The Shoulder
The Shoulder
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Husband got rear-ended, filed with at-fault driver's insurance — now total silence. Normal?

So my husband was rear-ended about two weeks ago on the highway — broad daylight, slow traffic, the guy behind him just wasn't paying attention. We have the whole thing on dashcam, which I'm really grateful for because it's crystal clear who's at fault.

The other driver is pretty young — early 20s — and the car he was driving seems to be registered to someone else, probably a parent or relative. The responding officer checked that the vehicle had active insurance and left it at that, but when we dug into the policy info the guy handed over, my husband's name obviously isn't on it anywhere. Not sure if that matters or creates a wrinkle.

Anyway, we filed a claim directly with the at-fault driver's insurance maybe ten days ago. Uploaded the dashcam footage, photos of the damage, the police report number, everything they asked for. Since then... crickets. No adjuster assigned, no follow-up email, nothing.

The damage isn't catastrophic — rear quarter panel is dented pretty bad, one tail light is cracked, and the trunk doesn't close cleanly anymore — but it's not nothing either. We got an estimate from a local body shop already.

Is the radio silence normal at this point? Should we be doing something we're not? Neither of us has ever been through this before (honestly feel lucky that this is our first time at 34 and 36), so we genuinely don't know if we're just being impatient or if we're getting the runaround. Any advice appreciated.

11replies

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11 replies

  • 15
    swift-crow-383

    Not legal advice, but the coverage question around who was actually listed on that policy is something worth getting clarity on sooner rather than later. If the insurer decides the driver wasn't a covered operator, they could deny the claim entirely — which would push you toward your own uninsured/underinsured coverage or a direct lawsuit. Doesn't mean that'll happen, but it's worth at least a free consult with a PI attorney so you know what your fallback positions are. Most won't charge for the initial conversation.

  • 14
    warm-otter-905

    The silence after filing is SO common and it drove me absolutely crazy when it happened to me. I waited almost two weeks before I finally just called them every single day until someone picked up and gave me a real update. Squeaky wheel gets the grease, unfortunately. Don't assume no news is good news with these companies.

    • 9
      hearty-tern-717

      A couple of things worth knowing: most states have regulations requiring insurers to acknowledge a claim within a certain number of days and then make a coverage decision within a set timeframe after that. Look up your state's insurance department rules — if they're blowing past those deadlines, you can actually file a complaint with the state, and that tends to light a fire under adjusters fast. Also, the registered-owner vs. driver situation is worth flagging to an attorney early, just so you understand your options if the policy doesn't cover him.

  • 14
    swift-marten-027

    Ten days of silence is not an accident — that's a strategy. Adjusters know that the longer they drag things out, the more likely you are to either give up, accept a lowball offer just to be done with it, or miss something important. Keep every communication in writing if you can, and don't agree to anything verbally without following up with an email recap.

  • 12
    warm-dove-229

    Call them tomorrow morning, ask for the claim number, the assigned adjuster's name, and a status update in writing. If they can't give you all three of those things, escalate to a supervisor on the same call. Be polite but don't let them brush you off. You're not being impatient — ten days with zero contact is too long.

    • 10
      kind-passenger699

      Going through something similar right now. Did following up actually move the needle for you?

    • 7
      thankful-co-pilot143

      Saving this whole thread. Really appreciate the honesty here.

  • 11
    curious-seal-466

    Honestly? From the inside, claims like this sometimes sit in a queue longer than they should just because of workload, but the driver-not-listed-on-policy thing can also cause a hold while they do a coverage investigation. They need to confirm the policy actually extends to whoever was driving. That's a legitimate reason for delay — but they should still be communicating with you about it. If they're not, call and ask specifically whether a coverage investigation is open. That question will get someone's attention.

    • 3
      weary-wanderer313

      Going through something similar right now. Did following up actually move the needle for you?

  • 9
    bright-marmot-788

    Just want to ask — how is your husband feeling physically? Rear-end impacts can cause soft tissue stuff that doesn't show up right away. Sometimes people feel fine for a few days and then the neck or back starts talking. If anything feels off, please get checked out and document it. Medical records matter a lot if this turns into more than just a property damage claim.

  • 3
    bold-hare-988

    Ugh, I'm sorry you're dealing with this. It's so stressful when you do everything right and then just get ignored. Sending you both patience because it sounds like you're going to need it 😤