Dear Friends,

I will ask the question before I go into details. Is anyone familiar with dimunition of value?

My sister owns 2002 CLK 320 convertable which she purchased new for 67K (special order)!! Well, last month she stopped at a orange-near red traffic light, but the vehicle in front of her (Big Greyhound bus!) overshot the intersection and then decided to back up. As he was backing up, he did not realize that my sister was behind her in her CLK with nowhere to go. To make a long story short, the bus crushed the front end of her car while she had her horn blaring.

GLI is the insurance company Greyhound uses. They paid for the whole front end to be replaced (Hood, Grill, Bumper and 1 headlight). Even though they did a perfect job with paint and allignment of the new parts, the first dealership we took the car to for an appraisal, they detected that all the bolts on the hood and radiator panel had been "turned." One dealer offered her almost 10k below retail and the other offered her about 8k below wholesale saying that Mercedes couldn't certify the car and that they would have to auction it.

Now, I know that the car has depreciated since she drove it off the lot and racked up 18k miles, but surely she should not be responsible for the depreciation resulting from a negligent bus driver. The Police report clearly indicates that the accident was purely the bus driver's fault and that she couldn't have done anything under the circumstances to avoid it.

GLI is offering her only $1500.00 in dimunition of value. Does she have any recourse short of getting an attorney? Does anyone have connections with in GLI since I spoke with the agent and he was extremely rude to myself and her.

Thanks for reading and any advice!

Waj

Waj,

Check a thread in the hot rods forum on a guy with a C43 that he just purchased, picked up from a dealer and got crushed from behind at an intersection practically within sight of the dealership. Owned the car for literally minutes. Anyway, he is actively pursuing, or was, some additional payment for the same logic. He is a little further along and might have something to add in way of experience. Good luck, Jim

__________________
Own:
1986 Euro 190E 2.3-16 (291,000 miles),
1998 E300D TurboDiesel, 231,000 miles -purchased with 45,000,
1988 300E 5-speed 252,000 miles,
1983 240D 4-speed, purchased w/136,000, now with 222,000 miles.
2009 ML320CDI Bluetec, 89,000 miles

Owned:
1971 220D (250,000 miles plus, sold to father-in-law),
1975 240D (245,000 miles - died of body rot),
1991 350SD (176,560 miles, weakest Benz I have owned),
1999 C230 Sport (45,400 miles),
1982 240D (321,000 miles, put to sleep)

Waj,

Here is the thread:


www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?threadid=40816


If that doesn't work it is on the second page of the hot rod forum, called "C43--Disaster"

Good luck, Jim

__________________
Own:
1986 Euro 190E 2.3-16 (291,000 miles),
1998 E300D TurboDiesel, 231,000 miles -purchased with 45,000,
1988 300E 5-speed 252,000 miles,
1983 240D 4-speed, purchased w/136,000, now with 222,000 miles.
2009 ML320CDI Bluetec, 89,000 miles

Owned:
1971 220D (250,000 miles plus, sold to father-in-law),
1975 240D (245,000 miles - died of body rot),
1991 350SD (176,560 miles, weakest Benz I have owned),
1999 C230 Sport (45,400 miles),
1982 240D (321,000 miles, put to sleep)