Hit someone from behind and now my stomach is in knots — full coverage but terrified

I was on your exact side of this about two years ago. Rear-ended someone on the highway, my car was way worse than theirs. The anxiety in those first 48 hours is genuinely awful. What helped me was just writing down every question I had and calling my insurer in the morning when I could think straight. The process is more automated than you'd think — they walk you through it step by step. It does get less terrible, I promise.

Okay practical stuff: call your insurer first thing and specifically ask about rental coverage — it's often included in full coverage policies but you have to ask or it just sits there unused. Also ask them directly whether your car is likely to be inspected at a shop or if they send a mobile estimator. The sooner you get the estimate, the sooner you know where you stand on the total-loss question.

I used to work claims, so here's the inside view: adjusters on at-fault claims are generally pretty straightforward to deal with because there's no liability dispute — you've already acknowledged fault. The part that trips people up is the gap situation you mentioned. If the payout is less than your loan balance and you have no gap coverage, yes, you'd owe that difference to your lender. It's worth calling your lender NOW before the claim settles to ask what their process is. Some will work with you on it.

Just heads up — even when you're the at-fault driver, the insurance company's job is still to minimize what they pay out. That includes the valuation they put on your car if it's totaled. If they come back with a number that seems low, you are allowed to push back and ask how they calculated it. Comparable vehicles in your area, mileage, condition — all of that factors in and their first number isn't always their best.

Can I ask — are you physically okay? Sometimes in the stress and guilt spiral people forget to actually check themselves. Rear-end impacts can cause neck and back strain that doesn't show up until a day or two later. If anything starts hurting, please go get checked out and document it. Not for legal reasons, just for your health.

You are NOT a worthless idiot. Accidents happen to careful people every single day. The fact that you immediately filed the claim and are trying to handle it responsibly says a lot about you. Be kind to yourself this week, okay?

This genuinely could have been so much worse. You have full coverage, nobody appears to be seriously hurt, and you're dealing with it head-on instead of panicking and avoiding it. That's honestly the best-case version of a bad situation. The financial stress is real but it's manageable — you'll get through it.