diff --git a/src/claim-request-management/claim-request-management.service.ts b/src/claim-request-management/claim-request-management.service.ts
index 601aee7..453782a 100644
--- a/src/claim-request-management/claim-request-management.service.ts
+++ b/src/claim-request-management/claim-request-management.service.ts
@@ -8643,31 +8643,10 @@ export class ClaimRequestManagementService {
 
           if (allDocumentsUploaded) {
             if (options?.v3InPersonFlow) {
-              // V4 split flow: mark the claim as waiting for the FileReviewer.
-              // The FileReviewer calls accident-fields then select-outer-parts, at
-              // which point advanceV3ClaimToOuterPartsIfReady() moves the claim to
-              // SELECTING_OUTER_PARTS / SELECT_OUTER_PARTS.
-              $set["status"] = ClaimCaseStatus.WAITING_FOR_FILE_REVIEWER;
-              $set["workflow.nextStep"] = ClaimWorkflowStep.SELECT_OUTER_PARTS;
-
-              completedStepsEntries.push(
-                ClaimWorkflowStep.UPLOAD_REQUIRED_DOCUMENTS,
-              );
-              historyEntries.push({
-                type: "STEP_COMPLETED",
-                actor: {
-                  actorId: new Types.ObjectId(currentUserId),
-                  actorName: claimCase.owner?.fullName || "User",
-                  actorType: "user",
-                },
-                timestamp: new Date(),
-                metadata: {
-                  stepKey: ClaimWorkflowStep.UPLOAD_REQUIRED_DOCUMENTS,
-                  description:
-                    "FileMaker documents complete. File sealed — awaiting FileReviewer.",
-                  v3InPersonFlow: true,
-                },
-              });
+              // V4/V5 split flow: the status transition to WAITING_FOR_FILE_REVIEWER is
+              // deferred to a post-write re-check (see below) to eliminate the race
+              // condition where two concurrent uploads each see a stale snapshot and
+              // neither fires the transition. We skip adding it to $set here.
             } else {
               $set["status"] = ClaimCaseStatus.WAITING_FOR_DAMAGE_EXPERT;
               $set["claimStatus"] = ClaimStatus.PENDING;
@@ -8734,6 +8713,77 @@ export class ClaimRequestManagementService {
         updatePayload,
       );
 
+      // ─── V4/V5 in-person flow: post-write race-safe status transition ──────
+      // After the write we re-read the actual DB state. If all pre-capture
+      // documents are now present but the status has not yet advanced (i.e. a
+      // concurrent request uploaded the last doc a split-second before us and
+      // the stale snapshot we read earlier missed it — or vice-versa), we apply
+      // WAITING_FOR_FILE_REVIEWER atomically using findOneAndUpdate with a status
+      // condition, so exactly one writer wins regardless of concurrency.
+      if (options?.v3InPersonFlow && !isResendUpload && !isCapturePhaseDocUpload) {
+        const afterWrite = await this.claimCaseDbService.findById(claimRequestId);
+        if (afterWrite) {
+          const blameForRecheck = afterWrite.blameRequestId
+            ? await this.blameRequestDbService.findById(
+                afterWrite.blameRequestId.toString(),
+              )
+            : null;
+          const isCarBodyRecheck = blameForRecheck?.type === BlameRequestType.CAR_BODY;
+          const allDoneNow =
+            afterWrite.status === ClaimCaseStatus.UPLOADING_REQUIRED_DOCUMENTS &&
+            afterWrite.workflow?.currentStep === ClaimWorkflowStep.UPLOAD_REQUIRED_DOCUMENTS &&
+            this.allV3PreCaptureDocumentsComplete(afterWrite, isCarBodyRecheck);
+
+          if (allDoneNow) {
+            // Atomic conditional update: only succeeds when status is still
+            // UPLOADING_REQUIRED_DOCUMENTS, preventing double-application.
+            const advanced = await this.claimCaseDbService.findOneAndUpdate(
+              {
+                _id: afterWrite._id,
+                status: ClaimCaseStatus.UPLOADING_REQUIRED_DOCUMENTS,
+              },
+              {
+                $set: {
+                  status: ClaimCaseStatus.WAITING_FOR_FILE_REVIEWER,
+                  "workflow.nextStep": ClaimWorkflowStep.SELECT_OUTER_PARTS,
+                },
+                $push: {
+                  "workflow.completedSteps": ClaimWorkflowStep.UPLOAD_REQUIRED_DOCUMENTS,
+                  history: {
+                    type: "STEP_COMPLETED",
+                    actor: {
+                      actorId: new Types.ObjectId(currentUserId),
+                      actorName: afterWrite.owner?.fullName || "User",
+                      actorType: "user",
+                    },
+                    timestamp: new Date(),
+                    metadata: {
+                      stepKey: ClaimWorkflowStep.UPLOAD_REQUIRED_DOCUMENTS,
+                      description:
+                        "FileMaker documents complete. File sealed — awaiting FileReviewer.",
+                      v3InPersonFlow: true,
+                    },
+                  },
+                },
+              },
+            );
+            if (advanced) {
+              // This request won the race — reflect the final state in the response.
+              allDocumentsUploaded = true;
+            }
+          } else if (
+            afterWrite.status === ClaimCaseStatus.WAITING_FOR_FILE_REVIEWER ||
+            (afterWrite.workflow?.completedSteps ?? []).includes(
+              ClaimWorkflowStep.UPLOAD_REQUIRED_DOCUMENTS,
+            )
+          ) {
+            // Another concurrent request already advanced the status — treat
+            // this upload as the completing upload for response purposes.
+            allDocumentsUploaded = true;
+          }
+        }
+      }
+
       // Auto-submit Fanavaran attachments when all documents are uploaded
       if (allDocumentsUploaded && !isResendUpload && !options?.v3InPersonFlow) {
         this.submitFanavaranAttachmentsV2(claimRequestId, resolveFanavaranClientKey()).catch(
diff --git a/src/request-management/file-maker-blame-v4.controller.ts b/src/request-management/file-maker-blame-v4.controller.ts
index d1bb5eb..856881d 100644
--- a/src/request-management/file-maker-blame-v4.controller.ts
+++ b/src/request-management/file-maker-blame-v4.controller.ts
@@ -87,7 +87,9 @@ export class FileMakerBlameV4Controller {
   ) {
     return this.requestManagementService.createExpertInitiatedBlameV2(
       fileMaker,
-      { ...dto, creationMethod: CreationMethod.IN_PERSON },
+      // requiresFileMakerApproval is V5-only; explicitly exclude it from V4 so
+      // a client that accidentally sends the field cannot poison the blame record.
+      { ...dto, creationMethod: CreationMethod.IN_PERSON, requiresFileMakerApproval: false },
     );
   }