The Shoulder
The Shoulder
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Insurancespry-stoat-036

Hit while stopped, other driver refused to share insurance info — now I'm just stuck waiting?

I got rear-ended last week while I was completely stopped at a red light. The other driver was totally at fault — I wasn't moving at all — but when I asked for her insurance card she flat-out refused and just kept saying 'the police will handle it.' So I called 911 and waited for an officer to show up.

The officer collected both our information and told me he'd be writing up a report, but that the completed report wouldn't be available for a couple of weeks through the county records office. He said it was standard procedure and that I'd have to wait for it before I could get the other driver's policy details. I pushed back a little and he basically just shrugged.

So here I am. My car has visible rear-end damage and honestly my neck has been killing me since the next morning. I called my own insurance to ask what they could do in the meantime and they said without the at-fault party's info or a claim number from their insurer, my options are pretty limited unless I want to open a claim under my own collision coverage — which I really don't want to do because of my deductible.

Has anyone else been in this situation? Do I really just have to sit here and wait for the report to drop before anything can move forward? It feels insane that someone can refuse to hand over their info and that basically freezes everything. Any advice on what to do in the meantime — especially about the neck pain — would be really appreciated.

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10 replies

  • 23
    clear-swan-842

    A couple of things that might help while you wait on the report: First, you can sometimes request an 'incident report number' from the responding officer's department even before the full report is finalized — that alone can help you at least open a claim file. Second, her license plate is actually enough for a personal injury attorney to run a records search and identify the registered owner and potentially their insurer. That's a pretty routine step in cases like this. Not saying you need to lawyer up immediately, just that waiting isn't your only option.

    • 1
      hopeful-driver386

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

  • 21
    swift-vole-767

    Ugh, this happened to me almost exactly. The other driver refused to show me anything and acted like the cop showing up was somehow my fault. I ended up having to wait for the report too, but in the meantime I took photos of everything at the scene — her plates, the damage, the intersection — and that stuff ended up being really useful later. Did you at least get her plate number? That's your lifeline right now.

    • 20
      patient-crow-650

      Here's what I'd do right now: (1) go to a doctor today, (2) write down everything you remember about the accident while it's fresh, (3) call the non-emergency police line and ask for the incident number so you at least have something on paper. The report delay is annoying but it's not a wall — it's just a speed bump. You have more options than 'wait.'

  • 20
    clear-badger-760

    I used to work on the claims side and I want to reassure you on one thing: the report delay is genuinely normal and adjusters deal with it constantly. What's NOT normal is sitting on your hands health-wise while you wait. Document your symptoms somewhere — even a daily note on your phone about how your neck feels. If this ends up in a claim, that kind of contemporaneous record is surprisingly useful. Also, once you do have the report, move quickly — don't let weeks pass before you contact their insurer.

    • 10
      cool-crow-508

      The neck thing really worries me honestly. Please go get it checked out, like today if you can. Everything else — the report, the insurance drama — that stuff will get sorted eventually. Your health is the thing that actually matters and can't be undone if you let it slide.

  • 17
    candid-crow-969

    Be really careful about opening a claim with your own insurance if you can avoid it. Even when you're 100% not at fault, some insurers find ways to make that bite you later. The adjusters are not your friends — their job is to protect the company's money, not yours. Keep records of every single conversation, get names and timestamps when you talk to anyone at the insurance company, and don't agree to anything in writing yet.

  • 8
    hearty-lynx-259

    Please don't ignore the neck pain, even if it feels mild right now. Soft tissue injuries from rear-end collisions can feel manageable at first and then get significantly worse over the next few days. Go get checked out — urgent care or your primary care doc — and make sure it's documented. A medical record from shortly after the accident is important both for your health and for any claim you end up filing. Don't wait until it's unbearable.

    • 10
      kind-traveler267

      How long did it end up taking in your case?

  • 8
    kind-marmot-051

    Not legal advice, but I'll say this: the situation you're describing — documented fault, physical symptoms, an uncooperative third party — is exactly the kind of thing where a quick free consultation with a PI attorney is worth your time. Many can help move the information-gathering process along faster than waiting on county records. Your neck pain also needs to be in the medical system sooner rather than later. Don't let the bureaucratic delay make you feel like nothing can happen.