Court orders Benz renter to pay compensation for car damaged in typhoon flood

A woman in Northeast China who rented a Mercedes Benz that was damaged by a typhoon-caused flood plans to appeal a court ruling requiring her to pay the rental company almost 200,000 yuan ($29,791) for repairs and other compensation.

The woman surnamed Yu in Dalian, Liaoning Province paid 400 yuan to rent the Benz in August 2018. The car’s engine was damaged in a flood and Yu says the car rental agency had the vehicle towed to a repair shop but left it there for 129 days while the agency sued her.

Along with the repair bill, Yu has been ordered to pay 50,000 yuan in rental fees for the days the car sat in the repair shop.

Yu said she signed a rental agreement that included insurance with a 1,500 yuan deductible. She contends the car rental agency should be taking the insurance company to court not her.

The company said they had warned Yu not to drive the car during a typhoon that was forecast for that day.