Bad Day
 

Today i was rear ended in my 300sd ,
the other person hit me at about 45 miles an hour and both cars are totaled, and i feel now that im going to loose alot of money on that car as it has a rebuilt motor and transmission, and was in great shape. everytrhing was in great shape, and i mean everything
how do the insurance places determin value of a car. i would be very up set if i recived the price edumunds just quoted me as the value on that car, i know i could not replace such a car for under $5000,
i know this is a rant but it was just a very bad day

Buy the car back for cheap, and either sell the rebuilt motor/trans, or put them into a good car with a bad driveline...


Or let them know everything, bring recietes and stuff... Dont take the first offer...


~Nate

How's your neck? Go to the Dr. Get what you can out of them for pain and suffering, maybe it will help you with what you lose on the car.

Chris

and i mean its totaled, the trunk is stuck closed, and the rear passerger doors are stuck shut from the bending of the frame, i think im still in shock

Buy the car back from the insurance company, or maybe just keep it, and part it out, or find another car with a good body and swap everything in

I feel bad for you having a nice mercedes and then all of a sudden it is ruined. Try to look on the positive side though. Where would you be now if you had been in some cheap American or rice burner econo box instead of a Mercedes. You might be ruined:eek: . You can always replace the car! Get another 300SD and keep the old one for a parts car. Parts cars are great to have around!

Do not take the first offer. Provide the receipts for the prior work, and then, I would also offer to take the car for scrap. This way, you have the drive train and other parts.

Now, just find another car for the transplant.

Really sorry to hear about your accident, but cars are replaceable. Make sure that you are OK.. :scholar:

As mentioned before, keep and show them all your receipts of what you've put into it and note to them that it was recent work, before you take an offer they give you, this will increase what they offer, then buy the car back for the value of the scrap metal, usually only about $300 or so, and either hold it for parts for a replacement car, or part it out and make something additional back.

Sorry to hear about your being rear-ended, hope your 100% OK. Like other posts show all receipts, however if you did the work yourself, the insurance co won't care.

You can allways demand a car in comparable shape, when the insurance company gets tired of looking, because this car needs this and that car needs that to be of "comparable shape" is when they'll give you a little more money. Also when you visit the insurance adjuster, wear one of those neck braces, you don't have to say your neck is bad.

Also GO TO A DOCTOR immediately, even if you don't feel bad, or the need to, and record time off from work.

And finally remember that insurance companies are NOT in the business of giving out free money, and as such will NEVER offer you top dollar on the first go round. If you get a rental (which you should) remember the rental is replacing a MErcedes because you are terrified of driving small cars,,, smallcarphobia.

Good luck.

I would agree with that last point. The rental you will be getting is replacing a safe Mercedes, not a Kia or econobox. This same thing happened when my wife and kids were rear ended in her Suburban. The accident pushed her up 1 full car length (she was at a red light stopped). The rear ender was taken away in an ambulance and the car totaled on the spot. While my wife was sore, she and the kids walked away and I was able to drive to the repair shop. The insurance company offered me an econobox. I refused and rented another Suburban. It wasn't cheap and unfortunately I had to cover it with my own money while my ins co and attorney pursued it with the rear ender's ins co. However, the Suburban is what saved my family's life. No reason to compromise just because it is out of service and getting fixed. You can't argue with physics.

The Benz did it's job. Rent and buy another one and use the damaged one for parts. Just keep everything in perspective.

I'm glad you are ok.

.....Dan

Once you get an offer from the insurance company you can hire an appraiser to give you an appraised value of your car based upon its condition prior to the accident. If you have photos and can substantiate the claims that it had rebuilt engine and tranny with receipts that helps a lot. Use the appraisal to negotiate with the insurance company.

On the bright side, in a rear end accident it is always the other driver who is charged with being at fault so your insurance company will collect from them anything they pay you and you probably won't suffer any rate increases from making a claim (assuming you have collision coverage, that is).

If your company is too lazy to collect from the other guy's insurance or if you don't have collision you can sue the guy who hit you and collect from them directly too. Just because you have insurance doesn't mean the other guy is off the hook for the damage done.

When my car was hit in a clearly "not at fault" condition (I was parked at the time) I refused to contact my own insurance company and pursued the claim from the guy who hit me directly. This really isn't an option for you as the other guy will probably claim you stopped too fast or did something to contribute to the fault of the accident, but in a rear ender he is at fault, period.

i was amazed , at first ,
the other car looked like it hit a wall, really, the hood and windshild were mangled and the car looked bad, but my bens looked ok,
, after the offercers told me i could leave. when i returned home i tried to upen the tunk and it was stuck and the passenger doors were jamed and there was a few ripples in the metal on the roof,
compared to the other car the benz did great, but the frame did get bent:(

Hire a personal injury lawyer, go to a doctor. Play your cards right and you could have another one, better than the one you had before. Most importantly go see a doctor to be sure your spine is A-OK. Do not mess around with the spine.
I used to be against litigation on principle until I got hit by a cab driver whilst riding my bicycle home after work one evening about 6 months ago. SOB was going 40, crossed the center line to pass me on the left just as I was signaling to make a left turn. I was 100 ft. from my doorstep. Broke 2 bones in my wrist, my elbow now makes crunchy noises. Yeah, you bet I hired a lawyer. I went out and found the most vicious litigator I could find.

I would think you would get alot more then what edmunds quoted you on the value of the car. I think edmunds needs to re-due its values on these cars. My 240D what hit on the drivers side. Not bad but someone backed into me. Infact u can barley notice anything without the right light. However i believe it was state farm who came out thier. He asked if i had the damage apraised, and i said i sure did. the insurance guy gave me about $80 more than what the shop quoted me to fixed all the dings/dents. which was $1880 if i remeber right. He didnt evenmention the word totaled. so i'd think u'd at least get double that if not triple for your car

Must've been a higher hit (slightly above the bumper). That's what usually happens (the rippling and the passenger doors being locked in place). Its the bottom part of the frame that is made out of ultra high strength steel. If you're going to get hit, the lower the better.

My father was at an actual full force 70 mph hit in a 300SE. The vehicle was a VW Fox on Rt 128 just outside of Boston. The impact slightly angled towards the passenger side of the bumper. The trunk was pushed inwards, the bumper crushed in and curled up, the crush zone in the passenger side C-Pillar absorbed most of the impact, but all four doors opened and shut like new.
Even the gas tank lid could be opened, closed,....AND EVEN LOCKED!:D