brave-tern-3295/18/2026

She turned into MY lane and hit me while I was stopped — now her husband is calling it my fault??

Still kind of in shock about what happened this morning and need some outside perspective because I feel like I'm losing my mind.

I was sitting in a parking lane outside my kid's school, completely stopped, waiting for the flow of traffic to move. A woman in a large SUV was coming from a side lane and needed to swing into the lane next to mine. Somehow — and I still don't fully understand the geometry of this — she overcorrected her turn and came so wide that her rear quarter panel scraped all the way down my driver's side door and front bumper. Like, she physically entered my lane to do this. I was not moving.

She pulled forward and I honestly don't think she realized what happened at first? She seemed genuinely confused when I got out and showed her the damage. She was apologetic for about 90 seconds — until she called her husband.

Once he showed up, the whole vibe changed. Suddenly it's my fault for being in the lane. He got loud, refused to hand over their insurance card, and told me the school's traffic attendant had waved her through. The attendant's signals are honestly a mess — arms going everywhere — but I don't see how that matters when she crossed into my lane and I was at a complete stop.

Police came, took a report. My car has a long ugly crease down the side and the front bumper is cracked. I'm shaken up but physically okay so far.

Am I crazy for thinking this is pretty clearly her fault? And should I be worried that her husband's version of events is going to tank my claim?

9 replies

Most helpful first

sharp-seal-5255/18/2026
Went through something almost identical at a crowded event pickup area last year. The other driver swung wide, clipped my stopped car, and then their family showed up and completely changed the story. It's infuriating. What saved me was the police report clearly noting I was stationary. Make sure you get a copy of that report as soon as it's available — it matters more than whatever the husband is claiming right now.
spry-marten-5605/18/2026
Watch out when you call her insurance company. They are going to ask you to give a recorded statement and they will try to use literally anything you say to chip away at her fault percentage. Be very careful with your words — or honestly, don't give one at all until you know where things stand. The husband making noise at the scene is probably a preview of the story they'll push with their adjuster.
- swift-seal-9355/18/2026
  Not legal advice, but generally speaking — a driver who crosses into an adjacent lane and strikes a stationary vehicle has a really hard time avoiding fault, regardless of what a traffic attendant signaled. Signals from a parking attendant don't override basic rules about staying in your lane. If this becomes a dispute, that physical fact works heavily in your favor. Might be worth a free consult with a PI attorney just to understand your options before you talk to any insurance company.
keen-heron-2005/18/2026
Former claims adjuster here. The husband refusing to hand over the insurance card at the scene is a red flag but it doesn't actually hurt you — the police report will have the info and that's what matters. What I'd tell you from the inside: if your car has any kind of dashcam or the school has parking lot cameras, get that footage preserved immediately. Insurers assign fault based on physical evidence and statements. A stopped vehicle getting struck by one that crossed lane lines is a really strong position to be in, even if the other party is loud about it.
sharp-crow-0975/18/2026
A few practical things worth doing right now:

1. Write down every detail you remember — time, weather, exactly where each car was, what the attendant was doing, what she said before her husband arrived. Do this today while it's fresh. 2. Get witness info if you haven't. Anyone else in that parking lot who saw it could be huge. 3. Document the damage obsessively — photos from every angle, including showing where her vehicle would have had to travel to hit yours.

The crossing attendant angle the husband is pushing sounds like a distraction. Lane encroachment while you're stopped is a separate issue from who was waved through.
bright-elk-9865/18/2026
Please don't brush off the 'I feel okay' part too fast. Adrenaline after an accident can mask a lot — neck stiffness, headaches, and back soreness sometimes don't show up until the next day or even a few days later. If anything feels off in the next 48-72 hours, get seen. And if you do go, make sure it gets documented as accident-related.
brave-hare-8065/18/2026
Ugh, the way the husband swooped in and changed everything makes my blood boil on your behalf. You were just sitting there! I hope you have someone with you — this kind of thing is so stressful even when you're not physically hurt. You're not crazy, this sounds clearly like her fault.
- curious-mole-8765/18/2026
  One thing I'd want to know — was there any moment before you fully stopped where you and she were both moving toward the same space? I'm not saying it's your fault at all, just asking because her insurance is going to look for any opening to argue you had a chance to avoid it. If you were 100% stopped with zero movement, that's a much cleaner story. What did the police officer seem to think when they looked at the scene?
bright-raven-1075/18/2026
Three things: Get the police report number today. Find out if the school has exterior cameras and submit a written request to preserve that footage ASAP — schools often overwrite recordings within days. And stop talking to her insurance company without knowing your rights first. That's it. Don't overthink the husband's bluster; let the evidence do the talking.