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Other driver's insurance says I caused a crash I wasn't even IN — now threatening collections??

Posting this for my brother because he doesn't have an account and asked me to share his situation. He's given me the okay to put this out there and is reading the replies.

About six weeks ago my brother was on a busy four-lane road during rush hour. Traffic ahead of him suddenly seized up — we're talking highway speeds going to zero in seconds. He managed to brake and maneuver without hitting anyone. He heard a loud crunch behind him but when he checked his mirrors he saw his car was clear of everything, so he kept going. He had no idea it turned into a multi-car pileup.

Fast forward about two weeks and he gets a call out of nowhere from an insurance company he's never heard of. They tell him he caused the whole accident because he "stopped abruptly" and now they're holding him 100% liable for everyone's damages. One of the people in the crash has already hired a personal injury attorney apparently.

They got his plate somehow — probably a dashcam from one of the other cars.

Here's the part that makes this so much worse: his insurance had lapsed. He'd been going through some financial stuff and missed a payment about three weeks before this happened. So he doesn't have a carrier to call and say "handle this."

The adjuster on the phone was aggressive and said if he doesn't cooperate and work out a payment arrangement, they'll send it to collections and potentially pursue a judgment against him.

He's panicking. He genuinely was not at fault — he didn't hit a single car. But he's also uninsured and doesn't know what his rights even are right now. Does he have to talk to these people? Can they actually force him to pay? Any insight is really appreciated.

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