The Shoulder
The Shoulder
68
Insurancecalm-crow-195

Person who hit me asked me to lie to insurance — do I keep the evidence?

Still kind of shaken up writing this. Got hit pretty hard at an intersection last week — I had a green light, other driver ran theirs, slammed into my passenger side. We exchanged info at the scene, seemed fine, whatever.

Then two days later I get a voice note from them on the number they gave me. They're asking if we can both just tell our insurance companies we "couldn't identify" the other vehicle and file it as an unidentified-driver situation. Like… they want me to pretend I don't know who hit me. In exchange they'd "do the same" — which makes zero sense because I didn't hit anyone.

I just sat there listening to it three times not believing what I was hearing. I have photos from the scene, a police report with their plate number, and now this voice message basically admitting they caused the collision and want to cover it up.

I'm not doing it. Obviously. But now I'm wondering:

  • Do I forward this recording to my own insurance company right away?
  • Does sitting on it for even a few days create any problems for me?
  • Could this actually be considered something more serious than just a weird ask — like, is asking someone to commit insurance fraud a thing?

My car has been in the shop since it happened and I've got a follow-up doctor appointment for some neck and shoulder stiffness that started the day after. I really don't want this to blow up into a legal mess but I also am not going to lie for someone who blew a red light and hit me.

Any advice from people who've been through something similar would mean a lot right now.

11replies

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11 replies

  • 8
    swift-otter-883

    Save that voice note in like four different places right now — cloud, email to yourself, another device, whatever. Then yes, send it to your insurance company immediately. Don't sit on it. You didn't do anything wrong and that recording is actually protecting you, not hurting you.

    • 5
      tidy-raven-573

      Something similar happened to me — the other driver started changing their story after we left the scene. It's so disorienting because you're already stressed about your car and your body and then you have to deal with someone trying to manipulate you on top of it. You're doing the right thing by not going along with it. Trust your gut and report everything honestly.

  • 9
    clever-badger-697

    I used to work claims and honestly this is more common than people think — the at-fault driver panics about their rates going up and tries to rope the other person into a mutual story. Here's the thing: your insurer needs to know because if that driver calls in first with some fabricated version, it muddies everything. Getting ahead of it with the real facts AND the recording puts you in a very strong position. Don't wait.

  • 6
    spry-heron-124

    Also heads up — even YOUR insurance adjuster might try to minimize this or move fast to close the file cheap. The recording changes the power dynamic a lot in your favor, but don't assume your own company is fully on your side. They have their own interests too.

    • 6
      plain-tern-866

      One thing I'd want to know — did you already give a recorded statement to any insurance company before you got this voice note? If so, just make sure whatever you add now is consistent with what you already said. Not implying anything shady on your end, just that inconsistencies (even innocent ones) can get used against you.

  • 13
    candid-crow-580

    To answer your third question — yes, soliciting someone to make a false statement to an insurance company can constitute insurance fraud conspiracy depending on your state. I'm not saying you need to run to the police tonight, but document everything: screenshot the message, note the date and time you received it, write down what you remember from the scene while it's fresh. That paper trail matters. And yes, your insurance company should absolutely receive that recording as part of your claim file.

  • 5
    cool-hare-984

    Not legal advice, but that voice note is significant. It's arguably an admission that they caused the accident AND an attempt to get you to participate in fraud. Most personal injury attorneys offer free consultations — given that you also have physical symptoms developing, it might be worth a quick call just to understand your options before you talk to any adjuster at length. Just saying.

  • 7
    silent-hare-128

    Please don't skip that follow-up appointment for your neck and shoulder. Soft tissue injuries from side-impact collisions can feel mild at first and get significantly worse over the first week or two as inflammation builds. Get it properly documented by your doctor — not just for your health, but because that medical record connects your symptoms directly to the accident date. That matters a lot later.

    • 10
      calm-wanderer993

      Solid advice. Getting it in writing is the part most people skip.

  • 11
    wise-sparrow-249

    Honestly the audacity of that ask blows my mind. You got hurt, your car is in the shop, and they're asking YOU to do THEM a favor?? Please take care of yourself first and let the insurance and whatever process needs to happen just happen. You didn't cause this.

    • 7
      grounded-offramp300

      This thread is gold. Thanks everyone.