Other driver's suing my son even though BOTH insurers said he wasn't at fault??

Oh man, we went through almost exactly this kind of thing — lawsuit filed even after insurers had already sorted out fault. The short version: our insurer assigned a defense attorney at no cost to us, handled everything, and the case eventually got dropped. The key thing I remember being told is that once a lawsuit is served, your insurer's job shifts to defending you, not just paying claims. Call them first thing Monday morning and use the word 'lawsuit' and 'summons' right away — that tends to get things moving faster than just saying you have a question.

The fact that both insurers found your son not at fault means almost nothing to a civil court, unfortunately. Insurance determinations and legal liability are two different worlds. That said, the 'Doe defendants' stuff and the contradictory facts in the complaint are pretty classic signs of a rushed filing — sometimes attorneys file before they've even fully built their case, just to beat a statute of limitations deadline. Doesn't mean it'll go anywhere, but don't assume it'll just disappear on its own either.

Not legal advice, but I'll say this: contradictory factual allegations and boilerplate Doe defendants are not unusual in personal injury complaints — especially early ones. What matters more is whether the underlying facts actually support a negligence claim, and if both carriers investigated and placed fault elsewhere, that's a meaningful data point. Your insurer's duty to defend is broader than their duty to indemnify, so they should step in even if the case looks weak. Get that claim reported in writing ASAP.

Speaking from experience on the other side of the desk — when I'd see lawsuits like this come in, especially ones with sloppy pleadings and contradictory facts, they were usually filed by smaller PI firms doing volume work. They file, see who flinches, and hope for a nuisance settlement. The moment your insurer gets assigned a defense attorney, the dynamic changes completely. The plaintiff's lawyer suddenly has to actually prove something instead of just waiting for a check.

That said — do NOT let anyone in your family communicate directly with the plaintiff or their attorney. Not even a 'hey what's this about' text. Everything goes through your insurer and their counsel.

Just want to check in — how is your son holding up emotionally? Being served with a lawsuit is genuinely shocking, especially when you feel like you did nothing wrong. The anxiety and that feeling of 'the world is upside down' is real and valid. Make sure he knows this is something the adults and the insurance company will handle, and that he doesn't need to carry it alone. Stress like this can actually affect physical health too, so keep an eye on him.

Three things and only three things matter right now: (1) Don't panic. (2) Report the lawsuit to your insurer the second they open Monday — not as a general inquiry, as a lawsuit that requires a defense response with a deadline. (3) Nobody in your family talks to anyone on the other side about this. Not on the phone, not in a parking lot, not on social media. That's it. Everything else is noise until your insurer assigns a defense attorney.

I don't want to dismiss your concern but I'm curious — did anyone actually look into whether there's some injury the other driver claims they have? Like sometimes these suits look ridiculous on the surface but there's a real medical thing underneath driving it. Not saying your son is liable, just that understanding what the other driver is actually claiming medically might help you understand why a lawyer took the case. Do you know if they went to the hospital after the accident?

I know it doesn't feel like it right now, but you're actually in a better position than a lot of people who get hit with lawsuits. You have documentation that both carriers investigated and reached the same conclusion. You have an active insurer relationship. And you caught this immediately and are already thinking through next steps. That's a lot more than most people have at this stage. Hang in there — this kind of thing often looks much scarier at the start than it ends up being.