T-boned at traffic lights

[fuzzyfelt]

Hello,

I’ve been leeching from this forum for a while now since I brought a 2005 55 C220 CDI Coupe back in August ’06. Just about everything I wanted to know about Comand units, rain sensors, and oem mods have already been discussed so I’ve never needed to submit, until now…..

(Apologies for the long post )

On Sunday afternoon, I was t-boned at a junction in Sheffied city centre controlled by traffic lights. When I got to the junction the lights were on red for me and I duly waited for them to change. On green I pulled away from the line only to see a Chrysler Voyager hurtling to me, without any sign of stopping and hit me on the drivers door. I'm just so glad we were in the Merc!

The driver who is registered disabled (don’t know what for) was taken to hospital with back pains leaving only his wife at the scene. My wife and I are fine, leaving us both with a little neck and back ache and me with a sore head from hitting the driver’s door window

My car doesn’t look well. The Voyager has a really low bumper and has dented the entire length of the car from wheel to wheel between the sill and the trim, with really bad damage to the A pillar. The driver’s door open and shuts but is bent outwards at the top. What’s really worrying me is that the sill next to the driver’s seat has been significantly buckled inwards. It’s now in Mercedes’ Body shop in Sheffield waiting for inspection.

Fortunately, the driver of the car one car behind me came up to me and said that he saw what happened I confirmed that I had gone through on green. Phew! A pedestrian came forward and said that he looked up on hearing the crash and saw that the other bloke’s lights were on red.

I had to exchange details with his wife who told us that they had gone through on green, although it would seem that she can’t actually claim to seeing the green light, more assumed. It also transpires that they’re from Suffolk, dropping their daughter off at university, so I’m presuming that they don’t know the area. Can we also presume they were lost, map out and interior light on? But then, why would you be driving at ~40MPH in the dark and rain?

The reason for my post is to ask if anyone else has been involved in this kind of accident and their experience of the claims process? How common is it for traffic lights to be out of sync? Also does anyone know if this kind of impact can be repaired economically and if I should have expected the door airbags to deploy?

 

[Sp!ke]

I'm glad you are relatively unscathed and I'n sure you will get this mess sorted in the end (sounds like a right off to me).

I must say as I biker, this sort of thing causes loss of life. Consequently, most bikers dont just go through on green assuming its safe to do so as assumptions can kill. Looking is the only way to stay alive as blaming the other fellow once you're dead wont really help you much.

 

[blassberg]

I expect most of the advice will include writing down every detail that you remember as soon as possible. I'm bad at this but can see the benefit.

 

[pammy]

You have two independent witnesses who say you went through on green and that his light was red. I hope you got their contact details. If so you should have nothing to worry about. Without them it would be your word against the other party's, unless they have other witnesses, and would likely go knock for knock. As it is you should have no trouble at all.

You can't assume anything though - it doesn't work like that. The fact they are not from Sheffield does not mean they don't know the road etc.

Good luck and the main thing is that you are all OK.

 

[w124coupe]

Re the car - I would expect either writeoff or maybe a new bodyshell. Very hard to get the integrity back if the A pillar and the sill (and therefore the B pillar and floor) are gone.

My mates wife had her c class coupe hit by a long chain that fell off a lorry - dented the majority of the panels and the new bodyshell took 5 weeks.

I would argue that the new bodyshell would not put you back where you were before the crash - no Mobilo cover. might be best to push for writeoff as you may et a new car (less than 12 months old??).

Worth going back to see if the area is under CCTV - you can then inform your insurer who will petition for access to the tapes (actually probably digital files). Try to be as accurate as you can with the exact time of the crash.

Have to do this quick as the files are often kept less than 30 days unless part of an incident.

 

[Flash]

Car will most likely be written off - do all you can to ensure that it is written off as chassis may possibly be damaged, and argue about Mobilo validation and nano paint technology.

As long as your two independant witnesses support your version of events and back you all the way should it go to Court then you are fine. Also, your wife's statement should cancel out the offender's wife's statement. Offender should be charged for dangerous/wreckless driving IMO!!!

 

[Brian WH]

The other thing to do is get yourselves checked out by your doctor. If your injuries develop you need current evidence of what had caused it.

As has been said the independent witnesses are worth ten times more than a biased wife in the other car, don't worry and good luck, not that you should need it. It is the inconvenience that is the worst problem. Have you hired another car??

 

[PJH]

...My wife and I are fine, leaving us both with a little neck and back ache and me with a sore head from hitting the driver’s door window

Still best to let a Doctor decide that you are OK.

Does the junction have 'Red Light Cameras' ? These may have been activated by the other vehicle.
http://www.ukspeedtraps.co.uk/gatso02.htm

 

[glojo]

Have you obtained the insurance details of the other driver?

Have you the names and addresses of the independant witnesses?

Have the Police been involved? If so make sure you have their details.

Don't worry about the traffic lights, worry about yourself and your passengers. The council will know if the lights were defective! My money is on they are in working order and operating correctly.

Insist that your car is taken to an authorised Mercedes-Benz body-shop You might have to explain that it is a condition of the car's warranty that all bodywork damage MUST be repaired by the authorised shop. (It is a condition of the Mobilio warranty)

I am not an engineer but your car sounds very badly 'injured'. I personally would want it wrote off, but if it is borderline then INSIST the body-shop uses the latest nano paint and it is applied in accordance with Mercedes-Benz recommendations That will stir things up.

I personally would prefer the claim to be dealt with by the offending drivers insurance but that is down to you.
Our local dealership would handle everything.

Now do NOT be embarrassed to contact the National Accident Helpline. You are the innocent party.

Good luck, and look after yourself and your family.

Regards,
John

Edit forgot about your air bag question.

These airbags are designed to go off in certain circumstances designed to prevent injury. I would suggest your extremely well built car did not need the extra safety of these wonderful inventions, so they did not activate. The proof is in the pudding! You and your occupants were not injured. Aren't our cars brilliant or what?

 

[Dieselman]

These airbags are designed to go off in certain circumstances designed to prevent injury. I would suggest your extremely well built car did not need the extra safety of these wonderful inventions, so they did not activate. The proof is in the pudding! You and your occupants were not injured. Aren't our cars brilliant or what?

This is a very valid point Glojo.
Poeple now seem to assume that airbags should deploy in all accident situations but they are designed not to. They work on accelleration G forces which if they are not exceeded the bag isn't necessary so doesn't deploy.

I know of two write off motorway accidents where no airbags delpoyed. Both drivers were put out by this claiming they should have gone off, however neither driver had a scratch on them even though the cars were write offs.

Any way, nice to hear you're Ok Fuzzyfelt.

 

[Fandango]

I hope you and your wife are ok, please get yourself checked over by a doctor, the symptoms may be delayed.
Most of what I was going to say has been said already.
Traffic lights very rarely go out of synch though, and main junctions are usually monitored by CCTV so you should be able to make sure they were on red for the other car.
Main thing is that you're alive and well, a testimony to the safety of our cars.
Best of luck, I hope you can get your car sorted.

Regards
Karl

 

[Parrot of Doom]

From the sound of it, your car is dead. At least, thats what you should be hoping for.

Buckled sill and A-pillar = dead car IMO.

 

[Dieselman]

From the sound of it, your car is dead. At least, thats what you should be hoping for.

Buckled sill and A-pillar = dead car IMO.

This is a simple jig job. I'd be surprised if it requires a new shell, let alone a wright off other than under a new for old policy.

 

[hawk20]

This was hit by a large SUV!

 

[Flash]

Couple of new body panels, and quick polish and car will be fine...

 

[Gollom]

Will be on ebay by next week.......

 

[richard]

This was hit by a large SUV!

I dunno about you, but that kind of picture just makes me shudder

- and reminds me of the responsibility you need to show when driving a SUV in that nice high up 'feel safe' position.

How much energy was needed to destroy that Mercedes ??


Another point raised earlier in t he thread - , Airbag deployment criteria are critical. You don't want an airbag deploying unless you really need it. One of my friend's had a 5 mph crash driving his wife's freelander into the back of a car with a tow hook. The tow hook punctured the bumper and hit the sub-frame, which cause the airbags to deploy = no visible damage to the Golf in front. As it was slow, the front passenger had put her hands out to brace herself, she was sat reasonably far forward, and the airbag smacked her hands upwards into the windscreen. Net result, two broken arms (one with both bones shattered) and two neat holes in the windscreen made by her hands ....

R

 

[glojo]

I dunno about you, but that kind of picture just makes me shudder

- and reminds me of the responsibility you need to show when driving a SUV in that nice high up 'feel safe' position.

How much energy was needed to destroy that Mercedes ??

Hi Richard,
I think we really need to study that picture. The car appears to have been hit broadside on. I would guess the emergency services then attacked from both the sides and of course the roof? The dash is beyond repair but by crikey it is not destroyed beyond recognition. I am hoping that the driver of this vehicle is still alive to tell us the full story?

Just think back to the S-class that was involved in the demise of Princess Diana. That vehicle showed far more impact damage than this example (the emergency services have made this one look horrible) With the French example, if all the occupants had been wearing their seat belts there would probably not have been any fatalities. We sometimes scoff at the terrible reputation Mercedes-Benz have earned regarding corrosion, but if I had to be involved in a road accident, then apart from being in a tank, You will not go far wrong by being sat in a modern Mercedes-Benz.

Regards,
John

 

[prprandall51]

To deviate even further down the airbag discussion road...

Manufacturers also have to worry about the wooden fence / brick wall crash scenario. When the car smashes through the wooden fence, it may need to save airbag deployment for the brick wall (concrete pillar - even better) directly behind it.

When there is no brick wall, and the car comes to a gentle halt on the far side of the wooden fence, the occupants start complaining that the airbags should have gone off when they hit the fence.

Philip

 

[Swiss Toni]

From experience, damage to a vehicle and the injuries to the occupants do not always corrolate...

Volvos always used to (and most modern cars now) appear to have come off worst in any 2-vehicle impact (lots of deforming bodywork), but the occupants were likely to be all the better for the energy having been absorbed by the car.

Audis Procon-10 system used to pull the steering wheel away from the driver by way of mechanical linkage - and I have seen this work to really good effect. The problem was that a fairly minor shunt would write the car off due to the wheel being pulled back into the dash and ripping the firewall in the process.