Do I call the other driver's insurance myself or let mine handle it? First accident ever

I was in almost the exact same situation last year — rear-ended, not my fault, other driver admitted it. I waited for my own insurance to coordinate and honestly it took almost two weeks just to get an adjuster scheduled. The second time something happened to me (different accident, I know, rough year) I called the at-fault driver's insurance myself on day one and had a rental car by the next afternoon. I'd go direct.

Whatever you do, be really careful what you say when you call the other driver's insurer. They're going to record the call and their adjuster is not on your side — their job is to minimize the payout. Stick to the basic facts: when, where, what happened. Don't speculate about your injuries, don't say you "feel fine," and don't accept any quick settlement offers before you know the full extent of the damage — especially with that brake noise you mentioned.

Former adjuster here. A few things worth knowing:

First, yes — you can absolutely file directly with the at-fault party's insurance without going through yours. You don't need your insurer to "introduce" you. Just call, give them the claim info from the police report, and open a third-party claim.

Second, that rental car question is important. Push for it on day one of the third-party claim. Some carriers will drag their feet authorizing it until liability is "confirmed," which can take days. If they give you that line, escalate or ask your own insurer to provide the rental and subrogate later.

Third — and I can't stress this enough — get that brake noise documented by a mechanic before the insurance adjuster inspects. If it shows up in a shop report as pre-existing to their inspection, it's much harder for them to argue it wasn't caused by the accident.

Just want to flag the physical side of this: adrenaline after an accident can mask a lot. Whiplash symptoms sometimes don't show up for 24-72 hours. If you start feeling neck stiffness, headaches, or shoulder soreness in the next few days, please see a doctor and make sure it's documented as accident-related. Don't tough it out and assume it'll pass — that documentation matters if anything becomes a bigger issue later.

To answer your questions directly:

1. No real downside to calling the at-fault insurer yourself — it often moves faster. 2. Going direct can speed things up significantly for property damage. For any injury claim it gets more complicated, so keep those separate in your mind. 3. Yes, ask for the rental immediately when you open the third-party claim. Get a claim number and a point of contact. 4. Absolutely get the brake issue looked at now — both for your safety and for documentation purposes.

Also keep a running log of every call you make — date, time, who you spoke to, what they said. It sounds tedious but it really helps if anything gets disputed later.

Call the other driver's insurance today. Don't overthink it. You have a police report, an admission, and visible damage. Get your claim number, get your rental authorized, and get your car in for inspection. The longer you wait, the longer you're without a functional car. Your own insurer can still be looped in, but there's no rule saying you have to wait for them to make the first move.

Not legal advice, but a couple of thoughts: the brake noise is worth paying attention to beyond just the insurance angle. If that's a safety issue, you should not be driving the vehicle until it's inspected — and if it turns out to be accident-related damage, you want that in writing from a mechanic before any adjuster waves it off as unrelated. Also, don't give a recorded statement to the at-fault driver's insurer without understanding what you're agreeing to. You're not legally required to, and it can sometimes be used against you.

This sounds so stressful, especially for a first accident. I just want to make sure you're okay physically too — sometimes people get so focused on the car and the paperwork that they don't check in with themselves. How are you feeling?