When you think about auto accidents, usually you think about crashes between two vehicles or about single-car accidents where the driver lost control of the vehicle. But these aren’t the only types of crashes. Alarmingly often, people suffer from accidents as a result of faulty repairs done by a negligent mechanic.
You may have crashed into another vehicle as a result of a mistake your mechanic made; or perhaps you drove into a ditch because your vehicle would not respond to your control. The point is that the accident happened because your mechanic performed faulty repairs and sent you off in a vehicle that wasn’t road-worthy.
As with other accidents, if another person’s negligence caused the damage you should be entitled to compensation. If you’ve been in an accident caused by faulty repairs, this article will give you a little advice on how to conduct yourself and how to set up your case.
How These Accidents Happen
Faulty repairs can cause accidents in any number of different ways. A sudden mechanical failure can cause you to lose control of the vehicle. The new brakes you were so sure were reliable might fail you at the critical moment. The engine might give out in the middle of a busy highway.
Mechanics are human beings, and human beings make mistakes. Even the most reliable mechanic might make a faulty repair every once in a while. Accidents caused by faulty repairs are not a rare event, and these kinds of accidents are well known to the court system.
What Do You Have to Prove?
In order to prove that your accident was caused by faulty repairs, you must prove two main things: that the repairs were faulty and that the faulty repair was the cause of the accident.
If you have a receipt from the mechanic, you can prove that the relevant repairs were received at that establishment. At that point, you will have to prove that the repairs you received were faulty. This is usually done by getting another mechanic to serve as an expert witness. The expert witness will testify that the repairs weren’t done properly and that this was what caused the crash.
It is usually easy to prove that a mechanical failure occurred, but things get difficult when it comes to showing that the mechanical failure was a result of faulty repairs. That’s why it can be so important and valuable to have a credible expert witness to testify in your favor.
When Should You Talk to an Attorney?
The first thing to do if you’ve been injured in an accident is to seek medical help. Make sure you, your passengers, and anyone else involved in the accident receives emergency treatment.
If you suspect your accident was caused by faulty repairs, you should begin the process of preparing your legal case as soon as possible. If you can, spend some time gathering contact information for any witnesses on the scene. It will be valuable for you to have witnesses who were at the scene; and it is important to get their description of the incident before time passes and memories fade.
Contact an attorney as soon as you can. An experienced attorney will understand how to prove that the mechanic was at fault. They will also understand how to force a favorable settlement from the insurance companies. The insurance company is already working on their case—get in touch with a personal injury attorney as soon as you can.
