Hey everyone,

How? Not paying attention, or turning his head while backing up. I have noticed that he only uses his mirrors and has backed completely out of the shopping center multiple times rather than simply driving forward and circling the building. He backed out of his space and into my space and broke my rear passenger light and scraped up my rear bumper on the right side. He is older, about 75 I would guess.

More annoyed than anything, because it was so unnecessary. To add insult to injury all the body shops I tried to stop past today are still on this gotta make an appointment kick that started in 2020 from covid. They should be back to normal by now, but that is another story for another day. No point in posting pics, because the scrapes do not show up well on camera on my black car like they do when viewing in person. That and you all know what a cracked tali light looks like. I wont be driving the car anymore unless going to get the estimate and then dropping it off for repairs. The light still works, but just a matter of time before rain gets in the crack and shorts it out. That and it is embarrassing to have those scrapes.

Anyway, he knows it's his fault and told me he did it right away, but it still sucks. He doesn't seem to get the sense of urgency with getting my car repaired, or how this affects me. I don't hear any hustle in his voice, or see any get up and go in the air. It's more of we will take care of it, not let's take care of this right now, so I am just going to let the insurance handle it. I would have just let him write me a check for any estimate total and kept our insurance out of it, so his rates wouldn't go up, but since he has not came over to speak with me yet, although he sees my truck parked outside (we work beside each other) and he was with a patient when I went over to speak with him last Saturday I just said screw it. Gonna go ahead and order a replacement rear light today, and try to call and schedule some estimates for ASAP.

The funny thing is that over the last 5 years each time one of my cars have been in an accident it has always been someone hitting my car and not me hitting them. Different cities, states, times of day and never my fault. Talking on the phone, improper u-turn, lack of awareness, or just plain bad driving...I was supposed to drive my truck that day, but didn't have gas in it and didn't have time to stop and get some, so I jumped in the SL. if it would have been my truck that was hit and I would not even have missed a step about it. Funny how things work sometimes..

More venting than anything else here guys......

 

In my experience, go through your own insurance and let them subrogate it.

 

I agree.

They never expect a MB or any car from Europe to cost as much as it ends up costing in repairs. The only reason I considered letting this doctor write a check is because there are no dents and at his back out speed there would be no under bumper damage.

5:41pm and he still has not walked over to speak with me, so they next time I see him walk past I will have to intercept him.

 

Bummer, I hate parking lots. ☹️
More damage happens to cars in parking lots than anywhere else….

Of course it’s the passenger side. Someone else posted here and was trying to locate a passenger side tail light a few months ago.
Turns out it was discontinued (maybe a COVID thing) ☹️

 

Dude, I backed into a boulder with my ML on Thanksgiving. I've had it 3 weeks and it was perfect, key word "was". S[tuff] happens. I would have your insurance adjuster look at it, then make arrangements for the best-reviewed, most expensive body shop fix it. Who cares what it costs? That's why you have insurance!

I once had a tenant drive their car into the exterior wall of the house. I tried to go through their insurance, Gieko; why should I have to make a homeowner's claim? Their estimate was so cheap I made my claim and let my insurance company (Arbella) chase Geiko. There's a reason why "cheaper" is not a consideration for me when I'm buying insurance!

 

Annoying? Yep?
Easy to fix? YEP!
Don't stress

 

Sorry to hear about the misfortune. My car seems to have a bullseye on it while driving on the highway. So many times I have had people not seeing me and almost chasing lanes in to me. Happened 3x just today. Have to keep my head on a swivel and finger on the horn at all times.

 

Crazy days on these roads. Crazy days.
On a positive note, my insurance sent me the repair payment electronically this evening, so now I just gotta find the light and have the body work completed.

Stay tuned.

 

To the OP: I would seek a “diminished value” payment, over and above the actual repair costs. When one goes to sell a car, the first question any knowledgeable buyer asks, is “has it ever been in in an accident or had any paint work done?” You should be good for $3K to $5K over repair costs. Your car is a “special interest” car and insurance companies are very aware of diminished value claims, but will never pay them unless they are demanded. Best of luck to you.

 

I have heard of such claims in the past, but whenever I have attempted to be paid via one I was always told it was only if the car that was damaged had frame damage. Never tried again after multiple companies and different accidents had the same results. I wish I could get that......

 

As a lifelong Marylander, diminished value claims are laughed at and the state doesn't care one bit...from experience. It must be on the insurance coverage and offered by the insurer. I have State Farm and they don't offer it for MD nor would they chase the other insurer for it who at the time might have conceded. Only had I sold the car and proved the loss after the accident MAY I have had a claim. Md is similar to a third world corrupt country due to the closeness to the feds being down the road. It takes DECADES to make change and only just recently did the two mafioso Michael Miller and Micheal Busch (literally had a hand in everything and their families connected to all handouts of value for thirty years) who ran the senate and the house for the longest periods of any state in US history, literally, finally die off, only to leave it to racist caucuses of which the leaders keep being jailed. MD will not protect the people so the companies will not either. We are considered to be a democratic state but rank just about the worst in progression...right above Alabama....and there's a reason Baltimore is a murder capital of the world;/

The certified mercedes repair shop I use is booked three months out. Its been hard for repairs due to lack of labor and parts waits. Its increasingly disappointing to hear that all trades are effected by the continuing labor issue, including my own. Repair shops also generally have different schedules for non drivable vs cosmetic repairs with non drivable booking first priority.

What part of MD are you in? Theres a few certified mercedes shops and they are easily WAY more expensive then say a caliber collision due to following the mercedes procedures which are a lot more work than simple. Id guess 2x or more.

For the tailight, go the the closest mercedes dealership and see what they say. My dealership had to order the last known existing piece of carbon for my car and they said if it were out of stock that Mercedes in Germany talks to their vendors and gets them to make the part. Federal law says they must make parts for ten years so not sure what year you are. Other countries may be different. When recently searching for an NLA part, I searched the entire world for it. I recommend this to anyone in a "no longer available" part situation. Now, very unfortunately, insurance can use aftermarket and used parts and get away with it now due to changes in laws, which sparked some great conversations with an ignorant adjuster I recently had. I had to remind them that I didn't have a non stock part and they must make me exactly whole and everytime they repeated their line, I repeated mine which also includes how I will waste more of their time than the item is worth if thats what they want to do...I won this time.

One last remark on parts is that because used cars are older than ever and the pandemic increased the purchases of older cars, the once scarce parts are all becoming NLA.

I know this was long winded but its to say that whatever check was written is way too small, and demand they make you 100% whole but I do not think diminished value is on the table imho.

Good luck and sorry this happened. By convertible season you should be good to go. Theres no reason not to drive her whenever you can now.

 

My wife, in her 2016 E350 was behind a stopped pickup in a parking lot. All of a sudden, he throws it into reverse and backs into her. The hood & fender needed to be repaired and headlight replaced. We got them to rent us a new E350 for the three weeks repairs took and got a $3,700.00 loss of value payment. It was a business owned pickup which probably helped, but it really has a lot to do with how you word the demand letter.

 

I agree with so much you have said. I lived in Maryland the majority of my life and knew about, or have witnessed many of the issues you have mentioned.

I am in HARCO. I have several estimates scheduled this week for the body work. As for the light, I spoke with MB yesterday and the light is available and if they sell out they will get in in two days. They say they get them in with ease. The light is over $500. A shame it costs that much.

As for the insurance, not sure how I would get them to provide more than what they said. My experience has always been they give you what they want and you just take it.

I appreciate the feedback!!

 

$3700 in addition to the repair cost? I'd say it also has a lot to do with who your insurance company is, and I'll bet yours is not State Farm or Geico. Insurance is a lot like automobiles: you get what you pay for.

 

They will supplement the claim when the actual repair is done as every shop will have different costs that only they can justify with the insurer. Take it to a cheap place with a cheaper estimate than the insurance, you win (unlikely). Take it to the most expensive place and they will owe more (likely). You must complete the work in that instance and the shop gets that payment. I will warn though that no mercedes authorized repair centers are in network for insurers so the warranties to the work would lie with the body shop vs the insurer. Any great shop can do this work imo so just find one that you like and go with that.

My side story in diminished value, State Farm and MD is that I T-boned a car in my b5 s4 in 2009. It was the others drivers fault 100% (again md law is contributory with each side so im being specific). In no way was I at fault. The 9500 dollar estimate on the car I paid 14k for turned into a 20k repair. It should have been totaled. I did not use their rental. My insurance represented me. No lawyers, no complaining.its an accident. Car died due to the accident, or lack of replacing one 18 dollar part (timing belt that they removed and reinstalled while replacing all the parts around it) and needed a new engine, or be sold because now that car was only worth 2500 dollars and not in the repair warranty, the most important part they never explained to me properly back then. It did not help that Audi at the same time had a timing belt amendment to their schedule and warranty. Diminished claim was denied because although at the time certain states had laws on the books and the other parties insurance covered diminished claims, State Farm would not represent the position because MD. State Farm would in other states at that time. As a younger guy I could not afford a lawyer and had to put my money into a new car so I could get to work 40 miles away. Bought a CPO bimmer which was the worst manufacturer you could ever hope to deal with. Two mercedes and some land cruiser later and now know never to buy a bimmer and spend every insurance penny I can. I also learned that if im in an accident and the repair seems like it will approach the value of the car and the coolant is leaking, I might just be so inclined to leave the engine running till the engine dies to ensure the total.

Sorry I don't know anyone in Harco. IF you have radar or parktronic, just make sure they know how to deal with that stuff.

 

Got ya.

I do have parktronic. Thanks for the info!

 

I wonder how this would have been different if it was a plumber, or an electrician?

 

I never informed my insurance company of this accident. The other driver never disputed his responsibility and we just ran everything through his business insurance. I took the car to the body shop that does all the work for the MB dealer. I got the insurance company to rent us a new E Class sedan for my wife to drive while repairs were being done, which took about three weeks. I made the case that she should not have to drive some econobox and that she knows & is comfortable driving an MB. After the repairs were finished, I then hit them up for the diminished value claim. I told them that we had special ordered the car, how loaded it was, Exclusive Nappa, etc., how perfect we kept it and how we had intended to keep it for a long time. I think I asked for $7,500.00, but settled for $3,700.00. We sold the car shortly thereafter.

 

then I'm guessing his insurance company wasn't State Farm or Geico....

 

You know, thinking back on this, I never dealt with his insurance company. His business manager dealt with them. I dealt with the business that owned the truck, which was a decent size gardening supply company. Still, I believe that it is so important how one presents their case. I did everything by email, so there was a record of everything said.

 

funny how memory works (or doesn't)! reminds me of once trying to get the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to pay for tire and wheel damage from a pothole. They told me that they were exempt from claims and i said "since when? i've made several successful claims over the years!" even after I provided proof they wouldn't budge. I do remember that of all the tire/wheel claims I pursued the easiest was one where the municipality simply referred me to the contractor that was repaving their roads. the guy I spoke to there said simply "send me the bill and I'll cut you a check." generally easier to deal with a successful commercial entity, I'd say, and I stand by my original point: State Farm and Geico (and other "cheap" insurance companies) are highly unlikely to pay generously.

 

You are never going to believe this….

Someone else backed into my car while parked today!

It’s like people literally cannot back up properly. Stop using your mirrors only and re-learn how to turn your freaking head around and look. This guy in a rental car was across the street at a park and backed all the way into my car way across the street. Scrapes and a small dent. Now mind you I have had to work on my bumper within the last year from this threads original fender bender.

Different city, different time of day, different age of the other cars driver, but the same results. My car was literally parked away from everyone. I am not a happy guy tonight.

 

Aw, man! I feel for you. I guess when we drive these things, we are always at the mercy of any number of clumsy drivers out there. Have a stiff one tonight and get her to the shop tomorrow. Best of luck to you!

 

It’s cool, just annoying. Already filed the claim and gave my insurance the guys info yesterday.

On a side note so many kids were failing parallel parking on the drivers test here in Maryland that they actually removed it from the test. Can you believe that? Rather than make the driving schools, or parents spend more time teaching the rookies how to do it they just removed the requirement. Just another reason many can’t drive well. They didn’t have to learn all the basics. Yeah my car can parallel park on it's own (ha ha, just low key bragging lol), but parallel parking was literally nothing to learn back when I was a kid. It is and always has been so freaking easy. Anyway, just ranting here. The guy wasn’t even parallel parking when he backed into my car, but clearly there are many people that aren’t good at basic driving. Thanks for the well wishes.

Updates to come.

 

Meanwhile I wish someone would back into mine! I need my hood repainted and have multiple bumper scrapes. When I was 14 and my father taught me to drive (in a 1971 Toyota Land Cruiser with manual transmission) he made me drive in reverse for 3 days before letting me go forward!