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Days After Fender Bender, E420 Sport Gets Totalled

2K views 21 replies 6 participants last post by  Deplore 
#1 · (Edited)
This week has been a week from hell. Apart from work stress and long hours, my '97 E420 has met an unfortunate end. Monday started off rough, got in a fender bender in the morning. A kid playing with his phone rear ended me in his GMC Yukon. He had no license but at least had the car insured.

Today (Saturday) I was to drop the car off to get repaired (estimate was 1,440 to replace the rear bumper cover and remove a dent near the rear right light).

I sat in my car and thought....hmmm, I'm thirsty. Let me run in and get a bottle of water for the road. Shut the car off and ran into the house. I have construction going on in my driveway so I was parked at the bottom of the driveway just to the right of my contractor's huge GMC work truck. As SOON as I turn the doorknob to go outside, I hear what sounds like a bomb explosion.

2 dummies in a green old-school F-150 went off the road, went on a slight embankment before my driveway - went slightly airborne (according to a witness who said he was flying in that old clunker) and smashed right into my car - spinning it 360 degrees, the impact caused it to be pushed against my contractor's truck - damaging that truck significantly in the front.

The results are here to see......The car is obliterated. DONE. Just after I flushed the trans and replaced secondary air injection system and other minor issues (can I use this when i file a claim?)

Really upset. But had I been in that car I'd be hurting bad...couldve been worse, I guess. Now dealing with insurance and what will hopefully not be an uphill, unfair battle. Car had 226k miles but WAS in good condition


See attached pics and the link to the video of the scene. Apologies for all the profanities, I was upset.


 

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#8 ·
Assuming this car will be a "total loss" which I assume it will be, just looking at the severe damage incurred - the insurance company will give me the option to buy the car back...if i can get it back for 300 bucks or something then it's worth taking the MONOS....I loved those wheels. One of them had very minor rash but they were otherwise good. Not sure if one got bent or not, if not then worth looking into. Decent ones sell for 800 bucks on ebay
 
#3 ·
I'm sorry if this sounds being mean spirited, but this is hilarious. That's some spectacularly bad luck right there.

Who got injured?

Can only salvage 3 mono blocks though.

Doubt insurance will pay for the money you put :in it, unless you arrange it beforehand, which is silly.

Which car do you have your eyes on?
 
#9 ·
I'm sorry if this sounds being mean spirited, but this is hilarious. That's some spectacularly bad luck right there.

Who got injured?
the 2 occupants of the truck....they had a neckbrace put on. The driver was slurring his words and I could smell beer on his breath when I asked if he was okay, and wtf was he thinking going so fast on a 35 mph residential area where kids are biking on the streets

the police report confirms he was drinking and there were empty cans in the truck.


Which car do you have your eyes on?
having gone from a w123 300D to an E420 - i wont settle for ny non-V8 benz. W210 E55 or W208 CLK55 would be ideal.....otherwise an E430 (hope i can find a sport version) - non 4matic
 
#4 ·
1st things first.

Get paid for the damage from the 1st accident. Put that in the bank. Your repair guy doesn't have to be paid direct by the other guy's insurance, it can go to you, even if you don't get the damage repaired.

The payment is for the damage, for the loss, not for the repair. It's your choice to repair or not.

Then, get to work on the insurance company to get max dollars for your totaled car. Build your case, get some comps if you can find them. Get the guy who works on your car to write a description of the condition prior to the accident.

If the insurance company balks, and they probably will, you'll need to see how hard YOUR insurer will work to get you a better deal. Talk to your agent.

This stuff, despite what the insurers say, are not cast in stone. If they really bust your chops, there are lawyers who specialize in this, who could probably get you more with a phone call.

Sorry about your car, fortunate you had gotten out before the numb nuts hit you.

D
 
#6 · (Edited)
just looking at the mangled remnants of the car - there's no way it didnt sustain serious frame damage. It's trashed. With the mileage it had (226k well kept miles) and the condition it was in (near immaculate, other than the drivers seat which had the usual wear) I'd say my car was worth $3,000-$3,500.....its was the rare Sportline version (only 1500 of them made)

And yes - a decision to get a bottle of water saved me serious injury. I was literally stepping out the door when I heard the CRASH, saw smoke and debris and fluid all over the road


p.s. the driver was taken to the hospital.....he'll be handcuffed to the bed. He had been drinking. It's all in the Police Report
 
#5 ·
They must have actually been flying to do that damage. Jeez. Being thirsty saved you from some pain. Ouch.

Having all receipts for recent work should help your case. My youngest son t-boned another car when both were travelling at extremely low speeds but managed to total my E430 Sport. As I had recent receipts for repairs to the car (I bought it as salvage after being written off for being keyed). In my case I came out ahead a couple grand, which compensates for the labor I put into it but, I am still sore at losing such a clean well maintained car.

Fight the good fight. There are some very nice W210 cars coming on the market lately. Wishing you come out on top of your situation.
 
#10 · (Edited)
If I am not mistaken the V6 -350's offer more HP than older V8 -430's
And 6 plugs v/s 16.
Just avoid the balance shaft issues.
Than even I like power, I am not a power freak and 6-seconds 35 mpg Bluetec does it for me.
Unless insurance quotes you extra for monoblocks, before you will have the car towed - you can legally put any cheap wheels on it.
 
#13 ·
the car's been towed off...im still paying off student debt from grad school; cant afford a newer Bluetec E class. I'd love to have one.

My budget is about 5.5-6 grand at the moment, not a lot I know. Whatever I get from insurance is what I get, i'll put another 3-4 grand out of pocket
 
#11 ·
I still can't stop laughing over this. Please don't think I'm being mean, but still. Time to buy a lottery ticket? One good luck should cancel out two bad lucks? :p

Whatever happened to that giant contractor GMC truck? It looked like it didn't take any damage beside the turn signal and scraped bumper.

E55 sounds nice, you should cast a wide net. I'd search nationwide and drive the car back home if I were you.

Kajtek did, and he has a hell of a car.
 
#14 · (Edited)
indicator broke off, fiberglass damage to the body, bumper bent into the tire of the truck so it'll have to be pulled a chain and something with power...not driveable till the bumper is bent back a bit

and no, i dont think you're being mean. It is what it is.

The drivers seat was diagnol, entire center console moved. Glad I wasnt sitting there, that's all I can say. I was seconds away from sitting there. Craziest thing is - i was in my car to drive to the body shop (to fix the first accident damage)...then i was getting thirsty

already started car searching...found a high mileage w208 CLK55 in good condition for a reasonable price....also saw a W140 S600 coupe, looks nice. Only 1 W210 E55 within 200 miles of where I am, he wants 8 grand for it but it's ridiculously clean, low miles for its age

sigh.
 
#17 ·
There's a 2002 CLK55 with 190k miles on it for only $2800 on Craigslist. Is that "suspiciously low" ?? ?May check the car out tomorrow after work!
 
#18 · (Edited)
That's clearly at the low end of the price spectrum, but it's also at the high miles end as well.

Anytime you question the price, a search of cars.com will give you the answer.

$9,900 highest 2002 CLK55 with 66K miles.
$3,750 lowest 2002 with 106,000 miles.

both are cabriolets, so adjust down a little for a coupe.

D
 
#21 ·
. Of course, they'll be Florida cars, so that would def make them buyer beware.

D[/QUOTE]

I'm looking for a rust free benz and was considering southern states. What's up with Florida?
 
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