Other driver ran a red light, hit me hard, liability accepted — how do I fight for real pain & suffering?

The PTO thing is so real and adjusters will absolutely try to wave it away. I pushed back on exactly that and documented every single hour I used during recovery — pay stubs, employer confirmation, all of it. Don't let them pretend it doesn't count just because your paycheck didn't technically change.

Please don't assume that because they admitted liability they're suddenly on your side. Admitting fault is actually pretty calculated — they'd rather own that early and then lowball the damages. The adjuster's whole job at this point is to close your file as cheaply as possible. Document every symptom, every bad day, every time that intersection anxiety hits you. Journals become evidence.

I used to work claims and I'll be straight with you: concussions with lingering cognitive symptoms are taken seriously internally — especially if you have any neurologist notes or neuropsych testing backing it up. The anxiety and driving avoidance? That can absolutely be factored in if you have a therapist or counselor documenting it. Without paper behind it, adjusters are trained to discount it. Get it in writing from a provider if you can.

Not legal advice, but — cases like yours with documented ongoing psych or cognitive symptoms often get significantly undervalued when people negotiate solo. Insurers have software that spits out a number based on your bills, and it almost never accounts for the full human cost. A free consult with a PI attorney costs you nothing and you'd at least know what ballpark you're in. Most work on contingency so there's no upfront risk.

A couple of practical things: First, do NOT settle until you've reached what's called maximum medical improvement — meaning your doctors don't expect your condition to change much more. Settling before that means you might be signing away rights to costs you don't even know you'll have yet. Second, request an itemized breakdown of every bill and make sure nothing slips through. The demand letter you or your attorney sends should paint a full picture — medical, wage loss, PTO, emotional impact, future treatment if applicable.

Honestly? Handle this one yourself and you're probably leaving money on the table. Not trying to scare you, just being real. Adjusters negotiate claims every single day. Most of us do it once in our lives. That's not a fair fight.

The fact that liability is locked in writing is genuinely a huge deal — you've already cleared the hardest hurdle a lot of people get stuck on. Everything from here is about making sure the number reflects what you actually went through. You're asking the right questions at the right time.

Quick question — are you still actively treating or have you been discharged? And did any of your providers specifically document the cognitive symptoms or the driving anxiety in your records, or is it more something you've mentioned verbally? Just asking because those details change the picture a lot.