bright-swift-1915/10/2026

At-fault driver's insurance is ghosting me — dash cam proves everything, what do I do?

So I was rear-ended at a red light about a week and a half ago. Dead stop, broad daylight, no question about fault — the other driver literally admitted it to the officer on scene. Police report backs it up completely, and my dash cam caught the whole thing from two angles.

Here's the problem: the at-fault driver carries insurance through some company I'd genuinely never heard of before this happened. Filed my claim the day after the crash. Since then? Absolute silence. I've called four times, left voicemails twice, tried their online portal — nothing. Not even a "we received your claim" email.

Meanwhile my car is sitting undriveable in my driveway. I've been bumming rides to work all week and I can feel the stress building. My neck has been stiff and sore since the accident and I haven't even sorted out how I'm paying for that yet.

I've read conflicting things online. Some people say go through your own insurance first and let them fight it out. Others say wait it out because these smaller carriers are just slow. A few say get a lawyer immediately when the other side goes quiet.

I have everything documented — photos, the cam footage, the report number, a written timeline I started keeping the night of the crash. I feel like I'm in a strong position but I have no idea how to actually move forward from here.

Has anyone dealt with a slow or unresponsive third-party carrier before? How long did you wait before you made a move, and do you regret the timeline you chose?

8 replies

Most helpful first

bright-otter-8005/10/2026
Do NOT just keep waiting. Silence from a third-party insurer is a tactic, not a coincidence. They're hoping you get frustrated, desperate, or make a recorded statement without knowing your rights. Every day your car sits unrepaired and your neck goes untreated, you're actually weakening your own position. Start a paper trail — send a written demand via email so there's a timestamp. Silence after that tells you everything.
- warm-mole-7295/10/2026
  I used to work claims for a mid-size carrier and honestly, smaller or regional insurers can be legitimately under-staffed — but a week and a half with zero acknowledgment is past the excuse window. Most states actually have regulations requiring insurers to acknowledge a claim within a specific number of business days. Worth looking up your state's Department of Insurance website. Filing a complaint there sometimes lights a fire faster than anything else. It costs you nothing and it's on record.
- hearty-newt-9795/10/2026
  A couple of things worth knowing: first, going through your own insurer doesn't mean you're giving up your claim against the at-fault driver — your insurer can pursue reimbursement on your behalf. Second, if your policy includes rental reimbursement, activate that NOW regardless of which path you take. Third, on the injury side — neck stiffness after a rear-end collision is worth getting checked out and documented by a doctor sooner rather than later. Gaps in medical treatment can complicate things later. Not telling you what to do, just stuff I see matter a lot in how these cases play out.
silent-lynx-6445/10/2026
Went through almost this exact thing last year. Different insurer but same vibe — total ghost act after I filed. I waited three weeks thinking they'd come around. Finally went through my own collision coverage and let my insurance company go after theirs through subrogation. Got my car fixed way faster. I did have to pay my deductible upfront but eventually got it back. Wish I hadn't waited so long honestly.
patient-raven-6315/10/2026
Please go get that neck looked at. I know it seems minor right now but soft tissue injuries from rear-end crashes can genuinely worsen over the first couple of weeks, and 'stiff and sore' can sometimes be masking something that needs imaging. Go to an urgent care or your primary care doc, describe the accident and your symptoms, and get it in your medical record. Even if it turns out to be nothing, documentation protects you.
genuine-beaver-6885/10/2026
Not legal advice, but when a third-party carrier is unresponsive and you have clear liability evidence plus documented injuries, most PI attorneys would want to hear from you. Initial consultations are usually free. One thing an attorney can do that you can't easily do alone is send a formal representation letter — that often changes how quickly an insurer picks up the phone. The neck issue especially means this could be more than just a property damage claim.
sharp-elk-9895/10/2026
You have the dash cam footage, the police report, and a documented injury. You're not in a weak spot — you're just not using your leverage yet. Stop waiting for them to call you back. Either go through your own insurance today or get a free consult with a PI lawyer this week. Sitting on a strong hand doesn't help you if you never play it.
quiet-tern-8745/10/2026
Ugh, this sounds so stressful. You did everything right — documented everything, filed immediately — and you're still being left hanging. I really hope you get some traction soon. Please don't let the neck thing slide, that part worries me more than the car honestly.