The Shoulder
The Shoulder
50
Car accidentssharp-wolf-954

Got rear-ended by a drunk driver the same week I hit 6 months sober — universe is wild

I don't even know how to start this so I'm just going to say it.

Six months ago I quit drinking. No big intervention, no rock-bottom moment people see in movies — I just decided I was done and I stuck with it. This past Thursday was exactly six months to the day. I was genuinely proud of myself.

That same evening I was driving home from a celebratory dinner with my sister, completely sober, following traffic on the interstate. Out of nowhere I felt this massive jolt from behind. Got hit hard enough that my car lurched forward into the car ahead of me. I ended up sandwiched.

When I got out I was shaking. The driver who hit me was stumbling, slurring, had glassy eyes — the whole thing. He could barely stand up. By the time troopers arrived they took one look at him and had him doing field sobriety tests. He blew way over the limit. They cuffed him right there on the shoulder of the road.

My car has significant rear damage and the airbags deployed from the secondary impact. I've got whiplash and my lower back has been screaming since it happened. The at-fault driver had insurance but I'm already getting weird vibes from the claims process — they keep asking me to give a recorded statement "as soon as possible" and I don't love that pressure.

The physical stuff I can deal with. It's just... the timing of this is messing with my head in a spiritual way I can't really explain. Like the universe decided to show me in the most visceral way possible why I made the right call.

Has anyone dealt with a claim where the at-fault driver was cited for DUI at the scene? Does that help your case at all or is it mostly irrelevant once insurance gets involved?

10replies

Not sure what your claim is worth?

AskMatlock can connect you with an independent injury lawyer for a free case check — no pressure, no cost to start.

Check my case

0 / 4000 · posted under a randomly assigned handle

10 replies

  • 20
    careful-badger-940

    First — congratulations on six months. That's huge and nothing about what happened takes that away from you.

    I was in a situation where the other driver was cited at the scene (not DUI but reckless driving) and yes, the police report and the citation absolutely mattered. It made the liability piece pretty cut and dry. The at-fault driver's insurance couldn't really argue fault. Where things got complicated was the injury valuation side — that's where they started playing games. So expect the liability fight to be easier but don't assume the whole process will be smooth.

    • 6
      quiet-parent266

      That lines up with what my adjuster told me too.

  • 14
    keen-marten-756

    Do NOT give that recorded statement without talking to someone first. That "as soon as possible" pressure is a classic move. They want you on record before you know the full extent of your injuries, before you've seen a doctor, before you know what your car is really worth. Once it's recorded it's locked in. You can decline or delay. Your own insurance policy requires you to cooperate with YOUR insurer — not the other guy's.

  • 22
    bold-heron-811

    Worked in claims for years. The recorded statement request from the at-fault driver's carrier is 100% optional on your part. They are not your insurance company and you owe them nothing at this stage. The DUI citation will be in the police report and that report does carry weight — it establishes fault pretty solidly. But I'll be honest: what they'll shift focus to is questioning the severity of your injuries, whether the accident "really" caused your back pain, stuff like that. Document everything starting now.

    • 7
      quiet-rider643

      Did you have to escalate, or did they come around after the first ask?

  • 11
    sharp-owl-842

    Please get checked out thoroughly if you haven't already. Whiplash and lower back pain after an airbag deployment can mask deeper stuff that shows up days later — muscle tears, disc issues, even nerve involvement. Don't just take some ibuprofen and tough it out. Get imaging if your doctor recommends it and keep a daily log of your pain levels and what activities it's limiting. That documentation matters both for your health and for any claim.

  • 9
    tidy-raven-657

    The DUI citation is relevant in more ways than one. In a lot of states it can support a claim for punitive damages on top of compensatory damages — basically the idea that the at-fault driver's conduct was so reckless it warrants more than just covering your bills. Not every case goes that route but it's worth knowing it's on the table. The police report, any dashcam footage, witness statements, and your medical records from the start are going to be the backbone of everything going forward.

  • 6
    brave-dove-561

    I just want to say — the fact that you were sober, safe, doing everything right, and this still happened to you is infuriating and unfair. Please be gentle with yourself through this. Six months sober AND surviving a crash caused by a drunk driver in the same week? You're clearly tougher than you know.

  • 20
    cool-dove-144

    Three things right now: 1) Don't give the recorded statement. 2) See a doctor today if you haven't, and tell them exactly what happened — rear impact, airbag, location of pain, all of it. 3) Get a copy of the police report as soon as it's available. Everything else flows from those three. The emotional weight of this situation is real but don't let it distract you from protecting yourself practically.

  • 16
    mellow-marmot-853

    The universe has a seriously dramatic sense of timing, I'll give it that. But think about where you were six months ago versus where you are now — and even in the middle of this mess, you handled a traumatic accident with a clear head. That matters. Wishing you a smooth recovery, and congrats on the milestone that nobody can take from you.