thanks againn guyss, really appreciate the support.. well, we dont know whats going on. the insurance companies are going to talk it over with theirs, but i hope they can work something out. hopefully they will let me get the same model or a vehicle with the same cost or something, i want to be back on this forum lol. but lets see what happens, i dont want to talk big. but a ferrari would sound nice loll

 

Question then, as ive never had a car totaled, and so dont know the fine print of insurance, if the car is a total write off, is the amount they give you, the price of your car ORIGINALLY, or current market? IE mine was ~46k new, currently its 30(ish). will they give you the 46?

 

I had a car totaled in 1978 and they paid out the current blue book value which was almost nothing. My only serious accident I was hit by a DUI who was driving at 11 PM with no lights, on the wrong side of the street and doing 70 in a 30.

 

Depends on your policy. If you have "agreed value" coverage, the policy is based on a fixed amount not subject to depreciation. Of course, that affects the premium. Most policies provide the current market value. For anyone interested, Chubb offers agreed value coverage.

 

you beat me too it. his accident yesterday does not in any way affect any future accidents. Its just like gambling. If you roll a 5 once, your chances of rolling a 5 are the same as the first roll even though most people believe that your chances are slimmer the second time

 

Looking at the prices 2008s are selling for now, I'll bet the first offer will be if the low 20s. On the other hand, if your state law requires that they "make you whole again" as does my state (back where you were before the crash) then perhaps you can force them to find a duplicate car someplace. Which by the way must be subject to a rigorous buyer's inspection from a qualified shop.

Don't rush into anything.

 

damn so what are you doing next? will you get another w204 or moving on to something else
?

 

Dude glad you are okay! That accident looked pretty nuts.

Regarding insurance, specifically if your car is still on loan: We all know that the insurance company will give fair market value for the car, but without
"gap" insurance (the difference between the insurance company's payout and the loan amount) you'd be on the hook for the difference between your loan and the insurance amount:

I owe 30,000 on the loan
Car gets totaled, insurance pays fair market, $25,000
You're on hook for the $5k difference, which is the "gap"
If you have gap insurance you're good, otherwise the 5k comes out of your pocket.

Of course the longer you own the car, the less of the worry as there comes a point in every new car loan where the car is worth more than the sum of the loan remaining.

 

Well, that will cheer him up no end.

I hadn't considered that the car wouldn't be paid off by now and if it's leased that may change everything.

 

Take care man`````sorry to hear that tho..

 

Let's talk insurance for a moment

First, if it was absolutely, positively not your fault then you should go see an attorney now - not next week, not next month, but now.

Do not make any statements to the insurance company

Go see a doctor. My son developed a back problem directly related to the accident a few months after he was rear-ended. At the time he was only a bit sore.

The amount offered by the insurance will be low. This is negotiable - and part of the reason you need to see a lawyer. At the very least, you should be reimbursed all your costs including a rental car until settlement and the appropriate value for your car. In short, you should be left in the same position as before the incident.

Go to a MB dealer and price an equivalent car. Equivalent means same year, same (or very similar) options and similar mileage. If your car was a CPO then figure that in as well. If you owe money, your target is either the replacement value of the car or what you owe - whichever is higher.

Be very careful about discussing mods. Any performance mods may give the impression of "boy racer" and may question your story.

If it is their fault, then the coverage on your policy (ie no rental, limits etc) are immaterial) as your policy isn't paying. VA law requires the at fault insurance to pay for (for example) rental cars for the duration of a repair with a few exceptions (mostly age related.)

Remember, your goal isn't to "make out like a bandit" but to be where you were before the accident - an attorney can help with that and assure that all future medical costs will be covered. I know you are probably young and invincible but back problems can stay with you forever.

As an aside - most any modern car (with the exception of the Brilliance) would have taken that hit without issues. The safety differences between modern cars is minimal these days.

Everybody loves videos. Here is the crash test video for the Brilliance

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzoRdDssL1w

vs MB C300

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwSHdRdBs94

vs Camry

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJGZRPFVV5U

 

Incorrect. That is only the case if it was his fault. If the other driver is at fault then their insurance pays the replacement value for a like car (similar options, year and miles) or the pay-off - whichever is less - assuming that he didn't roll over a upside down loan into this loan.

 

Lots of good advice here. One additional thought, although this is also correct that most modern cars offer a high level of safety (of course, allowing for differences in mass). Manufacturers design to the regulatory standards they face. Whether the dummies are belted or unbelted, yielding or non-yielding barrier, offset or full frontal impact, the vehicles are made to perform well in exactly those conditions. The place where some vehicles may distinguish themselves is 1) to what degree they exceed the regulatory requirements, and 2) how they perform in the chaos of real world unforeseeable events. There is a saying among engineers who design structures when challenged to design better and safer cars..."Show me the crash and I'll design you the car."

So, if you know any future impact will be limited to full frontal barriers at 35 mph or less, or head-on vehicles of lower mass, the disparity in outcomes has been greatly reduced. On the other hand, given the unpredictability in what really can happen out there, some manufacturers still go further than others, and MB is one of those (and we pay for it!).

In the OP's case, the car did handle the situation very well. The economics of repair and vehicle age may result in a total loss, but the car structure held up. Note that the wheelbase does not seem shortened and the a-pillars appear intact. We cannot see inside, but I would guess that the floorpan intrusion into the passenger area is nil. It looks ugly, but this was a completely survivable accident and congrats to the OP for doing so...and to MB for designing it thusly.