spry-swan-3117h ago

Other driver lied to their insurance and blamed ME — I have the dashcam to prove it

Still kind of in disbelief this is happening, but here we go.

About three weeks ago I was approaching a gated community entrance — I've lived there for years, know the layout cold. There's a dedicated resident lane and a general traffic lane. I was completely in the resident lane, signal on, waiting for the gate arm to lift. A sedan coming up behind me apparently decided they didn't want to wait and tried to squeeze past me on the left, then cut back over to make a left turn into the same entrance. Clipped my front quarter panel pretty good.

Here's where it gets wild: the other driver's insurance called me yesterday and basically told me their insured is claiming I made an erratic lane change into them. There are literally only two lanes at that approach. I was in mine the entire time.

Lucky for me my dashcam caught everything — angle, my signal blinking, the whole sequence of the other car drifting over and making contact. You can even hear the other driver come up to my window right after and apologize by name, which kind of undermines the "it was her fault" story they're now telling their insurer.

I'm submitting the footage to their insurance today. I'm also wondering if I should get my own attorney involved before this goes any further, because it feels like they're already trying to build a narrative.

Has anyone dealt with the other side flat-out lying when there's clear video evidence? How did it play out for you? Any advice on next steps is really appreciated.

8 replies

Most helpful first

steady-bison-0147h ago
This happened to me almost exactly — other driver gave a completely different account to their insurance, and I'm sitting there like, did we even have the same accident? Once I sent in my dashcam footage the whole tune changed within about a week. Hang in there, the video is your best friend right now.
spry-lynx-4367h ago
Do NOT let their adjuster keep interviewing you without representation. They're building a file right now, and every casual thing you say gets noted. The fact that they already floated the 'erratic lane change' story tells me they're going to try to split liability at minimum. Get ahead of it.
candid-beaver-9487h ago
Speaking from experience on the other side of the desk — when a claimant submits dashcam footage that directly contradicts the insured's recorded statement, it puts the adjuster in a tough spot internally. They kind of have to re-evaluate. That said, some adjusters will still try to assign you partial fault just to reduce the payout. Don't assume the video automatically closes the case in your favor, even when it's obvious.
daring-stoat-8717h ago
Not legal advice, but this is exactly the scenario where having your own attorney send a preservation letter early matters. If there are any other cameras at that gate — security, HOA, whatever — that footage could disappear fast. An attorney can send a spoliation notice to make sure it's preserved. Worth a free consult at minimum before you keep talking to their insurance solo.
bold-kestrel-4387h ago
A few practical things: make sure you save multiple backup copies of that dashcam footage in different places before you submit anything. Send it to their insurer in writing (email) so you have a paper trail of when it was delivered. Also document every phone call — date, time, name of who you spoke with, and a brief summary of what was said. That log becomes really useful if this escalates.
kind-crane-5367h ago
Ugh, this is so stressful. You did everything right and now you have to fight to prove it? I'm really sorry. Glad you have the dashcam footage though — that feels like a huge relief in what sounds like an otherwise awful situation.
careful-sparrow-6097h ago
Stop talking to their insurance. Full stop. You have no obligation to give them a recorded statement, and anything you say will be used to chip away at your claim. Submit the video, then let an attorney handle communications from here. You already have the evidence — don't hand them anything else to work with.
clear-bison-9897h ago
Quick question — does your dashcam footage clearly show the moment of impact, or does it cut out or get obscured at the key second? I've seen cases where the footage was great right up until the actual hit and then it got murky enough that the other side could still argue their version. Just want to make sure you know exactly what you're working with before you lean too hard on it.