I had an accident. I had parked the car in the city center of Munich, Germany, and gone shopping.
Suddenly I received an alarm message from the car. I didn't take it too seriously.
I went back to the car and drove home. Then I looked at the video recordings from the car's cameras. A van had parked behind me, apparently to collect a few bags. When the two men drove away and trying to merge into traffic, they scraped along the rear left corner of my car, losing some large protective boards from the side of their van.
The driver noticed, stopped, activated the signal flashers and maneuvered back into the parking position. The driver came out of the car, used his phone, then collected the parts that had been ripped off. Finally the van drove off and disappeared.
Only then did I go to my car and looked at its rear left corner. I had not noticed the damage when I drove off. The rear bumper and a large side part were damaged and also the rim and the hub cap.
They hadn't left a note and have not informed the police, as I now know, so this is a matter for the public prosecutor. Fleeing after causing an accident is a criminal offense in Germany, probably elsewhere too.
They guys obviously didn't know that you cannot do this to a Tesla car. They left pretty good selfies in my video recordings.
Luckily my neighbor is an attorney and specialized on road traffic problems. He has already taken on the case. He told me that his whole office came together to watch the accident videos.
The workshop says there are two different ways to repair this, and they recommend the cheaper, simpler way, because the end result will be better. Still the cost will not be far off $5,000, a bit over €4,000.
I will also get compensation for the mercantile value loss. Since I don't plan to sell the car any time soon, that's essentially some extra compensation for me.
I am grateful to myself for deciding to drive a Tesla. In most other cars I would have had no idea who caused the damage, and the guy wouldn't have been punished properly. The punishment is my free public service.
Suddenly I received an alarm message from the car. I didn't take it too seriously.
I went back to the car and drove home. Then I looked at the video recordings from the car's cameras. A van had parked behind me, apparently to collect a few bags. When the two men drove away and trying to merge into traffic, they scraped along the rear left corner of my car, losing some large protective boards from the side of their van.
The driver noticed, stopped, activated the signal flashers and maneuvered back into the parking position. The driver came out of the car, used his phone, then collected the parts that had been ripped off. Finally the van drove off and disappeared.
Only then did I go to my car and looked at its rear left corner. I had not noticed the damage when I drove off. The rear bumper and a large side part were damaged and also the rim and the hub cap.
They hadn't left a note and have not informed the police, as I now know, so this is a matter for the public prosecutor. Fleeing after causing an accident is a criminal offense in Germany, probably elsewhere too.
They guys obviously didn't know that you cannot do this to a Tesla car. They left pretty good selfies in my video recordings.
Luckily my neighbor is an attorney and specialized on road traffic problems. He has already taken on the case. He told me that his whole office came together to watch the accident videos.
The workshop says there are two different ways to repair this, and they recommend the cheaper, simpler way, because the end result will be better. Still the cost will not be far off $5,000, a bit over €4,000.
I will also get compensation for the mercantile value loss. Since I don't plan to sell the car any time soon, that's essentially some extra compensation for me.
I am grateful to myself for deciding to drive a Tesla. In most other cars I would have had no idea who caused the damage, and the guy wouldn't have been punished properly. The punishment is my free public service.
