At-fault driver had zero insurance — do I even have the right to go after them personally?

You are not wrong at all. I went through almost the exact same thing — uninsured driver, my car gone, me left holding the bag. The guilt I felt about going after him was real, but then I had to remind myself: he made a choice to drive without insurance. That choice had consequences for YOU. You didn't create this situation, he did.

Not legal advice, but two things worth knowing: statutes of limitations on personal injury and property damage claims vary by state, and 18 months may or may not have eaten into your window depending on where you live. Also, collecting from someone with limited assets is genuinely hard — even with a judgment you can't squeeze blood from a stone. That doesn't mean you shouldn't pursue it, just go in with realistic expectations. Worth at least a free consult to understand your options before the clock runs out.

One thing people don't realize — your OWN uninsured motorist coverage (if you had it) might still be in play depending on how it was handled. Did your insurer fully close out your claim or just pay a partial amount? Sometimes they low-ball you and call it done, banking on the fact that you won't push back. I'd double-check everything before assuming that door is closed.

The timing question is real and depends entirely on your state's statute of limitations — for personal injury it's often 2-3 years, for property damage sometimes different. Since you're coming up on 18 months, it's not too late in most places but you want to move relatively soon if you're going to do anything. Also, the fact that he got his ticket reduced doesn't affect your civil options — those are completely separate tracks. Criminal/traffic court and civil court don't cancel each other out.

That thing where he bought insurance after the crash to get his ticket softened? I saw versions of that constantly. It has zero bearing on his liability to you for what happened while he was uninsured. Insurers know this trick too. If your own uninsured motorist claim wasn't fully maxed out, I'd go back and look at that policy language very carefully — sometimes people leave money on the table because they didn't know what to ask for.

Please don't let the financial side distract you from the physical stuff. Neck and shoulder issues that are still present 18 months later need proper documentation and care — not just for your health but because that ongoing pain is part of what you'd be claiming. If you haven't had imaging done recently, do it. Your medical records are going to matter if this moves forward.

I just want to say — you went through something really hard personally on top of the accident, and you survived it. Don't beat yourself up for not being in warrior mode right after. You were doing what you needed to do to get through. Now that you have some breathing room, it makes total sense to revisit this. You deserve to at least know what your options are.

Few questions: did you file a UM (uninsured motorist) claim with your own insurer at the time? And do you have documentation of your damages — repair estimates, the total loss valuation, medical bills? Asking because those things will matter a lot if you try to pursue this now, and 18 months of distance can make paperwork harder to track down.