If you use your car daily and don’t perform regular maintenance, you may unknowingly be increasing your risk of a car crash. Everything from changing the oil to replacing the air and oil filters, and checking the air in your tires can make the difference between a smooth, comfortable ride, and one that gets dangerous when something goes wrong with your vehicle.
If you’ve sustained injuries in a car accident, consider reaching out to an experienced car accident attorney who can help you determine if it was the maintenance of your car that contributed to the accident — or something else. Let’s take a closer look at how poor maintenance can sometimes cause car accidents.
How Can Poor Maintenance Contribute to Car Accidents?
Poor maintenance can do more than contribute to your being in a car accident; you can also be held liable for the accident if it’s later determined that issues from lack of maintenance contributed to the crash. That’s why it’s crucial to ensure that your vehicle receives routine maintenance.
There are numerous scenarios where a warning sign about your car gets ignored and leads to an altercation on the road. They can include the following:
Cracked Windshields
Why worry about a small crack in your windshield? If you’re in a car accident, the insurance company could determine that the crack obstructed your view, restricted your response time, and helped cause your accident. Left unattended, that cracked windshield can weaken your compensation following a collision.
Having Your Brakes Checked
If it seems like it’s harder to get your brakes to work, don’t assume that’s natural as the car ages. It can be a warning sign that your brake pads are worn out and need to be replaced. Brakes can fail for a number of reasons, including a defective brake hose, low brake fluid, a possible manufacturer defect, or too much moisture. Brakes perform one of the most crucial functions of a car. If you haven’t done regular brake maintenance, that can work against you in a civil claim following an accident.
Low or Bald Tires
Discovering your car has a flat tire is annoying — but having a blowout on the highway means you’ll likely lose control of your car, a scary situation if you’re on a busy freeway. Having bald tires or ones that are visibly low on air is risky if you ignore it, and that’s particularly true if you’re driving an SUV, since poor tire maintenance can increase the risk of a rollover during an accident.
Headlights and Windshield Wipers
Safe driving is enhanced by having headlights and wipers that work properly. If you drive much at night, you need to replace your headlights to ensure you get the visibility you need. If your headlights stop working and another driver can’t see your vehicle, that’s a recipe for disaster. If your windshield wipers malfunction during a heavy rainstorm or during snow, that reduces your visibility and increases the risk of a collision.
Vehicle maintenance is a key aspect of road safety and regular maintenance will help prevent a breakdown or system failure while you’re on the road. Every time you put off a vehicle maintenance check, that increases the odds of being involved in a crash, putting yourself and others in danger. That’s why many states require annual or two-year safety inspections. Still, if your state does not require these inspections, you can still be liable for a crash due to poor vehicle maintenance..
If you’ve been in an accident and you don’t believe it was due to poor maintenance of your car, it’s possible it could be the fault of the other driver involved in the collision or a manufacturer defect. If you think your injuries were caused by the poor maintenance of another vehicle, talk to an attorney today.
Experienced Louisiana Car Accident Lawyers Near You
Every moment you don’t contact an experienced car accident attorney to help you with your claim is a potential dollar lost in your settlement. In Louisiana, the attorneys with E. Orum Young Law have decades of experience negotiating with insurers to reach fair settlements for their clients. E. Orum Young Law strives to handle all the complex legwork necessary to pursue a successful claim so you can focus on healing. We have more than 35 years of experience protecting Louisiana drivers and are ready to fight for you.
Call (318) 450-6453 or complete our contact form for a free case evaluation. Our Trial Guarantee ensures that we will take your case to trial if you’re ever dissatisfied with the initial outcome.
