Driver hit my parked car, admitted it on video — now I'm worried he'll flip his story

Almost the exact same thing happened to me — parked car, admitted fault, then suddenly the other driver "didn't remember" saying anything. My phone recording saved everything. Keep that video backed up in multiple places like right now. Cloud, email it to yourself, whatever. That recording is gold.

Those early adjuster calls are NOT casual conversations. They are looking for inconsistencies or anything they can use to reduce what they owe you. You did the right thing keeping answers short. Honestly, I'd stop talking to them altogether and let any future communication go through writing — email or their online claims portal. Every time you pick up the phone you're giving them another shot at tripping you up.

I used to work claims and I'll be honest with you — that recorded admission is genuinely useful. It's not a magic bullet but it establishes a baseline that's really hard to walk back. If the other driver tries to recant, your carrier (or an attorney) can introduce that recording to show what he said contemporaneously, before anyone had any reason to lie. The part where he said "use my insurance" is especially helpful because it shows consciousness of fault.

That said, if his adjuster is already acting squirrelly this early, that's a yellow flag. They may be gearing up to dispute something.

One thing worth doing ASAP: send a written summary of what happened to his insurance company via email so there's a paper trail. Something simple — date, time, location, what occurred, and reference the claim number. It locks in the facts early and makes it harder for them to claim confusion later. Also, most states require them to acknowledge your claim and respond within a specific timeframe — if they're dragging their feet, that timeline matters.

Not legal advice, but that recording is likely admissible and very relevant in a dispute over liability. The bigger question is whether the damage and any related issues (did it affect how your car drives? any stress from the incident?) warrant talking to a PI attorney before you settle anything with his insurer. Most do free consultations. Just make sure you don't sign any release from his insurance without fully understanding what you're giving up. Once you sign, it's over.

Not sure if you were in the car or nearby when the impact happened, but even if you weren't physically inside the vehicle, stress responses from sudden loud impacts and the chaos after can be real. Just wanted to mention — if you've been feeling anxious, having trouble sleeping, or replaying it a lot, that's worth paying attention to. Take care of yourself through this process too.

Ugh this is so stressful, I'm sorry you're dealing with it. The fact that you had the composure to start recording right away honestly impresses me. A lot of people freeze. You did everything right — just hang in there.

What exactly did the adjuster ask you that felt accusatory? I ask because sometimes adjusters just ask standard questions that sound weird if you're not used to it (like "was your vehicle operational" or "had you reported any prior damage"). Not saying your read is wrong — just wondering if there's a specific thing that set off your gut, because that context changes the advice a bit.