Failure to Properly Maintain a Vehicle Can Cause Accidents
While many associate speed and driver inattention when they think about the causes of accidents, failure to properly maintain a vehicle accounts for many accidents each year. Car crashes caused by poor maintenance are preventable. Checking for wear on tires, taking warning lights on the vehicle dashboard seriously, and bringing vehicles to a mechanic regularly reduce the chances of causing a car accident.
Common Car Problems that Can Result in Accidents
The following car issues can lead to a vehicle collision or catastrophic accident:
- Tire issues: Tires can cause accidents when they overheat and fail due to the under-inflation. This risk increases in hot weather and on high-speed roads. Worn tires can also lead to accidents when they fail to provide suitable traction. Without traction, a car may hydroplane and become impossible to steer.
- Brake malfunctions: Brake pads wear down and require routine replacement. There are also mechanical and hydraulic brake parts that are susceptible to problems. Brake fluid is also required for brakes to work correctly.
- Steering linkage wear: This issue can affect a driver’s ability to control the vehicle. If the parts in the steering linkage give out, your car could begin to drive sharply in one direction, and you will not be able to correct it. A driver could potentially veer into oncoming traffic or change lanes without any warning.
- Loose lug nuts: Lug nuts keep the hubcaps and wheel together. If lug nuts are not properly tightened, they can loosen, and the wheel may fall off. Lug nuts should not be tightened while the car is on the ground and has the weight of the vehicle on them.
- Broken defrosters: Poorly functioning defrosters can impede a driver’s ability to see outside in certain weather conditions.
- Rust: A car with a severely rusted chassis could result in parts falling off, loosening, or collapsing.
A Mechanic Could Also Be at Fault
There may be more than one party at fault in a car accident. In cases where the driver at fault had the car serviced by a mechanic shortly before an incident, it may be possible to prove that the mechanic’s failure to repair the car caused the accident.
Contact a Milwaukee Car Accident Lawyer
Too many cars on the road are improperly maintained and pose a risk to other motorists. You should not be required to pay for your injuries that were caused by another’s failure to take care of his or her vehicle. The Milwaukee car accident attorneys at Gimbel, Reilly, Guerin & Brown, LLP are ready to meet with you to discuss your case. Call us today at 414-271-1440.
Source:
http://www.dmv.org/buy-sell/selling-your-car/mileage-milestones.php