wise-swan-7585/10/2026

Hit while parked in my driveway — drunk driver arrested, now what?

So this whole situation feels surreal and I don't really know what I'm supposed to be doing right now.

Last weekend someone plowed into my car while it was sitting in my own driveway. I wasn't even in it — I was asleep inside my house. Woke up to a neighbor banging on my door. The driver was still at the scene, clearly hammered, and got taken away in handcuffs. My car has significant damage to the rear quarter panel and the bumper is basically gone.

I called my insurance the next morning and they told me to also reach out to the at-fault driver's insurance directly. Fine. But here's my problem — I've been trying to get a copy of the police report for three days now and it keeps being 'not ready yet.' I've called twice, went in person once, and got told to just keep checking back.

Meanwhile I'm paranoid that some clock is ticking on me filing with the other driver's insurance. Like, is there a deadline for opening a claim with THEIR insurance? Will waiting a few extra days while I chase down this report hurt me somehow?

Also — my neck has been stiff and sore since that morning. I didn't think much of it at first but it's not going away. I haven't seen a doctor yet because I didn't think I was 'hurt enough.' Starting to second-guess that decision.

Any advice from people who've been through something similar? Feeling kind of lost and just want to make sure I'm not screwing myself over by being patient.

9 replies

Most helpful first

spry-grouse-9775/10/2026
Almost the exact same thing happened to me — parked car, drunk driver, arrest, the whole circus. The police report took forever and I was losing my mind about it. What I ended up doing was calling the other driver's insurance anyway, without the report, just to open the claim and get a number assigned. They were able to pull basic info from their own policyholder. The report just helped fill in more details later. You don't necessarily need it in hand to start the process.
- wise-marten-0875/10/2026
  Just a heads up — when you call the other driver's insurance, be really careful about how much you say. They might seem super friendly and helpful but their job is ultimately to limit what they pay out. Don't give a recorded statement without thinking it through first. And definitely don't downplay that neck soreness. Once you say you're 'fine,' that tends to stick.
clear-kestrel-2475/10/2026
Please go get that neck checked out. I know it feels minor and you're caught up in the car stuff, but stiffness that lingers after an impact — even one you weren't physically inside for — can be your body's delayed response to the stress of the whole event, or it could be something worth imaging. Soft tissue injuries don't always scream at you right away. A doctor visit also creates a record, which matters if things get complicated later. Don't wait until it gets worse.
clear-hare-6655/10/2026
From my old job — yeah, you can absolutely open a third-party claim without the police report. We used to take calls all the time where the claimant didn't have it yet. The report is useful for confirming fault details but it's rarely a hard requirement to just get the claim started. What matters more is that you do it sooner rather than later so there's a timestamp on your claim. Also, their adjuster will likely reach out to their own insured and get the story anyway.
cool-badger-2505/10/2026
Every state has a statute of limitations for personal injury and property damage claims, and they vary quite a bit — usually somewhere between one and four years depending on where you are. So you're not in immediate danger of missing a legal deadline over a few days. That said, insurance companies often have their own internal notification timelines buried in the policy fine print, so it's worth checking yours. Opening a claim early, even informally, protects you. And seriously, document everything — photos, texts, dates you called the police station, all of it.
clever-swift-9645/10/2026
Stop waiting on the report to make your first move. Call their insurance today, tell them what happened, give them the date and the other driver's name if you have it, and open the claim. Then keep chasing the report on the side. And go to urgent care or your doctor about the neck — today if possible. You're letting the easy stuff pile up.
- keen-marmot-7005/10/2026
  Not legal advice, but generally speaking: a brief delay waiting on a police report won't torpedo your claim as long as you're acting in good faith and documenting your attempts to obtain it. The more pressing issue you mentioned — the neck pain you've been ignoring — is worth taking seriously both for your health and because gaps in medical treatment can complicate things later if you end up needing to pursue a claim for your injuries. Worth at least getting evaluated soon.
warm-crow-9535/10/2026
Ugh, I'm so sorry. Waking up to your car being destroyed in your own driveway is such a violation, even without being physically in the crash. Please don't brush off how stressful this is. And definitely get that neck looked at — you've been through something jarring even if it doesn't feel dramatic. Thinking of you 💙
genuine-lynx-3535/10/2026
Quick question — do you actually have the other driver's insurance info, or are you hoping the police report will have it? Because if you don't have their carrier name and policy number yet, that's a separate problem from the report delay. How'd you find out who their insurer was?