The Shoulder
The Shoulder
56
Car accidentscandid-swift-336

Teen driver blew through a gap in traffic and T-boned us at highway speed — what now?

Still kind of in shock writing this. It's been about five days and I'm only now able to sit at a keyboard long enough to type this out.

My husband and I were heading back from a hardware run last Saturday afternoon. We were on a four-lane divided road — speed limit 55 — moving at a normal clip in the left lane. Out of nowhere the SUV ahead of us in the right lane hard-braked. Half a second later I saw why: a small sedan had shot out from a side street trying to cross all four lanes to turn left. Zero warning. My husband locked up the brakes but we were way too close.

The impact was brutal. Airbags went off, the whole cabin filled with that powder, and I honestly couldn't figure out which way was up for a few seconds. My husband was conscious but his right shoulder was screaming — he could barely lift his arm. My knee had slammed into the dash and was already swelling through my jeans.

The driver who hit us? A 16-year-old. Alone in the car. I don't even think I was angry at first — just… stunned.

Ambulance took us both. Husband has a partial rotator cuff tear, I've got a bone bruise on my patella and some soft tissue stuff in my lower back that they're still evaluating. Both of us are out of work — he's a contractor, I'm on my feet all day in retail. This is already a financial nightmare on top of everything else.

A bystander told police he saw the whole thing and offered his dashcam footage. That feels like the one lucky break in all of this.

Insurance has already called twice and I haven't picked up. Wasn't sure if I should. Can someone who's been through this tell me what the first few weeks actually look like? Are we supposed to just wait? Do we need a lawyer immediately? I feel completely lost.

8replies

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8 replies

  • 7
    cool-marten-373

    I just want to say — you held it together enough to get out, check on your husband, and now you're reaching out for help. That's a lot. Be gentle with yourselves this week. The logistics stuff will get sorted. Focus on healing first.

  • 14
    mellow-heron-641

    Three things: get a lawyer, secure that dashcam footage NOW, and stop answering unknown numbers. That's it. Everything else flows from those three steps. You have a strong case on paper — don't accidentally weaken it by talking to the wrong people before you understand what you have.

  • 8
    careful-newt-325

    Oh man, this brought back everything from my own crash two years ago. Also a young driver, also a high-speed road, also the airbag powder situation — it's so disorienting. One thing I'll say: do NOT talk to any insurance adjuster, especially the other driver's, until you have a much clearer picture of your injuries. I made the mistake of giving a recorded statement way too early and it came back to bite me. Wishing you both a solid recovery.

  • 21
    sharp-marmot-012

    Those two calls you missed? They're not calling to help you. The other driver's insurance wants a recorded statement while you're still shaken up, your injuries aren't fully diagnosed, and you have no idea what anything is worth yet. Let it go to voicemail indefinitely. Your own insurer you may eventually need to talk to, but even then — keep it factual, short, and don't speculate about pain levels or fault.

    • 17
      genuine-heron-239

      Please make sure both of you are following up with specialists, not just the ER. Rotator cuff tears and bone bruises can look manageable on day five and then become serious problems if they're not properly treated and documented. Back injuries especially tend to declare themselves over two to three weeks. Keep every appointment, follow every recommendation, and document your symptoms in a daily notes app or even just a text to yourself. If this ever goes further legally, that paper trail matters enormously.

    • 21
      warm-newt-896

      Not legal advice, but I'll say this generally: a partial rotator cuff tear plus a bone bruise with ongoing back involvement, both spouses out of work, and a clear-liability crash with independent witness footage — that's exactly the kind of situation where at least a free consultation with a personal injury attorney is worthwhile before you respond to any insurer. Most PI attorneys work on contingency so there's no upfront cost. The consultation alone will help you understand what you're dealing with. Don't let urgency from the insurance company pressure your timeline.

  • 14
    clever-swan-979

    I spent several years on the claims side and I can tell you exactly what's happening on their end right now. They've already opened a file, flagged that the at-fault driver is a minor (which means they're looking at the parents' policy limits), and they are hoping you call back before you lawyer up. The dashcam footage you mentioned is huge — make sure that witness's contact info is preserved and that you or an attorney formally requests that footage before it gets overwritten. Some people only keep recordings for 30 days.

  • 23
    keen-beaver-534

    A few practical things that are time-sensitive: (1) Get a copy of the police report as soon as it's available — usually a few days after the crash. (2) Photograph everything now if you haven't — both vehicles, your visible injuries, the intersection. (3) Write down everything you remember about the crash while it's fresh, even small details.

    On the minor driver question — in most states the parents can be liable since they own the vehicle and/or signed the teen's license application. An attorney who handles injury cases can usually tell you pretty quickly whether the policy limits are going to be an issue given the severity of your injuries.