Semi clipped me at night, fled the scene — I almost didn't make it and still processing all of it

I was hit by an unidentified driver two years ago — not a semi, just a regular car — and the UM process was slow and honestly frustrating, but it did eventually come through. The hardest part for me was that I kept wanting someone to be held accountable and for a long time there was just... no one. It's a weird kind of grief on top of the physical stuff. Hang in there, the investigation can take longer than you expect but trucks leave more evidence than people realize — weigh stations, toll cameras, dashcam footage from other drivers.

Former adjuster here. Commercial trucks are actually easier to trace than people think — the DOT requires logging, and if that semi was on any kind of regulated route there's a paper trail. Law enforcement can subpoena weigh station records and there are often traffic cameras on highway corridors that get missed in the initial sweep. Push the investigators to be thorough. Also, your UM claim and the potential trucking company claim are separate things — if they ID the truck later, you may have options beyond just the UM payout. Keep ALL your medical records and every receipt for anything accident-related.

First — I'm really glad you're here to post this. What you're describing with the startle response to headlights, the intrusive thoughts, the rough nights — that's not weakness, that's your nervous system doing exactly what trauma does to a brain. Please don't white-knuckle through that alone. A lot of accident survivors qualify for trauma-focused therapy and sometimes it's even covered through injury claims as part of damages. Physical healing gets all the attention but the neurological and psychological piece is just as real. Be honest with your doctors about the sleep and the anxiety.

Watch your own insurance company on this. I know it feels like your UM coverage is on your side because you're paying for it, but they're still trying to minimize what they pay out. Don't give them a recorded statement without understanding what you're agreeing to. Don't let them rush you into anything while you're still in active treatment.

Just a heads up on the practical side — most states have a deadline to file a UM claim that's shorter than you'd expect, and hit-and-run cases sometimes have additional notice requirements (like reporting to police within a certain timeframe, which it sounds like you've done, but worth confirming in writing). Keep a copy of every police report, every ER record, every bill. If the truck gets identified down the line, your documentation from right now becomes really important. Don't assume someone else is keeping track of all of it.

Three things: document everything now while it's fresh, don't post about this on any social media under your real name, and get a lawyer before you talk to any insurance adjuster again — including your own. That's it. Do those three things first.

Not legal advice, but hit-and-run cases involving commercial vehicles are genuinely different from regular UM claims — there are federal trucking regulations, potential carrier liability, and in some states specific statutes around fleeing the scene with a commercial vehicle. The value of your case, if the truck is ever identified, could be substantially different than a standard uninsured motorist claim. Worth at least a free consultation with someone who handles trucking cases specifically, not just general PI. Most won't charge you anything to talk.

I know it probably doesn't feel like it right now, but the fact that the investigation is still active is actually meaningful — these things don't always stay open. And your UM coverage existing at all is more than a lot of people have. This is survivable, legally and personally. You already survived the hard part.