Can My Mechanic Be Liable if Faulty Repairs Caused My Collision?

In some ways, you trust your mechanic like you trust your doctor. You bring in your car when it is broken, and you can trust that your mechanic will figure out what is wrong and fix it. If your mechanic does not repair your vehicle in accordance within accepted standards and practices in the industry, he or she may be liable if the broken parts cause you harm.

An example of mechanic liability

Your car needed new brakes before you left on a road trip, so you brought it to your regular mechanic to have the repairs made. You picked up the car from the mechanic and started out on your journey. As you were driving through an intersection, another car unexpectedly turned in front of you forcing you to slam on the brakes. However, the brakes did not stop the car and you slammed into the oncoming car and sustained injuries as a result. Upon inspection, it turns out that the mechanic installed the wrong type of brakes for your vehicle and they failed.

Can you hold the mechanic liable for your damages in the crash?

If the mechanic fails to make the appropriate repairs to a vehicle, and that specific faulty repair is the cause of the crash, then the mechanic can be held liable. The owner of the vehicle would have to prove that the faulty repair was the cause of the crash. The injured party – the plaintiff – would have to prove that the mechanic owed them a duty of care as a customer, that the mechanic breached that duty by failing to make proper repairs to the vehicle, the plaintiff would have to prove that if that been for the mechanic’s negligent repairs the accident would not have happened, and finally, the plaintiff would have to prove that they had suffered damages in the crash.

If you have been injured in a crash that could have been prevented but for the negligent actions of your mechanic, you may be able to take legal action against them and against the driver that caused the crash. If your mechanic discovered a dangerous condition in your vehicle and failed to notify you about it, performed unauthorized repairs on the vehicle, or made repairs that increased the risk if injury, they may be liable for your losses.

Cases like this are challenging and you might derive a lot of benefit from consulting with an experienced car crash attorney for proficient legal guidance about how you might proceed. At Wagner Workers Compensation & Personal Injury Lawyers, our car accident lawyers proudly represent victims and families in Chattanooga and Cleveland, TN, and in North Georgia. Please call us at 423-756-7923 or complete our contact form to schedule your free consultation.

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