mellow-badger-2292h ago

Hit from behind and the other driver flat-out refused to give me his insurance info — what now?

So this happened two days ago and I'm still kind of shaken up and honestly just annoyed.

I was stopped at a red light when a pickup truck rolled into the back of my car. Not a massive crash but enough to crunch my bumper and leave me with a stiff neck. The driver got out and seemed fine at first — apologetic, even. I figured we'd swap info like normal people and go from there.

Here's where it got weird. When I asked for his insurance card, he got this whole attitude and said something like, "look, let's just handle this between us, I'll pay you cash, no need to get companies involved." He kept saying it like he was doing me a favor. I'm in my mid-twenties and I think he assumed I'd just go along with it.

I did call the police. The officer came, took statements, and made a report — but told me she couldn't force him to hand over his insurance info on the spot. She said I'd need to wait for the official report to get his plate and registered info through proper channels.

So right now I have:

His license plate (I photographed it)
A report number
Photos of both vehicles and the scene
His phone number (he gave that much, at least)

My neck is sore enough that I went to urgent care yesterday. I don't have a ton of money and I'm worried about medical bills stacking up.

My gut says don't take cash under the table, especially with a potential injury. But I genuinely don't know the right next steps here. Has anyone dealt with someone who refused to go through insurance? Do I just file with my own insurer and let them chase him down?

8 replies

Most helpful first

mellow-seal-5542h ago
Almost the exact same thing happened to me about a year ago. Guy rear-ended me in a parking lot and immediately started the whole "let's keep insurance out of it" speech. I almost agreed because he seemed so convincing. So glad I didn't — turns out the damage to my frame was way more than what looked obvious, and my neck bothered me for weeks. File with your insurance and let them deal with chasing him. That's literally what you pay them for.
- quick-mole-7522h ago
  Ugh, I'm so sorry this happened to you. The fact that he tried to pressure you into skipping the police AND skipping insurance just says everything about what kind of person he is. You did the right thing calling the cops. Please take care of yourself and don't let him bully you into letting this go.
humble-grouse-5722h ago
Do NOT take cash. I cannot stress this enough. Once you accept money out of pocket and shake hands on it, you may have a really hard time coming back for more if your injury turns out to be worse than you think. Soft tissue stuff from rear-end collisions can linger way longer than the first week. The cash offer is almost always about protecting him, not helping you.
steady-elk-6932h ago
I used to work on the insurance side and I saw this play out constantly. People take a cash offer, sign nothing, and then six weeks later their back is still messed up and they have no recourse.

Here's the thing — when you file with your own insurer and the accident wasn't your fault, your company has a whole subrogation process to go after his insurer or him personally. You don't have to do the chasing yourself. Report it to your carrier today if you haven't already. Don't wait on the police report to start that conversation.
hearty-mole-9992h ago
Once the police report is ready, you should be able to get his registered insurance info through it — most states require drivers to carry proof of insurance and that gets logged. If he was uninsured, that's actually a separate problem he has with the DMV, and it may open up other options for you depending on where you live. Also, keep every receipt from that urgent care visit and document your symptoms in writing, even just in your phone's notes app. Dates and descriptions matter later.
bright-lynx-6882h ago
Please don't brush off the neck soreness. I've seen so many people downplay whiplash-type symptoms in the first few days and then really struggle two or three weeks out when inflammation peaks. Go back to a doctor if anything gets worse, and make sure everything is documented in your medical record — not just urgent care notes. If you end up needing physical therapy, you'll want a clear paper trail from the start.
steady-marmot-3902h ago
Not legal advice, but a few things worth knowing: refusing to exchange insurance information after an accident is illegal in most states — it's not just rude, it can be a traffic violation or worse for him. The cash offer isn't inherently illegal, but accepting it without a written release could complicate things. With a documented injury and a police report, you likely have more leverage than you realize. Might be worth a free consultation with a PI attorney just to understand your options — many don't charge unless you recover something.
gentle-beaver-9312h ago
File with your insurance today. Tell them he refused to provide his information. Send them the plate photo. Stop texting him for now — anything you say can muddy the situation. And get back to a doctor if that neck doesn't improve in the next day or two. You're not being dramatic, you were hit.