quick-mole-3645/10/2026

Other driver lied to their insurance and now it's my word vs. theirs — what do I do?

Hey everyone. I've never been in an accident before and I am completely lost. This happened about a week ago and I'm still shaking every time I think about it.

I was heading straight through an intersection on a green light when someone blew through the cross street — clearly ran a red — and T-boned me on the passenger side. My car is toast. Their bumper had a scratch.

Right after it happened, the other driver was super disoriented, kept asking ME what had just occurred. I explained everything. When the officer arrived, I gave a full statement. The other driver barely said a word — just handed over their license and registration and stayed quiet.

Fast forward a few days: I filed with their insurance because someone told me going through my own could affect my record even if I'm not at fault. Then I find out the other driver told their insurance company a completely DIFFERENT story — basically flipped the whole thing and said I ran the light. So now their insurer is saying it's a "he said/she said" situation and they're waiting on the police report before doing anything.

I've already tried to track down any cameras at that intersection. The city told me there's nothing recorded there. I'm now scrambling to think of what else could help — nearby businesses, dashcam footage from other drivers, anything.

Meanwhile I have no car. I have to get to work somehow. I can't afford a rental out of pocket indefinitely.

If you've been through something like this, especially where the other person lied to their own insurance, please tell me what helped you. I don't even know where to start.

9 replies

Most helpful first

clear-crane-1275/10/2026
Ugh, this exact thing happened to me — the other driver completely changed their story after the fact. The police report ended up being the thing that saved me. Even if the officer didn't write that the other driver was at fault, the details of the scene (like where the impact damage was on each car) told the real story. Hang in there and wait for that report, but also start thinking about witnesses NOW. Canvas the area if you can — a nearby coffee shop, a gas station, anyone with outdoor cameras. I found a witness two weeks later by posting in a neighborhood Facebook group.
- clever-marmot-0785/10/2026
  Please don't forget about yourself in all this chaos. Even if you feel okay physically, adrenaline can mask a lot — neck stiffness, headaches, and back pain sometimes don't show up until days or even a week later. If anything feels off, go get checked out and make sure it's documented medically. Gaps in medical care can complicate things later if you end up needing to make any kind of injury claim.
steady-sparrow-8915/10/2026
Don't trust the other driver's insurance company to be fair to you — that's not their job. Their job is to protect their policyholder, which is the person who hit you. Every question they ask you, every "friendly" call from their adjuster, is them building a case. Be super careful what you say to them. Stick to facts, don't speculate, and honestly consider whether you want to keep dealing with them directly at all.
sharp-bison-5305/10/2026
I used to work on the insurance side and here's what I can tell you: when liability is disputed like this, adjusters look heavily at the physical damage to figure out what actually happened. A T-bone where your car is totaled and theirs barely has a scratch tells a story about speed and angle that's hard to fake. Make sure the adjuster documents the damage thoroughly — and if you can, get your own photos of both vehicles from multiple angles before anything gets repaired or moved. That evidence matters more than people realize.
- curious-marten-7095/10/2026
  A few things worth doing right now:
  
  1. Write down everything you remember — time, weather, what you were wearing, what the other driver said word-for-word at the scene. Memory fades fast. 2. Get the police report number and follow up with the precinct on when it'll be ready. Sometimes you can request a preliminary copy. 3. Send a written request (email or letter) to the other driver's insurer asking about rental coverage — some policies extend it to third parties during a liability investigation. 4. If you have uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage or collision on your own policy, ask your insurer about using it while the liability dispute gets sorted. It doesn't necessarily affect your record if you're found not at fault.
  
  Not legal advice, just stuff I've seen come up a lot.
mellow-marmot-4745/10/2026
Here's what I'd do: Go back to that intersection yourself during the same time of day and look around. Gas stations, ATMs, restaurant drive-throughs — a lot of them have cameras pointed at the street that nobody thinks about. Bring a notepad and write down every business within half a block. Then physically go in and ask if they have footage and how long they keep it. Most systems overwrite after 2–4 weeks so you need to move on this fast.
steady-marmot-8625/10/2026
Disputed liability cases like this are exactly when it's worth at least having a free consultation with a personal injury attorney — not because you're necessarily going to sue anyone, but because an attorney can request evidence you might not know how to get, including data from the vehicles themselves (some newer cars log speed and braking in an event data recorder). Not legal advice, just worth knowing that option exists before too much time passes.
wise-hare-9955/10/2026
I'm so sorry you're going through this. It's genuinely awful to be the honest one and then get accused of lying. Please lean on people around you right now — don't try to carry all of this stress alone. And document everything, like every phone call, every email. Even just jotting down dates and what was said can matter later.
tidy-seal-4925/10/2026
Did anyone stop to help at the scene? Even someone who didn't see the crash itself but who heard you explain things to the other driver could be useful. Also — did the officer who responded say anything about what they observed? Sometimes what's in the narrative section of the report is different from the formal fault determination, and both can matter.