Other driver is flat-out LYING and insurance split it 50/50 — what do I do?

I used to work claims, so let me be honest with you: the 50/50 split is often a lazy default when adjusters hit conflicting statements and don't want to dig deeper. It protects the company in the short term. The dashcam footage should absolutely be changing the calculus here — if it clearly shows a rear-end impact with your son stopped, that footage needs to be formally submitted as part of a written dispute, not just mentioned in a phone call. Ask for the adjuster's supervisor and put your dispute in writing. Paper trails matter enormously internally.

Ugh, I'm so sorry. The idea that someone can just LIE and the insurance company shrugs and punishes the actual victim is infuriating. I hope you get this sorted out — please update us when you do.

Three steps: 1) Submit the dashcam footage formally in writing with a written dispute of the liability determination. 2) Ask for the adjuster's manager by name in that same letter. 3) File a complaint with your state's insurance commissioner simultaneously. Don't wait on one before doing the other. The squeaky wheel gets the grease here.

Not legal advice, but a rear-end collision with dashcam evidence is about as strong a liability picture as you can have. If the insurer is still holding a 50/50 split after reviewing that footage, a personal injury attorney would likely be very interested in talking to your son — most do free consultations. Sometimes a single letter from an attorney prompts insurers to take a much harder look at their own determination. Worth a conversation at minimum.

Please make sure your son is documenting every symptom — neck and back injuries after rear-end collisions can take weeks to fully show up. He should be seeing a doctor regularly and keeping records of every appointment, every medication, every day he couldn't work or do normal activities. That documentation matters a lot if this turns into a bigger claim or legal situation.

This happened to me almost exactly. The other driver lied to their insurer and mine just defaulted to 50/50 like it was the easy way out. What finally moved the needle was me writing a formal written dispute and CC'ing the state insurance commissioner's office on it. The adjuster's tone changed pretty quickly after that. Don't just call — put everything in writing and make it clear you're not dropping it.

Insurers bank on people just accepting these decisions because fighting them feels overwhelming. Don't. A 50/50 on a rear-end with dashcam footage is genuinely indefensible — they're hoping you'll pay the deductible and move on. Escalate, escalate, escalate.

A few things worth knowing: most states have an insurance commissioner or department of insurance that takes formal complaints, and insurers are required to respond to those. Filing one often gets cases re-reviewed by someone above the adjuster level. Also look into whether your state has an appraisal or arbitration process built into the policy — sometimes that's actually faster than fighting through the complaint process. Check the actual policy documents, there's usually a dispute resolution section buried in there.