PaulE550

Something is wrong with this story. It just doesn't sound right. If I'm reading this right, the OP had two separate accidents that now total over $28,000? Who would allow this guy to borrow their car after he caused $4,000 in damage the first time? Especially a high priced car with only liability coverage. Seriously! Time for OP to cut up his drivers license and buy a bus pass.

Second, the OP had to hit the light pole doing at least 50 mph do tear the car up like that. Is the OP trying to say this was something other than reckless driving on his part? I mean he hit a stationary light pole.

Finally, he's asking us "How to resolve the situation". Unfortunately, he was driving the car. The fact that the owner only had liability insurance doesn't shift the responsibility for repairs to her. I'm sure the owner's argument will be, if it ever goes the court route, that she expected the vehicle would be operated in a responsible manner. What's OP defense going to be? That the light pole jumped out in front of him?

If the story is true, he needs to get himself a lawyer, because I doubt the owner is just going absorb the cost herself. Beyond that, I don't know what he thinks any of us are going to suggest.

PaulE550

Damn right! Best thing anyone can get for the price.

bwoodbmw

c'mon is this real? If so good luck with a tough situation. Not sure why somebody who you work for's girlfriend would lend you an underinsured car... because you can't afford to fix it she will be the one ultimately learning the tough lesson here. You would have to work for free for them for 3 years to pay this debt.

BenzC400

SCAM

whippet007

shinebin

The first parking lot accident, a grandma turned right at a stop sign and the corner hit the Mercedes. The small repair shop charged me almost 8,000 but I brought a quote from next door and they lowered it to 3,800 something. The 91 to 71 highway area, my glasses were smudged from oil on my skin a little bit as my eyes were watering and I was tired. They were stinging and I couldn't keep them open, I think sunblock may have stung my eyes? I hit the light pole in the dirt area. Sorry if I posted on the wrong section. It just says blue efficiency or fuel efficiency. I don't know anything about cars. It just says c250, amg on the wheels, and red and black seats. That's all I know. The car has a navigation system and under 50,000 miles. I believe she paid for the car in cash. She asked for my driver license and said she was going to put me on the policy. She never told me I wasn't on the policy. The first accident I paid for with a credit card. I only got two 700 dollar paychecks while I was living in the house they provided since November? I don't get a pay stub or anything, they just hand me checks. Some months I don't get checks, because I missed a video or two from the usual quota. The previous month I didn't get a paycheck because I owe his girlfriend a lot of money for the Mercedes. I understand that I am in a financial mess. I bought a car off craigslist to finish the semester by using my credit card to pull out cash and also some financial aid money. That car also has problems and I bought a car with too many problems that was over priced. The same body shop charged me 520 dollars to fix the egr vacuum, modulator, egr solenoid. They asked for 1500 for 2 catalytic converters. (I didn't fix this) They asked 800 to 900 for replacing two tires, 4 brakes, tie rods, rotors (I didn't fix this) I didn't know anything about cars so I brought the car to that shop before I bought it and they told me it sounds great, looks fine, ran some tests and told me to buy it. I bought it and I have so much to fix on that car. This week is my final exam period. After that I really don't need a car, since I work from home. I just may need a car, bike, or bus to a Sushi restaurant 10 miles away to work a second job. I know it was my mistake for even driving tired and when my eyes were watering up. I got my license in 2009 and have had no accidents up until now. I don't believe I am a good driver. I get tired driving all the time. I have a hard time seeing in general, especially at night or when the sun is bright. You are probably right, I should take the bus. I just can't take the bus from Chino Hills to Fullerton at the moment. I tried looking it up. I hope to answer any questions everyone may have. I sincerely hope anyone can give me any advice as well. I can't afford a lawyer, but if you can point me in the right direction? All I was billed for currently was a 350 fire truck fee from the city of corona and 450 dollars for the towing fee. The officer said I was free to go home. I got car insurance on the used car I currently drive. Oh and after the first parking lot collision, and I found out that I didn't have insurance. I asked her to be put on the insurance and I said I would pay the difference for full coverage. She was very upset from the first accident. She wanted to pay everything in cash. They really don't talk much about the car at all. They don't even mention it unless I ask them about it. They always just say we'll think about it later. If I can't work 2 or 3 jobs and pay them back over time efficiently. I will have to go back to Korea and work hard over there and continue to work for them without pay until they are satisfied. Is it better to fix the car, sell the car for parts, or pay back the cost of the vehicle over time? How much is the car worth?

shinebin

From the parking lot collision. The grandma's insurance paid 50% of the repair costs of the Mercedes, but because I fixed the car right away and didn't take enough pictures. They ended up sending a check for 600 or 700 something with another check for around 70 dollars for loss of wages or something of the sort.

The car was lent to me to go to school. I couldn't afford a car and they only pay me 700 so they lent me the car to attend school. I believe she paid for the car with cash and only drove it when she was attending USC for her second masters. Now she lives with her boyfriend and drives his Porsche and he drives another Mercedes car that looks like a hummer.

jolt8631

QUOTE=shinebin:
"From the parking lot collision. The grandma's insurance paid 50% of the repair costs of the Mercedes, but because I fixed the car right away and didn't take enough pictures. They ended up sending a check for 600 or 700 something with another check for around 70 dollars for loss of wages or something of the sort."


The way things operate in the US must be VERY different to the UK then.... Over here, no Insurance Company would part with a single penny, without their own Loss Adjusters verifying the damage and repairs.

Sorry - nothing about any of this tale rings true, to me. It's almost as if someone thinks there will be a huge Social Media campaign to raise funds....?

shinebin

For the parking lot collision? The owner of the Mercedes never wanted to use insurance in the first place and wanted me to pay for the Mercedes and the Grandmas car. I didn't know what to do on the spot because I wasn't involved in an accident before and I called the insurance company. I needed to drive to school so I fixed the Mercedes right away with a credit card. Insufficient pictures resulted in the amount I mentioned before. I'm not understanding what tale doesn't ring true? The parking lot collision or the light pole collision? I just want to know if the Mercedes can be fixed and if so, what would be the best way going about fixing the car? The car navigation, radio, windows work. The front part of the car is damaged. I think the body shop where the car is at right now charges high prices for everything.

Mr Enigma

Two very good points.

I personally would not be satisfied by a repair job on a car that has so much damage.

ManiacGT

Sadly the bit you damaged, is the most complex and expensive bit of the car. Its impossible to tell fully what is damaged without looking at the car in person and your only option is to have a number of garages quote for the work. There is likely not only bumper damage (clearly), but chassis and engine/transmission damage also, its quite bad looking at the pictures as I can see chassis rail damage plus it looks like the engine and transmission have been shoved backwards meaning there could be damage underneath and to most transmission components also. It will be expensive to remedy correctly as an awful lot of the car will have to come apart, the chassis checked and straightened (if possible) before all damaged parts are identified and replaced. its why at the start of the thread I said get legal advice as there may be other ways to resolve this that only people in person can help with. In the UK I'd expect the insurance company to write-off a car with this level of damage as it would cross their threshold of repair vs replace costs.

jolt8631

The answer to that one is simple - shop around. Describe the damage, with your photos to other shops and get a ball-park cost (they will not quote, without seeing the car, but will give you an idea of replacing the obvious parts - fenders, grille, bonnet etc).

Choose one and then get the car picked up, IF there is sufficient margin (by the time you have factored in the existing shop's costs and charges).

Unnimon

You can correctly name all these parts and it is weird that you don't know the details about the car you drive. More so, when you have crashed it.

If this is what you have told the repair guys as well, then I am sure they will try and make some quick bucks out of this repair. So get a second or third or even fourth opinion before they start working on the car. Else your repair cost will keep increasing once they start working.

ddeliber

I did a quick search for 2012 C250 coupes and it looks like they can be bought in the low $20k range.

http://www.cars.com/for-sale/searchr...mdId&pgId=2102

Bottom line, even if the repair quote is high, there is no point in trying to fix that car as it is probably worth less than $24k. No insurance company would ever fix it, and if it was fixed it will probably never be right. IMO your best option is to sell the remains (probably just a couple $k) and work something out with the owner for the difference. If they agreed to put you on their insurance but never did, then there is at least something to work with.

PaulE550

Just from looking at the pictures, I wouldn't be surprised if the repair shop ended up having to charge you much more than the $24,000 once they start taking things apart and noticing much more damage to the frame, engine, transmission, etc. of the car. You crashed an expensive luxury car doing probably 50 mph, if not more. That caused extensive damage to the vehicle. Not all of it visible at this point. The parts and labor to fix it, if it's even worth fixing at this point, will be very expensive. If an insurance company was handling this, they would most likely consider the vehicle totaled. Unfortunately, you are solely liable for the repair costs, so aside from shopping around to try and save a few bucks, you're still looking at a major repair bill. Don't expect to find another repair shop that's going to charge you a fraction of this estimate. That's just wishful thinking.

PaulE550

True. He should only have to pay up to the replacement price of a comparable vehicle, which in this case would be about the price of the repair quote.

Mr Enigma

Insurance companies consider the car a total loss when it is a certain % of a replacement vehicle. If I recall correctly it's approximately 75%. If the replacement car is $24k and repair costs are (a conservative) $20k then this is easily a write off.

PaulE550

True. If we were dealing with an insurance company, this would be considered a totaled vehicle just from looking at the pictures. However, OP borrowed this car from someone who only had liability coverage on the vehicle. Not sure how that works in California, as here in New Jersey you can't drive a vehicle so under-insured. In any event, no insurance company involvement in the repair of this vehicle. So OP is on the hook for the total repair costs up to the comparable value (blue book or similar vehicle sales value) of the vehicle. That appears to be right around the $24K bill he's looking at. One hell of an expensive lesson for him.

voip1

The reason people are questioning your story is that the number of frankly idiotic things you've done are kind of hard to fathom.

The best advice you've been given in this thread, by far, is to get an attorney who has experience with this kind of situation and get legal advice on how to proceed before you spend another penny.

You are living with someone who is paying you cash "under the table" (which is illegal btw), they give you a $25,000 car to drive but only put liability insurance on it, then when an accident happens (which is what insurance is for) they insist you can't use the insurance to get the car repaired.

After the 1st accident you should have run like hell from that entire situation.

But, instead, you then take the car, crash it into a light pole and want everyone here to "tell you what to do". Have you even talked to your family about this?

Bottom line is that this entire thing sounds shady. Your best bet is to get a lawyer, because finding a new place to live and possibly putting school on hold for a semester is a hell of a lot less to deal with than being a broke college kid who is going to try to repair or replace a $25,000 vehicle.

miketc

Unless you and the couples come to reasonable agreement, I would not have a problem with you walking away and leave them for not follow thru with adding full coverage after the first accident. I don't think you're liable for the full repair/replacement since you have asked them a number of times to add full coverage.

Yes, please do not drive for our safety.

kellens

That's true. They're not expensive, neither is higher limits on car insurance. Most people buy beyond their means. They'll buy the nicer car and skimp on insurance. Or they'll buy the command instead of paying for a better policy or umbrella.

And most think the tragedy won't happen to them. It's a gamble. And odds are, it won't happen, but if it does, it's a devastating event for simple mistake or being at the wrong place at wrong time. I lost a big chunk of my salary for years, and nobody was significantly injured. $24k is a dirt cheap lesson comparatively.

I'd reccoemd everyone double check their policy and consider the umbrella. And no, I don't sell insurance.

shinebin

Thank you all for the responses. After the 1st accident I insisted for full coverage with my name on the policy and I said I would pay the amount from my paycheck of 700 dollars. I wasn't looking for much when I came to America. I use credit cards for purchases, pay minimum payments. And my main purchases and spending is on books, tuition, gas, food and bill payments, my father's insurance and my father's storage fees, on my credit card.

I think they pay me as an independent contractor but I don't know how that works... I didn't sign any work contracts. I tried to file for taxes but it said I had no verifiable income since 2007? I have not really worked a lot before, just briefly during the semester at a nearby bookstore, etc. They didn't want me to use insurance for the 1st accident because they did not want it on their record. They wanted to handle it with cash regardless of whose fault it was. For legal advice what kind of lawyer would I need to consult? I don't have a lot of cash, but I do have a credit card. I have talked to my family about this and they suggested I come back to Korea, and continue to send them monthly payments for the vehicle. I really want to finish a bachelor's degree before returning to Korea. It is hard to get a decent paying job without a degree from the US or the UK. The minimum wage is about 4 dollars in Korea. Yes it is finals week and I'm working about 80 hours a week. I picked up a second job at a sushi restaurant last week and I'm in training. Thank you all for the responses.

shinebin

I have insurance on the problematic lemon car I bought from craigslist. It is called California low cast insurance? It costs 281 dollars a year with liability, medical, and uninsured motorist coverage. They said if I wanted full coverage I could purchase that separately through the insurance agent, but I'm driving a 2000 mitsubishi galant that I spent 2200 on, has almost 300k miles, a cracked windshield that doesn't leak so far, and the car shakes at 60 miles an hour, white smoke comes out when I turn on the A/C, heater doesn't work, no radio, I can hear the wind when I drive. I didn't know how much used vehicles cost, and I needed a car as soon as possible so I could continue going to school. So I have not purchased full coverage and I'm trying to drive when it is not so bright from the sun outside, and when I am not tired or sleepy.

shinebin

Yes, I am trying to come to a reasonable agreement, but she just keeps pushing it away and says she will think about it later. They don't really talk to me a lot after the accident besides work related matters. Her boyfriend recently said he might have another job for me. I told them after finals this week, I'll do whatever it takes 2 or 3 jobs, and do more video production, translations, subtitles, and recordings or interviews for them.

Yes, I am trying my best only to drive for food, doctor appointment, and school when there isn't too much glare from the sun, or too dark outside. If I lived within biking distance of the school, I would have purchased a bike...

voip1

Your employer is required to file a W2 for you, even if you are an independent contractor. If that did not happen then they are paying you "under the table" (not legally). This does happen frequently for low paying jobs but it doesn't make it any more legal. The fact that you weren't able to file for taxes means they did not file a W2 on your behalf.

I can't make specific recommendations on the type of lawyer to get, but others here probably can.

The concern now is that your "employer" using this accident to hold over you with the threat of trying to have something done to your visa status if you don't do what they want you to do.

This would be why it's a good idea to talk to a lawyer.