My car might be totaled and the other driver's gone ghost on their insurance — what do I do?

I went through almost this exact situation last year. The other driver 'forgot' to tell their insurance and I was stuck in limbo for almost two weeks. Eventually their insurer did respond once they got enough pressure — apparently insurers will investigate on their own if the policyholder ghosts them. Keep calling and document every single call with a date and time. It's annoying but it does eventually move.

Do NOT let either insurance company pressure you into a quick settlement on the car before you know how you're feeling physically. They love to close out the property damage fast and then you've got way less leverage on anything else. The soreness you're describing can turn into something more significant — I've seen it happen to people who thought they were 'basically fine.'

Please go get checked out. I know it feels minor but neck and shoulder symptoms after an impact like that can be soft tissue injuries that don't fully show up until 48-72 hours later — sometimes longer. Getting evaluated now also creates a medical record tied to the accident date, which matters way more than most people realize until it's too late.

Former adjuster here. When a policyholder doesn't report or cooperate, the insurer will typically send a reservation of rights letter and then investigate anyway — they have an obligation to. It's slow and frustrating but you're not necessarily at a dead end. That said, going through your own collision coverage right now isn't admitting defeat. Your insurer can subrogate against the at-fault party to recover costs, including your deductible, if liability gets established. It's not a perfect system but it keeps your car moving through the process.

A couple of practical things: First, if the other driver's insurer denies the claim or stonewalls you too long, you can file a complaint with your state's department of insurance — that tends to light a fire under people. Second, keep every document you have: the accident photos, any texts with the other driver, the body shop estimates, everything. If this escalates at all, that paper trail is gold.

Not legal advice, but the neck and shoulder thing caught my eye. A lot of people in your situation decide the soreness isn't worth making a big deal of and then regret it later when symptoms persist. At minimum, see a doctor and let them document what's going on. The property damage situation sounds frustrating but manageable — the physical piece is what I'd be paying attention to if I were you.

Go to urgent care today. Stop overthinking whether it's 'serious enough.' You were hit by a truck. Get it on record. Everything else — the car, the insurance nonsense — can be dealt with in the right order, but your health comes first and documentation comes a very close second.

It actually sounds like you did a lot of things right at the scene — photos, exchanging info, staying calm. A lot of people panic and forget all of that. You're in a better position than you might feel like right now. The insurance stuff is a headache but it's a solvable headache.

Did you get a police report filed at the scene? That changes things a lot. If there's an official report it's much harder for the other driver's insurance to just look the other way. If not, do you at least have the other driver's plate number confirmed in the photos? Just trying to figure out where you actually stand.