Is My Mechanic Liable if My Brakes Fail and I Get in an Accident in Virginia Beach?

Most car accidents are just that – accidents. People aren’t paying enough attention to the road and they bump into the person in front of them. Or maybe they’re going faster than the speed limit and can’t stop in time. These things happen. When they do, your Virginia Beach accident injury lawyer simply has to prove negligence in order to get you damages. If they’re able to show that the other driver didn’t behave the way they should have, they can prove your case.

There are situations where something other than another driver is at the heart of your car crash. For example, if there’s something wrong with your car, you may have no idea. You could be the one slamming into the back of someone else’s car. They’ll think it’s your fault. They may even hire a car accident lawyer in Virginia Beach to file a lawsuit against you. You swear you didn’t do anything wrong. In fact, you tell your lawyer that your brakes didn’t work properly. You tried to stop but the car just kept going. This could’ve been because there was something wrong with your vehicle. Or, it could be that your mechanic didn’t install your new brakes properly.

Even if your car’s only a few years old, you may have already needed to have the brakes replaced. It depends on how many miles are on your car. It also depends on whether you do more local road or highway driving. If you do a lot of stopping and starting, you may need to replace your brakes more often than other people. If your mechanic uses shoddy materials or does something wrong, your brakes could fail. If this happens, then you’re liable to crash into someone else. When this happens, you’re going to be deemed at fault. But your Virginia Beach car accident lawyer can pursue the mechanic for any damages you and the other driver suffer.

You Can Implead Your Mechanic if You’re Sued by the Other Driver

If you know the accident wasn’t your fault, it can be frustrating to learn the other driver has sued you. If it weren’t for your mechanic, the accident never would’ve happened. And you understand that the other driver wasn’t at fault. It’s nothing personal. They just want someone to cover their medical bills the same way you do. The good news is that your Virginia Beach car accident lawyer can bring the mechanic into your case as a defendant. You can also file a claim against your mechanic for any damages you suffered in the accident.

Your attorney knows how to do this. You can’t expect to handle this on your own. Your case can become quite complicated when you start to bring third-party defendants into the case. The odds of settling your case go down a bit as well. The other driver doesn’t care who pays their damages – you or the mechanic. Your insurance company doesn’t want to pay out damages if they think your mechanic is at fault. And, the mechanic’s insurance company isn’t going to want to pay either.

Your Virginia Beach Car Accident Lawyer Has to Prove Negligence

In order to prove that your mechanic is liable for your damages, your attorney needs to prove they were negligent. For example, if your brakes fail and you end up crashing into another car, there’s clearly something wrong with them. If you can prove that the brakes weren’t installed properly, you can show the mechanic was negligent. The same is true if you find out your mechanic used faulty materials to repair your brakes. You have to show that the mechanic did something wrong. It’s not enough to just show that your mechanic repaired your brakes.

If You Experience a Mechanical Failure, Call an Experienced Car Accident Lawyer in Virginia Beach

If you’ve been in a car crash and you think it was caused by faulty brakes, call our office. You can set up a time to come in and meet with a skilled car accident attorney in Virginia Beach. It costs you absolutely nothing to have us review your case. We can give you an idea of what your case might be worth. We can also let you know if you have a potential claim against your mechanic. Don’t wait too long to talk to an attorney. You only have a certain amount of time to file your legal claim.