Regular vehicle maintenance can protect one of your biggest investments – it can also reduce your risk of getting into a car accident. Poor maintenance causes many accidents every year because of blowouts of old tires and failures of worn brakes. Not only is this extremely dangerous for you, the driver, but ignoring regular maintenance of your vehicle is also dangerous to the people around you. If a system or component failure in your vehicle results in a car accident that injures or kills someone else, you can be held liable and be responsible for compensating the injured party or their family.
Make sure you check these things on a regular basis:
- Windshield wipers and wiper fluid
- Brake pads
- Oil and fluids
- Tires
- Headlights and taillights
A poorly maintained vehicle is not always the fault of the vehicle owner, but it can also be the fault of a mechanic or service technician who performed work in an improper manner. Driving around in a vehicle that has been poorly maintained can be just as dangerous as driving in one that hasn’t received any maintenance at all. Make sure to research your maintenance facility before you take your vehicle in for service in order to ensure that the work is done by a qualified individual.
Vehicle Recalls
Ignoring a vehicle recall is never a good idea. If you have received notice that your car has been recalled over a potentially dangerous defect, it is critical that you contact your dealership and schedule a time to get the problem fixed as soon as possible. If you don’t, and you are found to have knowingly failed to remedy the problem, you may be held liable if someone gets hurt in an accident.
If you or someone you know was injured, please contact Joe and Martin at (843) 357-8888 or fill out an online form anytime, day or night. We will respond as soon as possible.