Got hit, the driver lied to cops about it, now I have a court subpoena??

I went through almost the exact same thing a couple years ago — other driver denied everything at the scene, fought the ticket, and I had to show up at a traffic court hearing. Honestly it was way less scary than I built it up to be. You basically just walk in, the judge asks what happened, you tell the truth, and that's it. Your photos are going to be huge. I wish I'd had as much documentation as it sounds like you do.

The subpoena most likely means she's contesting the citation and you're being called as a witness for the prosecution — not as a defendant, so try not to panic. You don't need legal representation just to testify at a traffic hearing. Show up a little early, bring printed copies of your photos, and if you have anything like a dashcam clip or even a timestamped text you sent someone right after it happened, bring that too. Courts are used to regular people testifying at these things all the time. Just answer what you actually know and don't speculate.

I'd still loop your insurance company in even at this late stage. Not necessarily to file a claim, but just to put them on notice that there was an incident. If she somehow tries to flip this around and claim you did something, you don't want to be scrambling to explain why you never mentioned it to your insurer.

Seconding the advice to notify your insurer — there's usually a clause in your policy that requires you to report accidents within a reasonable timeframe regardless of whether you're claiming damages. You don't have to open a claim, you can literally just call and say 'I want to report an incident for documentation purposes.' That creates a record on your end. As for the court date, your photos and the officer's report are basically your whole case. The officer filing a citation already signals they believed your account over hers.

Random question — did you have any soreness in your neck or shoulders in the days after? Even minor rear impacts can cause soft tissue stuff that doesn't show up immediately. I'm not saying anything is wrong, just that if you've had any aches you chalked up to 'sleeping weird,' it might be worth mentioning to your doctor before this case is fully closed.

Ugh this is so unfair. You got HIT and now YOU have to deal with court stress? I'm sorry you're going through this. Please just know you did everything right — you stayed calm, you called the police, you took photos. You have nothing to worry about going in there and telling the truth.

Bring your photos printed out, not just on your phone. Dress neatly, be early, speak clearly, don't volunteer information beyond what you're directly asked. Traffic court is not a big deal. You're a witness, not on trial. Done.

Not legal advice, but for a standard traffic citation hearing you typically don't need your own attorney present — you're there as a witness, not a party. That said, if anything about the subpoena language looks unusual or if you get any follow-up paperwork suggesting a civil claim is involved, that's when you'd want to at least do a free consultation with a PI attorney just to understand your position. The photos and police report are your best friends here.

Quick question — did the officer actually observe the collision, or were they just taking your word vs. hers? I ask because if it was purely he-said-she-said the officer may have issued the citation based on vehicle damage assessment, which actually works in your favor. Just curious how it was documented.