Someone HIT my car in a parking lot!!! - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Ashman · #1 08-15-2002, 08:28 PM

I was out playing golf today, and someone who was running late for their game, nailed my car in the back left corner, and just continued to drive forward until he was in the parking spot. He then went inside, registered for his game, and came out, then MOVED his car to the other end of the parking lot. Thinking no one saw him he went off to his game, but 3 people saw him do it, so as I came off the 18th tee, and went to my car and loaded it up, the course manager came out to tell me my car had been hit. I hadn't even noticed it yet as I hadn't gotten to that side of the car yet. he showed me the vehicle that hit me, and he had a report already written out.

As the person who hit me, did not leave a note or anything, and tried to sneakily get out of it by moving his car, I of course called the police to report the accident as a hit and run. When the police showed, they requested the golf course find the owner of the car.

The owner came and tried to deny it at first, before he was told by the officer that there were witnesses and if he still wanted to deny it, they would file a report for hit and run, he would get a misdemeanor, and they would be impounding the vehicle. He quickly admitted it and gave his information to the officer for me.

The damage is not huge, but the corner below the taillight is pressed in, and it is scraped on the back at that same level almost up to the wheel. the impact strip and bumper is also scraped.

So no report was filed, but I was given all the guys info and insurance info. This is going to be an interesting event that I will have to deal with, but believe me My car will get nicely repaired, because I wont settle for anything less than a proper repair and proper paint match if it can be matched. If it can't, looks like I'll be getting a whole paint job.

I have pictures of his car showing my black paint on his bumper and I have pictures of my car too.

I had a great morning playing golf, and disappointing news when I was done, apart form the score I got on the course...

The owner was lectured by the cop about what he did, and about him not even leaving a note on my car.

So thats my story.

Alon

#2 08-15-2002, 09:37 PM

sorry to hear about your car. Some people are just idiots. I saw a similar thing at school this moring a girl backed up nailed someones car and tried to prettend nobody saw her. The car she hit moved a good 2 inchs and screwed up the bumper.

#3 08-15-2002, 11:48 PM

Sorry about your car, Alon.

You're luckier than I. In January I went to the gym to work out. Upon returning to my car (which I had carefully parked so that it was about three feet from the car next to it with a dumpster on the other side) I discovered that the entire driver side door had been hit and caved in!! The idiot figured that since there was so much room beside his car and mine that he wouldn't need to back out of his space first then turn the wheel. So he just cranked the wheel and turned right into my door. I guess he didn't feel like I would care about the damage as he failed to leave a note and no on saw the damage occurr. Result-- body work on that side of the car (excellent work done), but out of pocket cost of $250 for me. I've never parked in that "prime" spot again.

Hey, at least now you may have a great excuse for getting a new paint job for the whole car.

Ashman · #4 08-16-2002, 12:40 AM

Well the paint is a custom mix, of black with blue metallic flakes. This cannot be matched properly I fear, so a Whole paintjob may be in order. either way, its not going to be easy or cheap.

What I am Very concerned with is the location of the main hit, right below the tailight , on the corner, which as we all know is a very tough fix. one option is pretty much cut out that section of the car and weld in a new piece, and we are talking a piece probably from the door to the roof to the tail for the best repair, or cutting off that corner and welding in a new one. Pulling it as much as it can be and bondoing it is the other type. bondo always cracks sooner or later, and the paint doesn't look as good, you can almost always tell when a car has been bondoed.

His moving his car to another spot on the other side of the parking lot, and then trying to play dumb like he didn't know anything and that he was parked way over there away from my car, to me is wrong. If I hit someones car, I leave a note with my information. Thats always the first thing I do in any accident. He only admitted to it when the officer told him we had witnesses, and when he told the guy he would get a misdemeanor and his car would be impounded. There was no actual police report, but I have his insurance info on one of those little accident report sheets the police have, filled out by the officer.

I'll keep you all posted.

Alon

#5 08-16-2002, 12:48 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Ashman
Well the paint is a custom mix, of black with blue metallic flakes. This cannot be matched properly I fear, so a Whole paintjob may be in order. either way, its not going to be easy or cheap.

I had my bodywork done by a reputable shop in the DC area. The first thing they had to do was to get Progressive back out there to look at the car since they low-balled the estimate by about $400. The paint is Pearl Black whick is also metallic. They did a great job matching the color, but the only problem is that one can see that there's physically more paint on that side of the car than the other parts. I did have it professionally detailed afterward on the other parts to minimize the difference which helped a lot.

Since it was a hit and run, by law in MD, I only had to pay half the $500 deductible which helped the pain a bit. Hope all turns out okay.

jjrodger · #6 08-16-2002, 02:50 AM

More importantly, I trust this nefarious individual will be expelled from the golf club?

On the same note, some total ***** has deliberately opened their door hard against my father's 996. There is a four inch vertical crease in the passenger door, not the kind of thing that happens by accident. For people who have worked to get nice things, envy is a big problem here in the UK.

jcd · #7 08-16-2002, 07:35 AM

Glad the witnesses stepped up to the plate.

The guy that hit and ran should be horsewhipped and forced to park his car in a tight parking spot at a grocery store and take multiple beatings.

JCD

placo1 · #8 08-16-2002, 11:21 AM

Man I feel for you.

I would have gone through the roof if someone hit my car and then tried to play it off. I give you a lot of credit for not strangling the guy on the spot. People like that deserve to get screwed, I hope the officer was good enough to mention on the police slip that the driver tried to get out of it.

Good luck with the repairs. As far as the right rear corner, I would find out if you could pull it out and metal sand it before welding a new piece in there. Forget bondo.

MUYAMAN · #9 08-16-2002, 11:40 AM

What a piece of $hit guy your little hit-and-runner is. After all the beautiful work that you have put into that car too......

A couple of days ago I saw a guy in a 2002 E430 backing out of a parking spot, when a random SUV came flying around a corner and smacked the hell out of him. The benz ended up with an indented crease straight down the middle of his trunk.

Incidentally, what kind of car was this $hitheel driving?

G-Benz · #10 08-16-2002, 12:02 PM

What a $hi#head!!!

At least you had witnesses and the information you needed to take care of this!

I read so many threads of people coming out and discovering the "surprise" afterwards!

Good luck, and enjoy your new paint job!

I'm sure you are going to use the same shop your dad used on his SL600?

suginami · #11 08-16-2002, 12:36 PM

I'm very sorry about your car, man.

You sure have had bad luck with your car recently.

As far as damage, can you post a picture of the damage and maybe some of us can offer up some advice?

Zeus · #12 08-16-2002, 01:26 PM

That sucks Ashman! What a wanker. I'm glad you nailed him though. Given the circumstances and with the witnesses you have, you should have plenty of ammo to squeeze a really nice insurance settlement out of this...good luck!

Ashman · #13 08-16-2002, 01:42 PM

I'm getting the film developed later today, I didn't have my digicam on hand, so I used my disposable always in the glove box in case of an accident camera.

I am also going to get some estimates this afternoon, and will be contacting his insurance company on monday to demand payment for the repairs.

I will also argue to them that I refuse to be forced to drive my car with damage on it and that I expect to have car car being worked on within a few days of my reporting it to them. I will also be demanding a mercedes rental car, as if it was not for their insured's hitting my car, I would still be driving my mercedes, so why should I be forced to drive anything but what I drive.

We shall see how it goes, I'm going to be tough with them and firm, and I wont budge on my demands for satisfactory repair and compensation and or rental car.

If they really want to argue with me on it, I'll just have my attorney sue the owner as well.

Alon

The Warden · #14 08-16-2002, 11:03 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Ashman
I'm getting the film developed later today, I didn't have my digicam on hand, so I used my disposable always in the glove box in case of an accident camera.

I like that idea. I'll have to give it a shot. I'm fortunate that I've only been in one accident (wasn't my fault, but I didn't call the cops out and the insurance types decided to total the other car and blame me...and my insurance didn't put up a fight; I'm still mad at them), but, with how people drive around here (Alon, I'm sure you can relate; S.F. traffic is as bad as L.A. traffic), I'm sure it'll happen again...

1994s500 · #15 07-13-2003, 02:27 AM

Ashman or anyone else, I really need to get my wheels fixed. I live in the Los Angeles county area. I have Brabus Monoblock III 2pc. wheels which has some dents and scrapes on the lip and also the finish have deteriorated. I hope you could refer a place to me. thank you.