hearty-badger-8375/10/2026

Rear-ended 3 weeks ago, thought I was fine — now burning nerve pain won't quit

So I'm still kind of in disbelief about how this unfolded. I was sitting at a red light on my way home from work — completely stopped — when someone plowed into the back of my car at what witnesses said was full speed. The impact was violent enough to deploy my rear sensors and crumple my trunk pretty badly. I sat there shaking but honestly felt okay in the moment. Adrenaline is wild.

Fast forward about four days and I woke up and couldn't turn my head to the right. Then the headaches started — not just regular headaches, like pressure behind my eyes that won't let up. Now there's this hot, burning sensation that starts at the base of my skull, wraps around my neck, and shoots down into my left shoulder and arm. Some days my fingers feel tingly and kind of weak.

I've been to my primary care doctor and she referred me to a neurologist and a physical therapist. I've gone to a handful of PT sessions and it's helping a little but I'm nowhere near back to normal. I've had to call out of work twice because I couldn't sit at a desk without the pain becoming unbearable.

The other driver got a citation at the scene and their insurance accepted liability pretty quickly — which honestly surprised me. But now their adjuster keeps calling me and casually dropping words like "wrap this up" and asking if I'm "close to done with treatment."

I don't even know what "done with treatment" means when I still wake up every morning in pain. Has anyone been through something similar? Did you try negotiating directly with the insurance company or did you bring in an attorney? I'm not sure which direction makes more sense right now.

8 replies

Most helpful first

daring-swift-1065/10/2026
This is almost exactly what happened to me two years ago. The delayed symptoms thing is SO real — I thought I walked away fine and then a week later I could barely lift my arm. The burning down into your fingers sounds like it could be nerve-related, and in my experience that stuff takes a long time to resolve. Don't let anyone rush you into settling while you're still hurting. I made the mistake of thinking I'd feel better soon and almost closed out too early.
bright-beaver-1915/10/2026
That adjuster calling you repeatedly asking if you're "almost done" is a huge red flag. They do that on purpose. The sooner you settle, the less they pay — it's that simple. They are not your friend, they are not looking out for you, and everything you say to them can be used to lowball your claim. I'd stop taking those calls, honestly.
- sharp-tern-8015/10/2026
  I used to work on the claims side, so I'll be straight with you: when an adjuster starts asking if you're "wrapping up treatment" this early, they're trying to get you to a settlement before the full picture of your injuries is clear. Nerve pain and radiating symptoms can have long treatment timelines and sometimes require imaging like an MRI to fully document. If you settle before that's complete, you typically can't reopen the claim. Just something to be very aware of.
- curious-crow-9925/10/2026
  The tingling and weakness in your fingers alongside neck pain and that burning sensation is worth taking seriously — that can sometimes indicate nerve root irritation or compression, which doesn't always show up immediately after an injury. Make sure your neurologist knows about the finger symptoms specifically. Keep a daily pain journal too, even just a few sentences — it helps your providers track progress and it documents everything if this goes further legally.
cool-mole-4035/10/2026
Not legal advice, but I'll say this: "maximum medical improvement" (MMI) is the term doctors use when your condition has stabilized as much as it's going to — that's generally when it makes sense to evaluate a settlement, because only then do you know the full extent of what you're dealing with. Settling before MMI is almost always a mistake with nerve injuries since the long-term picture can take months to become clear. Most PI attorneys offer free consultations and work on contingency, so there's usually no cost to at least get an opinion.
- patient-owl-5415/10/2026
  A couple of practical things: first, make sure you're keeping records of everything — every appointment, every bill, every day you missed work and why. Second, your medical records will need to clearly connect your current symptoms to the accident, so be explicit with every provider about the fact that this started after the crash. Don't downplay anything when you're at appointments. Gaps in documentation are one of the main ways insurers chip away at claims.
curious-beaver-4285/10/2026
I'm so sorry you're going through this. The fact that you're still in this much pain three weeks later and already being pressured to settle is really stressful. Please don't let them push you into anything before you're ready. Your health comes first.
quiet-hare-6395/10/2026
Stop talking to their adjuster without representation. Full stop. You have radiating nerve symptoms, you've missed work, and they're already circling. Get a free consultation with a personal injury attorney before you say another word to that insurance company. You have nothing to lose by making one phone call.