Spent years in insurance — nothing prepared me for being the claimant myself

The rental thing hit me hard reading this. I told myself the same thing — 'oh I have people I can call' — and then reality set in around week three. You don't realize how much your independence matters until you're coordinating rides to physical therapy at 7am. I'm sorry you're going through this.

I worked claims for a few years too, different side of the business, and honestly the delay tactics you're describing are very real and very intentional. When there's no rental clock ticking on the at-fault carrier's dime, there's zero urgency. They know you'll get frustrated and either accept less or just stop following up. Keep every single communication in writing, even if it's just a follow-up email after a phone call saying 'just confirming what we discussed.' It creates a paper trail that changes the tone of the whole negotiation.

Please don't let the claim chaos make you neglect your neck. A T-bone impact can cause injuries that don't fully show up for weeks. If you haven't already gotten imaging done, do it. Not just for your health — for documentation. Soft tissue stuff especially has a way of being dismissed later if you don't have a clear medical record from early on.

Not legal advice, but — the fact that you have industry knowledge is actually useful in one specific way: you know exactly when they're stringing you along versus when something is genuinely taking time. If you're already identifying delay tactics, that's worth documenting. A lot of people don't realize an attorney can sometimes get a claim moving again just by entering the picture. Doesn't mean litigation, just... the dynamic shifts. Worth a free consult at minimum.

I really feel for you. You spent years helping other people through this and now you're getting the runaround — that's just not right. I hope you have someone in your corner looking out for you, because it sounds exhausting to deal with all of this while you're also recovering.

Stop calling. Email everything. If they don't respond to an email within 48 hours, send a follow-up that says 'following up on my email from [date] — please confirm receipt.' It sounds petty but it creates urgency and accountability. Also look up your state's bad faith statutes — carriers that drag their feet on valid claims can face penalties and sometimes just knowing you know that changes how they treat you.

Genuine question — are you handling both the property damage and the bodily injury claim yourself, or just one? Because the tactics can be pretty different. Also how serious is the neck injury? That changes the math a lot on whether you need representation or can realistically handle this solo given your background.