Car accidents are caused by all sorts of things. Most are just that – accidents. People make mistakes and bad things happen. A car may slide on black ice an crash into a truck. Or a family is hit by a drunk driver on the way home from dinner. These things are tragic but they happen.
What is not so common is an accident caused by mechanical failure. These accidents may be totally preventable. However, because the driver has no idea there’s anything wrong with his car, he drives it anyway.
Mechanical failure accounts for about 12% of all motor vehicle accidents. Here are some other staggering statistics about mechanical issues:
- There are over 6 million car accidents in the United States every year
- Over 3 million of these result in serious bodily injury
- Close to 50,000 results in death
Knowing this, it’s important that car accident lawyers in Augusta, Georgia know how to handle mechanical failure cases.
What Are the Main types of Mechanical Failure?
When our car isn’t running right, we take it to our local mechanic. Or, if our car is still financed, we may take it to our car dealership. They tell us what the car needs and we pay them to do the work. When we pick up our car, we have no reason to think there’s anything wrong with it. We naturally assumed that our mechanic did a good job and fixed what was broken.
What we don’t expect is to find out that they actually made the car worse. When mechanics do a shoddy job or make mistakes, their customers pay the price.
Some of the more common mechanical problems that cause car accidents include:
- Brakes – When we get our brakes replaced, we should be able to count on them to work. Whether our mechanic replaced brakes, pad, or rotors, the brakes should work just fine. The next thing we know, we’re careening down the highway, unable to stop our car. These accidents are dangerous because they usually involve cars going at a fast rate of speed. The impact is quite severe. This usually leads to serious injuries.
- Tires – Whether we’re getting our tires replaced or rotated, we shouldn’t have to worry about them blowing out on the road. However, if the mechanic doesn’t do what he’s supposed to, this is exactly what can happen. This can cause drivers to lose control of their car. They crash into other cars or even walls. The damages can be quite significant.
- Headlights/Taillights: When our lights get dim or stop working, we need to replace them. We don’t know how to do this ourselves so we take it to the shop. When the mechanic replaces our broken headlights with faulty ones, we have no reason to know it. We don’t look at the front of our cars. We have no reason not to trust that the lights aren’t working. When other cars can’t see us at night, it causes dangerous accidents.
Who Can You File Suit Against?
If you get into an accident due to mechanical failure, your Augusta car accident lawyer will have to file suit on your behalf. You can try to file a claim against the other driver’s insurance, but they probably won’t pay it. If they have any idea what caused the accident, they’re not going to pay out a claim on it.
You’ll have no choice but to file a lawsuit against your mechanic. He’s the one responsible for your accident. Had he fixed your car properly, you wouldn’t have gotten into the accident. He may claim that the parts were faulty. If this is the case, you’ll have to file a claim against the manufacturer of the parts as well.
Your car accident lawyer in Augusta, Georgia will file a claim against any people responsible for your injuries. He’ll work hard to get you the compensation you deserve.
Keep in mind, the other driver will probably file a claim against you as well. He’s going to want his injuries paid for as well. Your lawyer will file the necessary motions to have the mechanic and manufacturer held liable for his injuries as well.
Contact a Car Accident Lawyer in Augusta, Georgia Today
If you’ve been injured in a car accident, you may need a car accident lawyer. The experienced car accident attorneys in Augusta, Georgia will do what it takes to hold the mechanic responsible. He’ll handle your lawsuit against anyone liable for your injuries. He’ll also deal with any claims filed against you by the other driver.
Call and schedule your free initial consultation today. Let an experienced car accident lawyer in Georgia review your case and let you know what it may be worth. The consultation is free and you pay nothing until you win your case.
