At-fault driver's insurance won't cover my repairs — now they want me to go through my own policy??

Went through almost this exact thing last year. Underinsured driver hit me, their policy maxed out way below my actual damages. My agent explained that filing through your own collision coverage because someone ELSE was underinsured typically gets coded differently — it usually won't affect your rates the same way an at-fault claim would. That said, every insurer is a little different so definitely ask your agent directly and get it in writing if you can.

That adjuster telling you to just go through your own insurance is 100% them trying to close your file as cheap and fast as possible. Their job is to protect their bottom line, not help you. Don't let them rush you. Ask them in writing exactly what they're offering and why, and don't agree to anything verbally over the phone.

Former adjuster here. When the at-fault driver doesn't have enough property damage coverage to pay out your claim fully, you basically have a couple of paths: sue the at-fault driver personally for the gap, or go through your own carrier if you have collision or — more relevant here — uninsured/underinsured motorist property damage coverage. That UIM-PD coverage is specifically designed for exactly this scenario. Check your declarations page and see if you have it. If you do, your insurer should be able to subrogate (go after the at-fault driver's insurer) and potentially recover your deductible for you.

Not legal advice, just some process context — the term you want to look up is subrogation. When your own insurance pays out a claim that's really someone else's fault, they can legally pursue reimbursement from the at-fault party's insurer. In a clear-liability case like yours, that process sometimes results in your deductible being refunded to you after the fact. It's not guaranteed and can take a while, but it happens. Worth asking your insurer about it explicitly.

Not legal advice, but in situations where the at-fault driver is underinsured you generally do have the option to pursue the at-fault driver personally for the difference between what their insurance covered and your actual damages. Whether that's practical depends on whether that person actually has collectible assets. A free consult with a PI attorney could help you understand all your options before you just accept whatever the adjuster is suggesting. Most won't charge you anything to talk through the basics.

Three things: 1) Get everything the adjuster tells you IN WRITING — no more verbal conversations if you can help it. 2) Pull out your own insurance policy and read what your collision and UIM-PD coverage actually says. 3) If your car might be totaled, don't let them lowball the value — look up comparable vehicles yourself and push back with data. You have more leverage than they want you to think.

Just want to ask — are you physically okay? Sometimes when you're caught up in the property damage stuff people forget to keep tabs on how their body is doing. Symptoms from a side-impact collision can show up days or even weeks later. Make sure you're documenting anything physical too, even if it feels minor right now.

Quick question — do you actually know for certain their policy limit is maxed out, or is that just what the adjuster told you? Because adjusters have been known to... let's say, understate things. You can sometimes request proof of the policy limits directly. Just want to make sure you're not taking their word for it without verification.