Drunk yahu.....rear ended my prized 92 190e, and initial estimate totals things out. The car is drivable and still handles surpurb, but concerned about the life of my 4wheeled road pal.

I need advice in what happens in these situations. I'm fully covered and so is the person who rear ended me. As i understand, my insurance company requested to do their own estimate. If my insurance company issues a check for the value of the car, do I get to keep the car? Or are they purchasing the car and recooping from the drunk yahu's insurance or personal assets? I would like to keep the car, as long as it is safe and things way in my favor. The car has 154k and has never had a problem.

Best part is, it drives like a dream....please offer suggestions. I'm partially in mourning, but keep trying to tell myself...it's only a car

Hi Spacemann,

from what I recall when my motorcycle was totalled in 1989, there will be a deduction of the amount you get if you keep the car. If your insurance pays you, they will try to collect from the rear ender, assuming he is at fault. He might say you drove backwards, you never know. But if he was drunk, I assume you have a police report and his insurance will have to pay.

I don't know whether your model has value as a parts car above what the insurance co. might deduct. You would have to research that in your area. Somebody on this board might know more,too.

It is my experience, however, that you always loose in a situation like that as you are not getting enough money for what you thought your car was worth, particularly if you maintained it well.

But then again, look at the bright side, you get to shop for new wheels...

Best of luck and be glad that you are ok. I am surprized you have no whip lash. When my Renauld was rearended in the '70s, I felt ok too initially, but had a mighty pain in the neck the next morning...It lasted a few days.

Reinhard Kreutzer

Let me tell you about my experience. I was involved in the same type of accident in my 87 300 SDL. My family and I chose to keep the car, and boy was it a long two years before we got the car back on the road in the original working condition. Living in a small town didn't help, their isn't a single decent Mercedes mechanic. I had to bring the car to Atlanta.

The insurance company gave us the value for the car after we fought with them. We then bought the car back from the insurance company and were issued a slavaged title. We then took it to a body shop of our choice. My advice take it to a reputable body shop. Check their past work out if possible. Another thing you don't want to do is wait too long on getting started on the work. The longer the car sits around the more damage that will be caused, especially to the rubber components. After the body shop is done. The DMV will have to come out and inspect the vehicle. If it passes their inspection then you will be issued a clean title.

Considering that your car is a 190E which is not a rare car or very difficult to locate, I would let it go. This is my advice, the end choice is yours.

Having been in this situation quite a few times I would be very carefull in fixing the car. Especially when hit in the rear.

Since I do not know what the damage is or what the car is worth I will say the following.

This only works out when the difference in damage to price is still very close. Because they will only give you the value of the car - not cost to fix -- and you still must buy the car from them!

Say you have a car that is in great shape and it gets hit in the front -- worth 4k and the fix is around the same -- often with this amount of work in the front you are not working on the structure of the car -- new bumpers/ condensor/ rad/ fans/ lights -- ends up with little body work and the car is improved with some new parts. Even better if you can get them off a wreck - or fix it yourself.

In a rear hit you quickly get into structure - and it is usually not worth it.

Normally you end up paying more than you figured it would cost and you spend lots of time -- money and time better spent on finding a new used one.

I have seen this work out when a body shops will buy a late model heavy rear hit from an insurance co -- on the cheap. They will then find the more common major late model front hit and splice the two together. This works out $$ wise.

Sorry to hear your tale of woe.

If your 190E was prized that it implies you looked after it and spent $$ on it. Be on your guard with your insurance company as they will now try and rear end you too!

Start preparing your case now, with collecting you paper and photographic evidence of the 190's near perfect ( nay, enhanced)condition prior to the accident. Argue like hell for top dollar!

Then take the money and run.

__________________
NormanB
230 TE (W124) 1989 with 153,000 miles on the clock - hoping for at least another 100K