Got sued personally after my insurance apparently wasn't enough — single dad, nothing to my name. What happens now?

Not legal advice, but I can give you some general context. If your brother's insurance policy covers the accident, the insurer typically has a duty to defend you — meaning they should provide an attorney for you through trial, even if you're named personally. Call the insurance company directly and ask them point-blank: 'Am I covered for defense costs?' If they say yes, you should be assigned defense counsel at no cost to you. Don't just assume it's handled — confirm it. And do not contact the other driver's attorney on your own.

I was on the other side of something like this — I was the one who caused the accident and got named in a suit. My family member's insurance did cover my defense, thankfully. What stressed me out was nobody told me that automatically; I had to call and push for answers. Don't wait for them to come to you. Call and be direct about what's happening.

Here's what I'd watch for: sometimes insurers will offer to settle right at their policy limit and then essentially wash their hands of the case if the plaintiff wants more. At that point you are technically on the hook for anything above that limit. That's the scenario that's probably happening here. The insurer's lawyer is there to protect the insurer, not necessarily you. Worth understanding whose side they're really on.

What you're describing sounds like an 'excess judgment' situation — meaning the claim value exceeds the policy limits and the plaintiff is pursuing you personally for the gap. I've seen this happen a lot with minimum-limit policies. The honest truth? If you genuinely have no assets and minimal income, even a large judgment against you is often practically uncollectable. Judgments don't disappear, but creditors also don't spend money chasing people who have nothing. That doesn't make it fun, but it puts things in perspective.

Just want to add — delayed injury claims aren't automatically fake. Soft tissue stuff, back and neck issues, sometimes they genuinely don't show up until days later. I'm not saying that to stress you out more, just so you go into this understanding why her claim may have developed after the scene. It doesn't mean you're a bad person, it's just how the body works sometimes.

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this on top of everything else. Please don't try to navigate this completely alone — even one free consultation call with a personal injury attorney could clarify so much. A lot of them do free calls just to tell you where you stand. You deserve to at least know your options before you lose sleep assuming the worst.

It sounds terrifying but you're actually asking the right questions at the right time. A lot of people in your situation panic and do nothing — or worse, try to deal with the opposing attorney themselves. The fact that you're trying to understand the process puts you ahead. And people with genuinely limited means do get through these situations without losing everything. You're not the first person to be in this spot.