If a mechanic’s work directly causes or contributes to a car accident, they can potentially be held liable under Oakland’s negligence laws. This typically happens when the mechanic fails to meet the standard duty of care that’s expected from a trained professional.
In legal terms, this means they didn’t act how a reasonably competent mechanic in Oakland would have in the same situation. In a place like Oakland, a city in California, with over 400,000 residents, driving is a daily necessity for many; a mechanical failure can be both an inconvenience and a deadly situation.
If you’re in a situation like this, it’s important to gather evidence, such as repair records and expert opinions, and consult a car accident lawyer in Oakland who specializes in these kinds of cases.
Let’s now go over when you can actually sue a mechanic for a car accident.
Failure to Fix Known Faults
If a mechanic fails to fix a known issue with your car, and that failure leads to an accident, you might be able to sue them. Mechanics are responsible for fixing your car correctly, especially if they know about specific problems like bad brakes or faulty steering.
If they don’t address these issues and it causes a crash, they could be held responsible for the accident. To prove this, you’d need to show that the mechanic knew about the problem, either because you told them or because it was a well-known issue. You’d also need to show that their failure to fix it directly caused the accident.
Collecting evidence like repair records, photos of the damage, or expert opinions from other mechanics can help support your case.
Improper Maintenance
When you take your car to a mechanic for repairs, they are responsible for doing the job correctly. If they don’t do the work properly, it could be termed improper maintenance. If their mistake causes an accident, you could hold them responsible.
For example, if your brakes weren’t fixed properly and failed while driving, leading to a crash, you might be able to sue the mechanic for their poor work. Proving this usually requires showing the mechanic made a mistake during the repair or didn’t follow proper procedures.
If this happens, it’s important to gather evidence like repair records, photos, or expert opinions.
Neglecting Test Drives
If a mechanic repairs your car but skips the test drive, and that leads to an accident, you may be able to sue them. A test drive is meant to catch any issues that weren’t obvious during the repair. Without it, serious problems like brake failure or steering issues can go unnoticed.
If the accident clearly happened because the mechanic didn’t test the car properly and that mistake caused the crash, that’s considered negligence. In that case, you could hold the mechanic legally responsible for your injuries or damage.
Using Low Quality or Faulty Materials
If a mechanic uses faulty materials and those parts cause your car to crash, you may be able to sue them.
Mechanics have a responsibility to use the right parts that are safe and work properly. If they install a bad brake pad, a worn-out tire, or a part that doesn’t fit your car, and that part fails while you’re driving, they can be held legally responsible.
But you’ll need to prove that the crash happened because of that faulty part and that the mechanic either knew or should’ve known it wasn’t safe.
Conclusion
In a place like Oakland, where road safety is already a challenge, you shouldn’t have to worry about the person fixing your car putting you in danger. Mechanics are held to a professional standard for a reason. When they fail you, and that failure results in a crash, you have the right to take legal action.
Photo by Mike Bird:
