No one gets excited to rush to the mechanic for their oil change or annual inspection, and it’s totally understandable why you would want to avoid it. However, ignoring warning signs that there could be something wrong with your car can have serious and even deadly consequences. If you were aware of an issue and negligently failed to take action to remedy it, you are responsible for any harm that occurs to others as a result. Likewise, if you are involved in a car accident that could have been avoided if proper vehicle care and maintenance had been exercised, you have grounds to bring a personal injury lawsuit against the liable driver. If you have been involved in a car accident and you suspect that improper vehicle maintenance played a role, it’s important to contact an experienced Tampa personal injury lawyer as soon as possible. The information in this article is intended to be general, but in reality, no two cases are alike. If you would like personalized feedback based on your individual case, you are welcome to contact the Durham Law Group and schedule a consultation today.
When Can You Sue for Poor Vehicle Maintenance?
Suing for improper or insufficient vehicle maintenance can be tricky. In addition to establishing that the person knew or should have known that the vehicle was dangerous to operate in the condition that it was in, you must be able to form a causal link between the failure to maintain and the harm that was suffered. In other words, you must be able to establish that your harm would not have occurred had the liable driver cared for the vehicle like a reasonable person. For instance, if a driver became aware that the low tire pressure warning indicator was on in their car in early May, but failed to take any action despite driving the car daily, if they are in a car accident in August and the cause is determined to be a tire blow out, their negligence in failing to properly fix the air pressure in their tires could be clearly tied to the cause of the accident and all resulting harm. However, you can imagine the challenges that exist in proving that they knew the tire indicator was on and that they failed to take action. This is even more reason to get an experienced attorney on your side to advocate for you and develop a case strategy as soon as possible. An auto accident attorney will know how to perform a thorough investigation of the vehicle and any maintenance performed on it, and will also know what to look for in a mechanic’s report.
Talk to the Durham Law Group
If you have been in a vehicle accident and have been seriously injured as a result, the experienced Tampa car accident lawyers at Durham Law Group are ready to fight to get you the maximum amount of compensation that you are entitled to. Contact us today to schedule a consultation and find out how we can help.
