shinebin

Hello, I crashed into a light pole coming back home from UCI to Chino Hills. The owner of the vehicle only has liability on the car. I work for her boyfriend (not as an employee) I get paid 700 dollars a month, live in the house they provide, and was lent the car to attend school. In a parking lot collision for the first accident. I ended up paying a little under 4000 dollars to replace the left headlight and some other parts and labor? I know nothing about cars. Recently I crashed into a light pole. I paid 450 dollars for towing and 2 days of storage fees. The body shop is asking 24,000 for repairs, parts, and labor. Please help... I don't know what is the best way to resolve this situation.

Dkinsley

Damn, sorry for your luck..... Maybe you should start taking the bus?

Stripler

ManiacGT

If indeed this is true, then you should seek legal advice and not the (likely conflicting) advice of a forum of people.

Mr Enigma

Giving you the benefit of the doubt that this is real... How fast were you going to cause so much damage? In a parking lot too?

jolt8631

OP - really not sure what you are asking folks?

I agree with others that the damage is substantial for, what should have been, a low speed prang.

Fact is, if you were driving, then you are liable.

Engital

I would call all the scrap yards for the parts, that would be your best savings and look things up on utube as to how to install them.

Cmersu

You must have driven about 50-60 to get such a damage. It is not worth to repair the car, because no one knows how the engine took the impact.

floridadriver

Looks beyond a duct tape fix man. I think you're on the hook to repair, even it if requires 2nd or 3rd job to pay it off. That said, lesson learned on NOT to skimp on insurance. Could have been worse if owner (or you) didn't have proper insurance and you injured a person.

Mr Enigma

floridadriver, he has liability insurance so that would cover damage to other vehicles and people.

Agree completely on insurance though. As much as they are hated by loads of people, when things like this happen the premiums really do seem minimal!

mikbar2

That ain't no fender bender. Sympathy you got, cash, time to go to work instead of school. Hope your classes include one in drivers ed.

floridadriver

I understood that, but sounds like this owner, as a majority of people, are underinsured and only insure the minimum required. My thought is that this guy is only out 20 something thousand bucks. He injured somebody, both he AND the car owner may be each out a few hundred thousand.

I hate paying for adequate insurance too, which is never near the minimum required...but it's all fun and games 'til something happens.

kellens

Take it from a guy who had his wages garnished for years from a simple rear end collision when I was a teenager, and I had $100,000/$300,000 coverage. In the attorney run USA, you need the maximum insurance, $1 million coverage doesn't cost much more than $100k in coverage in the premiums, for me it was under $50/year difference and sadly is really a must have.

I'd recommend folks check their insurance and price out the maximum coverages.

If you can't afford the full insurance, you probably can't afford the car (or boat, or house, or plane, or...) Exception would be you're rich enough to pay off the lawsuit for death or injury of a family of 4, their car, and yours, and not sweat it.

To the OP, glad you and all other people safe in this one. Lucky.

StanNH

Two major accidents on a borrowed car ... and no collision insurance on a brand new $50,000 Mercedes? I don't know if I can even comment on this. My thoughts are distracted driving or DUI, but I have no idea what the circumstances were, so I'll say nothing.

Whatever happens, the first thing I'd suggest before getting into another car would be driving lessons. Maybe the people whose car you destroyed will help pay for them.

bluefang08

Why would you have liability on a car that nice? Either-way I would seek legal advice.

madmax

Exactly. This sounds bogus. OP please come back and elaborate if you haven't 'left the building.'

mikbar2

To just have liability the car would also have to be loan free.

CO2010

That would be a great spare set of wheels and tires!

INS1GNIA

I suggest to stop driving, take the bus. . Glad you are ok though and hope everything gets worked out.

NYC-Style

I was thinking the same thing...there is no way a bank would grant a loan if the car didn't have complete coverage...something fishy is going on!!

nycphotography

Not for nothing, but the insurance industry won't even let him take out an insurance policy for a vehicle he does not own.

It seems there are two life lessons here, one for the driver and one for the owner.

1) don't lend out something that is not adequately insured or that you can't afford to lose.

2) don't borrow something you can't afford to replace.

PeterUbers

I have a $3 mill umbrella insurance that is dirt cheap from a reputable company... Can't believe more people dont have this

CO2010

I wonder if my own coverage will increase due to these recent W205 wrecks.

rustycruiser

Car is a w204 based on the pics

CO2010

Phewww! I read an article where insurance companies would assess thefts, collisions in certain geographical locations and base their rates on these statistics. If they see a high percentage in collisions involving the W205 they consider it higher risk. Therefore, jack up your rate.