Is Avoiding Car Maintenance a Sign of Negligence?
On Behalf of Rosenthal, Levy, Simon & Sosa | April 15, 2023 | Car Accidents
Yes. Avoiding car maintenance is a sign of negligence. Every time you step foot inside a car or drive one, there’s always the possibility of getting into a crash. Responsible drivers exercise due care to ensure their safety and those of others they share the road with. This includes ensuring that they maintain their car regularly and properly.
A car that isn’t maintained regularly and properly can endanger other people. If you get seriously injured in an accident, and it’s determined that the other driver’s car was not maintained properly, you might be able to hold them liable for the crash. Sometimes, however, mechanics or repair shops, auto dealerships, and car manufacturers might also share some liability.
How Negligent Car Maintenance Issues Cause Accidents
Drivers must maintain various car components to make sure that they work as intended. Sometimes, drivers don’t do anything to fix issues as they arise. When a car owner fails to maintain their car or don’t fix issues as soon as they know about them, they risk being held responsible for the damages resulting from a crash. Car parts that must be checked and maintained regularly include tires, brakes, horns, lights, wipers, and turn signals, among others.
How a Mechanic or Repair Shop Can Be Liable for Car Crashes
When car owners take their cars into the shop for maintenance or repairs, the shop is responsible for ensuring that they maintain and repair the cars properly. Otherwise, malfunctioning brakes or a loose bolt or nut on a tire could easily cause a serious crash that results in injuries to others. When this happens, an injured victim could hold the mechanic working on the car and the repair shop liable for their losses.
How an Auto Dealership or Car Manufacturer Can Be Responsible for Car Accidents
Liability for negligent car maintenance may likewise extend to an auto dealership where the car owner leased or bought the car. This can occur if there is a problem with the car that the dealership knew about but did not address before leasing or selling the car.
For instance, a car with a known defect or recall from the manufacturer must not be sold until the issue has been corrected. If the dealership sells the car a recalled car and the recall issue causes an accident, the dealership might share liability for the accident. But if the car manufacturer fails to promptly inform dealerships and car owners about the recall and a crash occurs because of it, they may also be held responsible for damages resulting from the crash.
Reach Out to a West Palm Beach Car Accident Attorney Now
If you were seriously injured in a crash because of negligent car maintenance, let the West Palm Beach car accident attorneys at Rosenthal, Levy, Simon & Sosa review your case and determine the best way to secure compensation on your behalf. You can set up your free case evaluation by calling our office at 866-640-7117 or sending us an online message.