warm-otter-7405/11/2026

Hit by a driver who took off — their insurer keeps stonewalling me. Anyone dealt with this?

I'm so frustrated I don't even know where to start.

About three weeks ago I was rear-ended at a red light by someone who, instead of stopping, just... drove away. Thankfully a guy in the lane next to me stayed and gave me the plate number before I even had a chance to process what happened. Absolute legend.

Cops came, took the report, ran the plate — all the driver's info ended up in the official accident report. My own insurer confirmed which company insures the other vehicle based on that info.

Here's where it gets maddening. I've called the at-fault driver's insurer four times now. Every single time they tell me they can't open a claim without a policy number — and since the driver fled, I obviously never got one. When I ask them to look it up by plate or by the driver's name (which is literally on the police report), they say that's "not their process."

My own insurer has been okay-ish about it but keeps nudging me toward using my own uninsured/underinsured coverage, which would mean paying my deductible and potentially affecting my rates — for an accident that was 100% not my fault.

I've got medical bills starting to come in, my car is still in the shop, and I'm basically stuck in this loop where nobody will take responsibility.

Has anyone actually broken through this kind of wall with an insurer? Is small claims court the move here? Do I need to just get a lawyer involved? I feel like I'm being gaslit by an entire company.

9 replies

Most helpful first

kind-hare-0975/11/2026
This happened to me almost exactly — hit and run, had the plate, and the other driver's insurer acted like the plate number was written in invisible ink. What finally worked for me was sending a formal written demand letter (certified mail, return receipt) directly to the insurance company citing the accident report number. Suddenly they found a way to open a claim. Something about having it in writing made them stop playing dumb.
- hearty-newt-7435/11/2026
  I used to work claims and I'll be honest — that "we need the policy number to open a claim" line is a stall tactic. A plate number, combined with a police report, is absolutely enough information to locate a policy internally. Adjusters have tools to do exactly that. They're just hoping you don't know that and go away. Escalate to a supervisor, use the word 'bad faith,' and watch how fast things change.
calm-hare-8615/11/2026
They know exactly what they're doing. Making it hard enough that you just give up and use your own coverage is a feature, not a bug. Don't let them run out the clock on you — most states have deadlines for how long you have to pursue this, and they are very aware of that calendar even if you're not.
- careful-marten-0115/11/2026
  Not legal advice, but what you're describing — an insurer refusing to investigate a claim when they have more than enough identifying information — can start to look like bad faith claims handling depending on your state's laws. It might be worth a free consultation with a PI attorney just to understand your options. Most won't charge you for that initial call, and knowing your leverage can change how you approach these conversations.
patient-finch-2695/11/2026
A couple of things worth knowing: (1) many states have regulations requiring insurers to acknowledge and begin investigating a claim within a specific number of days — look up your state's insurance department rules. (2) You can file a complaint with your state's Department of Insurance. It's free, it creates a paper trail, and insurers take those complaints seriously. It's not as dramatic as court but it often shakes things loose faster.
- tidy-newt-6115/11/2026
  This sounds absolutely exhausting on top of already dealing with the accident itself. I'm sorry you're going through this. Please don't let them wear you down — you did everything right.
brave-newt-3105/11/2026
Please don't let the insurance drama delay your medical care. I see people put off follow-up appointments because they're waiting to 'figure out who's paying first' — and that can genuinely hurt your recovery AND your claim later. Get the treatment you need, keep every single receipt and record, and let the billing sort itself out after.
hearty-fox-8925/11/2026
Three things, in order: file a complaint with your state insurance commissioner TODAY (takes 20 minutes online), send a certified letter to the insurer with the police report attached, and consult a personal injury attorney this week. Small claims is an option but it takes time and energy — sometimes just having an attorney's letterhead in the mix is enough to make an insurer suddenly 'find' that policy.
quick-marmot-8245/11/2026
Quick question — when you called, did you ask to speak with a supervisor or a claims manager, or were you just talking to the front-line reps each time? In my experience there's a huge difference in what those two levels will tell you. Also, did your police report come back with full driver info or just the registered owner of the vehicle? Sometimes those are different people and it can complicate things.