Got served with a lawsuit for a fender-bender I caused last year — should I be panicking?

I was on the other side of this kind of situation — someone tapped my car and I had lingering neck issues — but I can tell you the opening demand number is almost never what anything settles for. My attorney explained it as a negotiating starting point. Your insurance company has a strong incentive to settle within your policy limits if they can, because if they don't try hard enough, they can actually face exposure too. Try to breathe. I know that sounds impossible right now.

The one thing I'd really push on: the attorney your insurance assigned works for the insurance company, not you personally. They're looking out for the insurer's interests first. If the claim is above your policy limits, your personal financial exposure is real and that attorney may not be fighting as hard for YOU as they would for a private client. Seriously consider at least a free consult with your own independent PI defense lawyer.

Not legal advice, but this is worth knowing: when a claim exceeds policy limits, most states have rules about what your insurer is obligated to do — including making reasonable settlement efforts. If they fail to do that and a judgment comes in over your limits, the insurer can sometimes be held responsible for the excess. Ask your assigned attorney directly: 'What happens to me personally if this goes over my policy limits?' Their answer will tell you a lot. Again, not legal advice — just a direction worth exploring.

Worked claims for years. Huge opening demands on low-speed impacts are extremely common, especially when an attorney gets involved. They're often fishing to see if your carrier will panic and overpay. That said, don't be passive — stay in close contact with your assigned counsel, document everything you remember about that day (weather, speed, what she said, any photos you took), and ask for updates regularly. Adjusters respond better to claimants who stay engaged rather than disappearing.

A few practical things: First, do NOT reach out to the other driver or her attorney directly — ever. Everything goes through your insurance's attorney from this point. Second, dig out every piece of paper from that day — your photos, the insurance exchange, any texts if you communicated after. Third, if your state allows wage garnishment for civil judgments, there are usually exemptions for lower income levels. A free consultation with a local attorney could clarify what's actually at risk for someone in your financial situation.

Just want to gently mention — whiplash and soft tissue injuries from even very low-speed collisions can be genuinely painful and show up days or weeks later on imaging. I'm not saying her claim is valid, but it's worth understanding that 'she looked fine at the scene' doesn't always tell the whole story medically. That context might help you understand why these lawsuits happen, even if the dollar amount still seems wildly inflated.

Do not file bankruptcy over this — not yet, not even close. You're way ahead of yourself. Most of these cases settle. Your insurance company doesn't want a judgment over policy limits any more than you do. Stay off social media entirely, keep a written log of every conversation with your attorney, and stop Googling worst-case scenarios at 2am. One step at a time.

Quick question: did your insurance company actually confirm in writing that they're providing a defense? And do you know the exact policy limits on your liability coverage? Those two numbers matter a lot here. Also — was there any follow-up contact from the other driver or her attorney between the accident and this lawsuit? Sometimes there's a paper trail that affects how these things play out.