Got rear-ended by a delivery semi — liability accepted, now what? How does this even work?

The liability-accepted thing sounds reassuring but do NOT let your guard down. I was hit by a company van a couple years back and they accepted liability almost immediately — then dragged their feet on everything else and made lowball offers hoping I'd just take the money and move on. Commercial carriers have experienced claims teams who do this all day. You're not on equal footing going in alone.

Spent years on the inside of this kind of thing. Here's what accepting liability actually means: they've decided fighting fault isn't worth it. What it does NOT mean is that they're going to be generous on damages. The adjuster's job is still to close your claim for as little as possible — that doesn't change just because they admitted fault. They will watch how quickly you settle, what you say on recorded calls, and whether you have representation. All of that factors into what they offer.

Please don't brush off the daily headaches and that grinding sensation in your neck. I know 'soft tissue' sounds minor but post-collision whiplash can take weeks to really declare itself, and headaches after impact can sometimes signal things worth imaging. Go to every PT appointment and make sure your doctor documents everything — not just for legal reasons, but for your own health. Also your mom's pre-existing hip issues could genuinely be aggravated, and that matters medically regardless of the legal side.

A few practical things: start a daily journal right now logging your pain levels, how your mom is doing, and anything the anxiety is costing you (like extra commute time or activities you're avoiding). That kind of contemporaneous record is genuinely useful later. Also gather everything — photos, the police report, any communication from the insurer. And yes, your mom should have her own medical evaluation documented separately from yours even if you're handling things together.

The highway fear thing is so real and I don't think you should feel embarrassed at all. That's a totally normal response to something genuinely scary. You had your mom in the car — of course that's going to affect you. Please be kind to yourself while you figure all the legal stuff out.

Short version: don't talk to their adjuster without knowing your rights, don't sign anything until you're done with treatment, and talk to a lawyer who handles commercial truck cases specifically — not just any PI attorney. Commercial cases have different dynamics and you want someone who's dealt with carrier defense teams before. The liability admission is good news but it's just step one.

What did the police report say exactly? And has the trucking company given you anything in writing about accepting liability, or was that just verbal from the adjuster? Asking because 'we accept liability' said on a phone call and an actual written acknowledgment are two different things. I'd want that documented before I stopped worrying about the fault question entirely.