WHAT IS A DEFECTIVE CAR REPAIR?
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Car repairs can be costly, but so can accidents. According to Safer America, the yearly economic cost of car accidents is roughly $242 billion in the U.S. alone. With this in mind, most drivers strive to properly maintain their vehicles to the best of their ability and take them to the shop as needed for repairs. But what are you supposed to do when the experts you trust to repair your car deliver subpar work? In this blog, we explore defective car repair in the news, bad mechanic indicators, and what to do if you are the victim of defective car repair.
DEFECTIVE CARE REPAIRS IN THE NEWS
It’s one thing to listen to a friend or colleague rant about how their mechanic probably swindled them with their latest repair, and another to see a successful defective repair lawsuit making its way to the local news. For example, in 2017, a Dallas-area couple won a $42 million lawsuit against an auto body shop after a defective car repair resulted in them getting stuck in a blazing accident and experiencing injuries.
What was the source of the problem exactly? While repairing the hail-damaged car roof, the body shop did not utilize the welding method recommended by Honda, opting to work with a glue-like adhesive that was untested and less expensive.
BAD MECHANIC INDICATORS
Finding a trustworthy repair shop can be difficult, what with the prevalence of the mechanic stereotype they lie and take your money so defective car repairs aren’t entirely out of the question. Don’t dismiss your intuition if you think faulty repairs caused your car to break down or an accident, says Patrick Daniel, attorney and founder of Patrick Daniel Law Firm.
Fortunately, bad mechanics are easy to spot once you know what to look for:
Lack of clarity when it comes to the cost of repairs and form of payment
Not prioritizing customer needs
Lack of certification
Not providing a fair warranty on paper or a warranty at all
Repair errors
Trying to coerce or persuade you to agree to needless repairs
IF A DEFECTIVE CAR REPAIR HAPPENS TO YOU
No one likes to feel like a sucker, so it can be easy to lash out in anger when you suspect that you’re the victim of a defective car repair. Before yelling at your mechanic or hiring the first lawyer you find on the internet, take a deep breath and:
Make sure to pay what you agreed, to avoid having the mechanic keep your vehicle
Get the repairs in writing
Go over the problem with the mechanic and have it corrected for free
If speaking with the mechanic doesn’t yield results, the following step if applicable would be contacting a customer service rep, owner/manager, or the corporate office
Finally, if none of the above works, pursuing a lawsuit may be a good idea
WERE YOU IN AN ACCIDENT DUE TO A DEFECTIVE CAR REPAIR?
Our experienced and friendly personal injury attorneys at Patrick Daniel Law are here to assist you, whether you’re searching for an answer to a general legal question or would like to discuss the viability of your case. With a significant history of successful lawsuits, we provide the justice and compensation you deserve, so contact us or call us at ‘713’ 999-6666 to schedule a free consultation.
