Rear Ended....

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Flash

MB Enthusiast
Joined
Aug 18, 2003
Messages
4,949
Location
UK
Car
Mercs
Unfortunately, I got rear ended earlier today in the W203 – looks like a bit of cosmetic damage which would mean a respray job on the rear bumper. Not sure if there is any damage behind the bumper until the vehicle goes to the body shop. The local Stealer was down the road so I quickly popped in for an estimate through via insurance company route – Stealer was not very helpful and said I may not be guaranteed to get my entire bumper resprayed and started to go on about betterment repairs which does not even apply to my vehicle as it is all immaculate anyway. As I have legal cover I am going down the route where all my costs will be recovered without me having pay any excess or have a claim logged on my policy – my question is am I within my rights to make the third party insurers pay to respray the whole bumper as I want a complete colour match? My legal cover team have even given me the go ahead to drop the car off at a local decent MB approved body shop that is on their books and they will also provide me with a like for like hire car and claim all costs bck.

I have got all the insurance details of the third party and my insurer has confirmed that all details given to me are valid and I have taken a couple of pics of the accident without the vehicles being moved on my phone.

I can’t see a half decent body shop wanting to do a smart repair a sit would just not look right unless the whole bumper is resprayed?

The third party did knock my car quite hard.
 
Good luck with your repairs mate, I know you take care of your fleet and it's a shame when someone else damages it however it happens.
 
Thanks Shude.

I am gutted but at end of the day it could have been worse I guess.
 
Good news: Authorisation has been given to body shop by to fully respray the bumper plus repair any further damage that may have been caused behind the bumper. They will check that PTS is all fine and resolve issue with auto boot release as a result of the knock.

I also get a like for like hire car.

The Stealer was a waste of time and did not even bother to do me a quote.
 
Hope all is well mate.

Sorry to hear about the accident, glad that it's getting sorted out properly though.
 
Unfortunately, I got rear ended earlier today in the W203 – looks like a bit of cosmetic damage which would mean a respray job on the rear bumper. Not sure if there is any damage behind the bumper until the vehicle goes to the body shop. The local Stealer was down the road so I quickly popped in for an estimate through via insurance company route – Stealer was not very helpful and said I may not be guaranteed to get my entire bumper resprayed and started to go on about betterment repairs which does not even apply to my vehicle as it is all immaculate anyway. As I have legal cover I am going down the route where all my costs will be recovered without me having pay any excess or have a claim logged on my policy – my question is am I within my rights to make the third party insurers pay to respray the whole bumper as I want a complete colour match? My legal cover team have even given me the go ahead to drop the car off at a local decent MB approved body shop that is on their books and they will also provide me with a like for like hire car and claim all costs bck.

I have got all the insurance details of the third party and my insurer has confirmed that all details given to me are valid and I have taken a couple of pics of the accident without the vehicles being moved on my phone.

I can’t see a half decent body shop wanting to do a smart repair a sit would just not look right unless the whole bumper is resprayed?

The third party did knock my car quite hard.

Sorry to hear about the accident but unfortunately whether you claim through your own insurers or through the third party, a claim will still be logged regardless...
 
When my girlfriend got hit whilst driving my car, she discussed it with the woman that hit her and they both agreed the damage was not sufficient to make a claim. She phoned my insurance to tell them what had happened and that no claim would be submitted just in case the woman decided to change her mind. I now have a claim on my insurance for absolutely nothing!!! Ridiculous!!
 
I appreciate what you guys have said - yes there will of course be a log of the incident on my insurance and yes it will have to be declared for next 3 years etc. They say as it is a non fault incident it wont affect my renewal BUT we all know that will not be the case and I am pretty sure my premium regardless will be slightly bumped up next year as I will no doubt be classed as higher risk.

Last night I was again in agony with neck and lower back pain shooting down to my legs.
 
Hope all is well mate.

Sorry to hear about the accident, glad that it's getting sorted out properly though.

I am really glad too and hopefully it will be a decent first class repair - I am using the same body shop that did rectification work previously for me from my last smash from another MB approved body shop.
 
Update: My inusrers have just delivered me a brand spanking new Jag XF as a courtesy car.

I am droping my W203 off at body shop later on today.
 
Car is still in the body shop.

However, this fully loaded Jag XF has started to really grow on me now and is a very impressive car....:eek:
 
However, this fully loaded Jag XF has started to really grow on me now and is a very impressive car....:eek:
Sounds like concussion or something rather than whiplash! ;) Don't worry, you'll be back in your own car in no time and I assure you it will be a pleasure to get back into the driving seat when compared to any other car.

Hope it's sorted soon!
 
Don't want to be a " doom merchant" but suggest that you get your neck/back checked as a matter of urgency if you have not done so already.

I got rear ended some years ago on M4 whilst stationary in traffic queue and the result was whiplash, followed by keyhole surgery in right shoulder, plus claim against other driver for associated costs etc.

Hope that you recover soonest but record of doctors / consultants check may prove important later.
 
Hi,
Just before you get it repaired/resprayed etc....do this one check!.....

open boot, look inside to the back of the spare wheel hole (if you have one) or lift all the carpet etc back and look down and back towards the rear bumper....make sure it is all straight on the back panel, please remove all plastics etc to check this as damage is not always obvious and they tend to crumple underneath and behind interior coverings without noticing.
 
I was all excited today to go and collect her but upon inspection there are a couple of nasty scratches on the near side rear quarter panel whilst the vehicle has been in the body shop's custody. They are confident that they will polish out but as a last resort they will respray the panel. Lets see what happens....

On a positive note though they have done a decent paint job on the rear bumper.

The paint on my W203 has been sealed by a professional valeter - if the paint has been sealed will the scratches still polish out? Last time I had scratches polished out on sealed paint work by the same body shop the scratches were only temporally masked and reappeared after a short while...?
 
I don't see a Jag as being "like for like". 3rd party insurers may baulk at that one. Hope not.
 
Certainly a generous hire car...hopefully the price was all agreed with the other side first. I assume that since the current work on the scratches is no longer the fault of the original culprit that the bodyshop will have assumed the daily hire charges for the jag....
 
Third party admitted liability and not costing me a penny - they said they woule get me lik3 for like and I certainly am not going to kick up a fuss....

Auto boot release not working still as result of knock so on those grounds I am still allowed to keep the hired car.... sctaches have polished out nicely....:)
 
I have collected her yesterday and everything appears to be perfect and a first class repair.

The internal boot lining panels for the rear quarters need to be slighly re-aligned as I like everything to be perfect and I will do that myself.
 

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