primary care doc or gotten a referral to PT, do that soon. And keep a simple daily log of your symptoms — pain level, what activities it affects. That kind of record matters more than people think.

    • 10
      patient-rider263

      This is really helpful — thank you for posting it.

  • 11
    silent-raven-870

    This sounds so incredibly stressful, I'm sorry you're going through it. You were just driving normally and ended up getting hit by someone else's mess and now YOU'RE the one fighting for yourself? That's infuriating. Please don't just let the insurance company wear you down.

  • 17
    gentle-swan-924

    Stop talking to her insurance directly. You're not required to negotiate with the other person's carrier on your own. Get a PI lawyer on the phone — most do free consults and work on contingency, meaning you don't pay unless they recover something. You have a stationary car, documented damage, medical visits, and an officer who put in writing that he assumed the sequence wrong. That's not nothing.