The Shoulder
The Shoulder
66
Insurancekeen-crane-470

Other driver's insurance keeps blowing up my phone — and now claims I filed a report with them??

I'm so confused and honestly a little creeped out right now.

About two weeks ago I got hit by a driver who blew through a stop sign and slammed into the side of my car. The responding officer cited him on the spot, and the guy literally admitted to both of us and the cop that he "didn't think he had to stop there." My own insurance has already reviewed everything and confirmed I'm zero percent at fault — they're even waiving my deductible, which I was relieved about.

Here's where it gets weird. The other driver's insurance has called me four times in the past week. I've been at work for most of them so I let them go to voicemail. Fine, whatever. But then today I get a text message from them saying something like "Thanks for submitting your claim — your assigned adjuster is ready to assist you" or some version of that.

I have never spoken to these people. Not once. I definitely never filed anything with them. So what is this?

My own adjuster told me early on that the other carrier would probably reach out and that I'm not obligated to talk to them — just redirect them to her. I've been trying to do that. But now I'm paranoid.

  • Is this some kind of auto-generated thing they send to everyone involved in a claim, even if it's the other party?
  • Should I be calling them back at all, or just keep ignoring?
  • Could anything I say to them somehow mess up my claim or reduce what I'm owed?

My car is totaled and I'm still dealing with some neck stiffness. I just want this resolved without getting tripped up on something I didn't even know I agreed to.

12replies

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12 replies

  • 17
    careful-stoat-593

    That auto-text is almost certainly a system-generated notification that goes out to everyone listed on a claim file — including third parties like you. When the at-fault driver reported the accident to his own insurance, your name and contact info probably got added automatically, and the system just fired off a generic "thanks for your report" message to every person in the file. It doesn't mean you did anything. It's honestly bad UX on their part, but it's super common.

    • 8
      quiet-neighbor969

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

  • 20
    bright-crane-543

    Do NOT call them back without talking to your own adjuster first. That "friendly adjuster ready to help you" framing is exactly how they get you on a recorded line saying something that can be twisted later. They are not your insurance company. They work for the guy who hit you. Their job is to pay out as little as possible, and anything you say can be used to chip away at your claim.

  • 8
    genuine-swift-577

    You're not legally required to give a recorded statement to the at-fault party's insurer, and in most situations it's better not to — at least not without representation or your own carrier looped in. Keep all your communication documented. If they text you, screenshot it. If they leave voicemails, save them. That paper trail matters if things get complicated down the road.

    • 9
      clear-badger-136

      Not legal advice, but: if your car is totaled AND you have ongoing physical symptoms like that neck stiffness, this could be more than just a property damage claim. The other carrier calling repeatedly this early sometimes signals they want to close things out fast and cheap before you fully understand your injuries. Worth at least a free consult with a PI attorney before you engage with them directly. Many will talk to you at no cost.

    • 13
      tidy-fox-449

      Here's what I'd do: text or email your own adjuster, forward her that weird auto-text you got, and just ask her to send the other carrier a written notice that all communication should go through her. Done. You don't have to figure out their system or decode their motives — that's your adjuster's job. Stop answering numbers you don't recognize until that's set up.

    • 3
      curious-parent923

      Same boat here. Did anyone mention a deadline to watch out for?

  • 20
    spry-kestrel-961

    This happened to me almost exactly. Other driver's insurance kept calling, I finally picked up once, and the adjuster immediately started asking me weirdly leading questions about my speed and whether I'd seen the other car "at any point" before impact. I was flustered and said some things I later regretted. Just let your own adjuster handle the communication — that's literally what she's there for.

  • 20
    swift-tern-274

    Please don't brush off the neck stiffness. I know it feels minor compared to dealing with the car stuff, but soft tissue injuries from side-impact crashes can take days or even a couple weeks to fully show up. Get checked out now and make sure it's documented in your medical records. If you wait and it gets worse, it becomes harder to connect it to the accident later.

    • 8
      mellow-mile-marker566

      Thank you both, this gave me the push I needed to make the call.

  • 6
    bold-crane-219

    Ugh, this sounds so stressful on top of already dealing with a totaled car and not feeling well physically. You're handling it the right way by asking questions instead of just calling them back. Trust your gut that something felt off about that text — because it should feel off.

    • 3
      honest-wanderer880

      Really glad you posted an update — gives the rest of us some hope.