kind-crane-7815/18/2026

Red light runner flipped my car — ER sent me home and I'm still a mess

I don't even know where to start, so bear with me.

About three weeks ago I was heading home from work, going through a green light on a four-lane road I've driven a hundred times. Out of nowhere a pickup blows straight through the red on the cross street and slams into my driver's side. My car got spun around, hit a curb, and rolled onto its roof. I was hanging there upside down by my seatbelt, glass everywhere, just trying to figure out if I was alive.

Firefighters had to pry the door open to get me out. The paramedics on scene kept saying how surprised they were I was conscious and coherent. Cool, I guess? Still didn't feel great.

The ER did a quick scan, said nothing was "life-threatening," and basically shuffled me out the door. No one really touched me, nobody cleaned the cuts on my arm properly, no follow-up instructions beyond "take ibuprofen."

Fast forward to now and I'm dealing with:

Deep bruising and a burning pain across my chest and left shoulder where the belt caught me
Sharp pain under my left ribs, front and back, that gets worse when I breathe deep
Headaches every single day
My left hand goes numb randomly

I finally got in to see my regular doctor and she was honestly kind of alarmed the ER discharged me so fast. She's referring me to a specialist and said realistically I'm looking at months of recovery, not weeks.

The other driver's insurance has already called me twice. I haven't said anything yet because something feels off about how eager they are to "help."

Is this normal? Am I being paranoid? I feel lucky to be walking around but also like — this is a lot to deal with and I don't really know what I'm supposed to do next.

9 replies

Most helpful first

keen-seal-9505/18/2026
The numbness in your hand is what got me. I had something similar after my accident — turned out to be nerve irritation in my neck that the ER completely missed because my X-rays looked "fine." Took three weeks before anyone actually figured out what was going on. Please push for imaging of your cervical spine if your doctor hasn't already ordered it. The ER really does just stabilize and move on, they're not there to catch the slower-burn stuff.
silent-bison-3995/18/2026
Do NOT call that insurance company back yet. The reason they're being so friendly and fast is because they want a recorded statement from you before you even know the full extent of your injuries. Anything you say can absolutely be used to lowball you later. You don't owe them a warm conversation. You owe them nothing right now.
- quick-stoat-0235/18/2026
  The fact that your PCP is already taking you seriously and referring you to a specialist is actually a really good sign. A lot of people struggle to get doctors to believe them after accidents. You're three weeks in, you're documenting, you're asking questions — you're doing the right things even when it probably doesn't feel like it.
warm-wren-8845/18/2026
I used to work claims and I'll be real with you — when we called injury victims quickly like that, the goal was to get them on record saying things like "I'm doing okay" or "it's not that bad" while they were still in shock and hadn't seen all their medical bills yet. Those recordings don't disappear. If they ask how you're feeling, literally just say you're still being evaluated and you're not prepared to make a statement. That's it.
curious-mole-7585/18/2026
The burning chest pain and rib pain that gets worse with deep breathing really needs proper follow-up — your PCP is right to be concerned. Seatbelt injuries can do a surprising amount of soft tissue damage that doesn't show on a standard scan. Also the hand numbness combined with neck or upper back pain is worth taking seriously. Don't let anyone convince you this is just "normal soreness" from an accident this severe.
gentle-stoat-5475/18/2026
A few practical things: start a daily log right now if you haven't already — just a notes app on your phone is fine. Write down your pain levels, what you can't do, how sleep is going, any appointments. Also save every bill, every referral, every receipt. If this goes anywhere legally or even just through an insurance claim, that paper trail matters way more than people expect. And yeah, don't give a recorded statement to the other driver's insurer without understanding what you're agreeing to first.
kind-heron-0775/18/2026
You're not being paranoid. You were in a serious rollover caused by someone else running a red light, you have ongoing symptoms your ER missed, and the at-fault driver's insurance is already calling. That's not a situation where you just wing it. At minimum talk to a personal injury attorney before you talk to that adjuster — most do free consultations and it'll cost you nothing to understand your options.
warm-swift-8585/18/2026
I just want to say — please don't minimize what you went through just because your scans came back clear. "Lucky to be alive" and "dealing with something really hard" are not mutually exclusive. You were in a car that flipped. Give yourself permission to take this seriously and actually recover.
swift-badger-7745/18/2026
Not doubting your pain at all, but I'm curious — did police respond to the scene? Did the other driver get cited for running the light? And were there any witnesses or traffic cameras at that intersection? Those details matter a lot for establishing fault clearly, especially if this turns into a bigger claim.