r/caraccidents

Location: Brooklyn, NY.

The Incident:

My late 90s Jeep Wrangler was hit while parked on a street in Brooklyn by a car. The driver stayed at the scene until the police arrived. I was not there. My Jeep was towed to a local repair shop. Because I only carry liability coverage, my insurance will not be covering or handling the damage to my Jeep directly.

The Situation & Complications:

Conflicting Vehicle Info: The police report lists the striking vehicle as a 2018. However, the VIN on the police report corresponds to a 2022 car owned by the same individual, which appears to be uninsured. Their insurance company confirmed the owner holds an active policy only for a 2017 car of the same make and model. They seem to own 2 of the same make and model but only 1 is insured and not the one involved in my accident.

Driver vs. Owner:

The driver was not the vehicle owner. I have the driver’s name and address from police report, but my insurance cannot search outside databases to check if the driver has personal insurance elsewhere. (They mentioned if I had his phone number, they could only check if he had an active policy with my insurance company).

Documentation:

I have photos of the striking vehicle and its license plate from the scene, as well as the police report.

Questions & Next Steps:

Are there other ways or databases to determine if this driver or vehicle has active insurance coverage?

Is issuing a formal demand letter to both the owner and driver my best next step? If so, should I include formal repair and towing quotes with it? Do I need to pay for repairs before sending the demand letter?

Any other ideas?

My main goal is to recover my repair and towing costs.

i am currently in the us and i have heard the news of the tragedy recently, wanted to share this post to a wider audience

Location: Colorado

My parked car was hit by someone who hit multiple vehicles and fled the scene, leaving his car behind. I did not have collision insurance and their insurance is claiming "a possible limits issue" since the accident includes damages to all vehicles. The incident happened a month ago, my vehicle is inoperable and needs to be towed/donated. My car was not worth a lot (it was a classic vehicle my husband and I had spent countless hours restoring though and could have lasted quite a few more years). It was not only sentimental but my only transportation and I need to move on to getting a new vehicle as soon as possible.

I would like to know, legally can I sell/donate the car prior to taking legal action against the driver? Do I need specific evidence other than the police report to file a claim in smalls claims court? If pursuing legal action through small claims court, what avenues can I take to get ahold of the driver?

I appreciate any insight on this selfish losers actions and how I can finally say goodbye to my dream car.

Bonjours j'ai longtemps hésité avant de faire ce post j'aimerais savoir si d'autre personne on connue cet situation assez particulière je doit l'avouer et si oui comment cela c'est passer pour vous ?

Le 2 janvier 2026 j'ai était percuter par un véhicule de gendarmerie qui griller un feu rouge alors que je circuler au feu vert , il n'avais pas de siréne activer et a priori il rentrer à la brigade après avoir fait constater des blessure chez le médecin de deux prévenue dans une autre affaire qui était présent a l'arrière de leur véhicule a ce moment là .

Après cet collision j'ai était transporter a l'hôpital même si je n'avais rien de très grave , le air bag de ma voiture s'étant déclancher durant la collision il m'avais explosé au visage ce qui a entrainé de legere blessure et coupure .

Avant de partir les gendarme sont venue me faire passer un test salivaire le premier était négatif mais il m'ont dit qu'il était casser donc j'ai était obliger d'en refaire un , a ce moment là il sorte du camion de pompier ou j'etait entrain de recevoir mes soins et ils s'en vont avec leur test salivaire en main . Je n'ai pas reçu de leur nouvelle pendant 2 semaine , seul un appel 3 jours après l'accident m'expliquant simplement que le test envoyer au labo était positif et que je n'avais plus le droit de conduire, sans même me laisser la possibilité de faire une contre expertise rien .

Les gendarme avec qui j'ai eu l'accident , explique qu'ils ont activer les gyro quelque seconde avant l'impact ( ce qui est faux selon moi biensur ) cependant ils disent aussi que c'est ma faute car bien entendu j'etait sous stupéfiants j'aimerais bien savoir ce que vous en penser en sachant que je passer au feu vert et que je ne suis pas censer savoir que c'est messieurs sont en intervention ou autre j'ai essayer de résumer au mieux l'histoire

( dsl pour les faute d'orthographe)

Hi, I’m new to this and I’m (16) and my Nena is (65) she hasn’t been in a wreck since she was 12 and we got in a collision with a farmers tractor on our dirt road. The patrol man said it was our fault bc she was going to fast but on the dirt road it was originally 20 on the speed limit sign until they took it down, people started speeding, and like I said we got into a collision with the tractor as he even told me that he was paying attention to the road while looking at the field as he was also in the middle of the dirt road while we were on the right side of the dirt road the correct side. But they put the blame on us bc he is a big-time farmer. And if you slam the breaks dirt would be in front of the front tires but my Nena pressed down in the brakes slowly as dirt built up behind the front tires and you could tell how much we were moved. Is it still her fault or the tractors?

On Sunday the 16th, my mom was involved in a car accident. She was stopped at a stop sign, but she didn’t see a vehicle coming. When she proceeded through the intersection, there was another vehicle passing through that she didn’t see.
The other vehicle hit the rear of my mom’s car. The other driver’s car initially wouldn’t start, but it eventually started again. The airbags deployed. My mom’s car had basically no damage, except that one of the wheels/tires was slightly bent. It was fixed the same day.
The police and an ambulance arrived at the scene. My mom and the other driver were checked out, and neither of them had any injuries. The other driver called a tow truck to take his vehicle away. The vehicle was able to be driven onto the tow truck, and there were no fluid leaks or anything like that.
We gave the other driver our insurance information. So far, our insurance company hasn’t called us, and neither has the other driver or anyone else. My mom did receive a ticket for running the stop sign.
What should I do at this point? Should I call our insurance company, or should I just wait and let them handle everything? Can the other driver sue my mom over this?
I’m also worried because the other vehicle is a 2007 Nissan. Based on what I’m seeing online, it seems like the car is worth somewhere around $1,500–$5,000. I’m worried that he might not be satisfied with whatever the insurance company offers him and decide to sue for more money.
Am I worrying way too much about this? Is there anything I should be doing right now, or should I just let the insurance company handle whatever happens? Nobody has contacted us yet, so I think I’m probably imagining a lot of worst-case scenarios in my head.

Hey everyone,

I was involved in an accident with a tow truck just two seconds after starting my car. Thankfully, I have a dashcam that clearly captured what happened. The police responded to the scene, reviewed the footage, and told me that I was not at fault. I was also told that the tow truck driver has a suspended license. I’m picking up the police report tomorrow.

Unfortunately, my car is no longer drivable, and I expect the insurance company may consider it a total loss.

A few hours after the accident, I started experiencing dizziness, nausea, lower back pain, neck pain, ankle pain (I had a previous ankle injury), and knee pain. I went to the emergency room shortly afterward to get checked out.

I have a few questions and would really appreciate any advice from people who have been in a similar situation:

1. Will the tow truck driver’s insurance cover my expenses?
Does the fact that his license is suspended affect whether his insurance company is responsible for covering the damages?

2. What about a rental car, Uber, and lost income?
I’m a soccer coach, and I need my car to travel to different fields for work. Since my car is currently undrivable, I’m having to use Uber for transportation, including basic errands.

I’m considering renting a car, but my own insurance policy does not include rental-car reimbursement. If the other driver is found at fault, would his insurance typically cover the rental car, Uber expenses, or other transportation costs?

Also, because I currently can’t work normally without transportation, could I potentially recover income I lose as a result of the accident?

3. Should I contact a lawyer?
Given the dashcam footage, the police officer’s statement that I was not at fault, my injuries, and the fact that the other driver reportedly has a suspended license, would it be a good idea to speak with a personal injury/auto accident attorney now?

I understand that every case is different, but I’d really appreciate any advice on what I should be doing right now to protect myself and document everything properly.

Thank you in advance for any advice!

I’m looking for advice from anyone who has had a similar injury/claim, as well as any adjusters or PI attorneys who might have some insight.
I was a passenger in a pickup that was rear-ended in a six-car accident in May in Oklahoma. The other driver was at fault, Allstate accepted liability, and our truck was totaled.
I was diagnosed with a concussion without loss of consciousness and had headaches, brain fog, blurred vision, difficulty concentrating, neck/upper back pain, and lower back pain with intermittent tingling into my left hip, leg and foot.
I treated for about two months and had cervical and lumbar MRIs. The lumbar MRI showed an L5-S1 annular tear and 5-6 mm disc herniation contacting the S1 nerve root. I stopped treatment because I felt I had plateaued and wasn’t getting much benefit from continuing the same treatment at every visit.
I’ve improved significantly and my pain is not severe, but I’m not back to how I was before the accident.
The doctor gave me a 12% whole-person permanent impairment rating under the AMA Guides and documented possible future treatment for 5-10 years.
My medical bills are $15k I also have just over $2k in lost wages.
Allstate has my records and is supposed to make an offer within the next few days. I asked about the at-fault driver’s limits, but the adjuster said he needs permission from her to disclose them. I also have $25k UM/UIM through Allstate.
I’ve made online inquiries with a few attorneys but am really torn about giving up 1/3 of the settlement when liability is already accepted. I haven’t actually spoken to an attorney yet.
For anyone with a similar L5-S1 injury, how did you do long term? And for those familiar with BI claims, how significant is a 12% whole-person impairment rating in a case like this? Would you see what Allstate offers and try negotiating first, or is this the point where having an attorney is worth the 1/3 fee?

(23f)What do I do? I just crashed my car into a railing I’m in the er , my car kept making skid sounds when I’d turn the corner, not sure if that’s normal it’s 2024 Toyota Camry , my mum has a 25 Toyota Camry and says her car does the same but tonight was driving and turned the corner and the car lost control and went straight into metal railings on the side of the road . The way car looks I’m lucky to be alive as it’s completely fucked at the front and I’ve broke my nose , think I’ve sprained my wrist and legs r all banged up, other than that I’m ok but what can I do? I’m still paying off the car and the insurance cancelled on me about a week ago so at this moment when I need it most, I have no insurance and a debt of a car I’m now paying for but can’t fix or drive , what can I do? I don’t make a lot of money and this was my first ever car I’m so lost and honestly heartbroken that this has happened yet it’s my own fault for not getting the tires checked knowing it makes a horrible sound