Can I sue a car repair shop because they didnt fix my car right and got me into a accident?
Can I sue a car repair shop because they didnt fix my car right and got me into a accident?
When my AC stopped working, I found out the belt for A/C gone missing, so I went to this car repair shop and have them changed the belt for Steering wheel( because I can see wear on it) and added a new AC belt. One day later, when I was drving down the road, when I making a left turn, suddently the steering wheel became very heavy. and my car hit the side of the road and was heavyly damaged. After that I found out that belt felt off.
So am I able to sue them because of this?
Yes, I do have the papper works that shows they changed the belts for me and I paid with credit card too, so another record.
I dont have any witness, I have police report, and the belt fell off but still stuck on the AC belt which is right below it.
Answers:
Chris W: Sure can! Its called Neglegance. Good ol' America you can sue anyone for anything.
2006-08-28 23:33:56
2006-08-28 23:33:56
suenos: you better!
2006-08-28 23:35:06
2006-08-28 23:35:06
super682003: Good luck, I work in the automotive industry and I can tell you that the courts usually regard such complaints as frivolous and dismiss such cases. You would be better off choosing another repair shop.
2006-08-28 23:35:10
2006-08-28 23:35:10
mr.mister: Dude, tough break, but a lawyer somewhere is salivating. It sounds legit to me. Good Luck and Happy Hunting!!
2006-08-28 23:36:02
2006-08-28 23:36:02
College Student: yes if you have the receipt saying they changed the belt.
2006-08-28 23:36:12
2006-08-28 23:36:12
wyanehaltcher: it cost money to sue so if you are success in sueing then you make alot more then what you paid and yeah you should be able to sue him if you have proof and a good lawyer.
2006-08-28 23:36:30
2006-08-28 23:36:30
Tom: Perhaps, laws change from state to state.Call a lawyer.
2006-08-28 23:36:32
2006-08-28 23:36:32
dcw13: Yes, if you got the paper work to prove that they installed a brand new steering belt and the new belt fell off.
But before you sue, have anyother shop check your power steering pump.
Because if the pump itself is frozen in place ( will not turn), then its not their problem. A frozen pump will strip off any belt, even a new one.
2006-08-28 23:36:34
2006-08-28 23:36:34
Norton N: You would be better off trying to guilt them into fixing your car, a lawyer will cost you and them probably more than the repair.
Be a reasonable consumer.
2006-08-28 23:38:16
2006-08-28 23:38:16
brokolay: Talk to a lawyer.
2006-08-28 23:38:26
2006-08-28 23:38:26
aristotle2600: Provided the belt came off because of their negligence, and you can convince a jury (or judge) of that, then yes, you have a good chance of winning a lawsuit. If it is painfully obvious you will win, they may even settle rather than risk a jury awarding you alot. Consult an attorney for more details.
2006-08-28 23:38:33
2006-08-28 23:38:33
AO: I am not sure where you come from. What I would do in the first place is to write a letter to the repair shop and complain to them the accident that you were involved in was due to the bad workmanship on their part and subsequently you were involved in an accident as the result of their negligence. You should also put the blame on them and request a full compesation on the repair to your car. You must put it in writing and then follow up with a letter from your attorney. Give them time to respond and it could well be that they are prepared to accept the responsibility to get your car fixed at their cost. The repair shop would have a insurance to cover their cost. If you did not get a satisfactory outcome, then take the next step, ie legal action.
2006-08-28 23:45:17
2006-08-28 23:45:17
Chosen Answer
Dan S: It sound like the grounds for a law suit to me. If the accident was caused by the loss of the belt they replaced, then they are responsible, if it happened on the day after they serviced your car then their warranty should still be in effect. Your accident should be covered by their insurance carrier. Check the fine print on the documents they gave you. They should have an insurance company. In that case it will be a war between the insurance companies, assuming you are insured against accidents. Regardless of the state of your insurance the Car Repair Shop gave you sloppy service that lead directly to your accident, so they are at fault. You will need to get proof that that happened. If you have insurance, then call your company and let an adjuster handle it. If you don't have insurance then you will have to go to a body shop and get an appraisal. If the car is a modern one and heavily damaged then the insurance company is likely to total it. Modern cars are safer, but they do that at the cost of the vehicle. Once those crumple zones have been broken, and once the frame is bent the car is considered damaged beyond repair. Ditto if the engine was damaged, because the cost of a new one and the labor required to replace it is often more than the value of the car. The problem is getting the proof. Did a police officer file a report? Where there any witness? When did you discover the steering belt was missing, do you still have the belt? If you do then you got a chance, if not then it may be a case of he said, she said. The key issue is that belt. If it can be examined and shown that it was defective or somehow caused your accident then you got a chance for a law suit.
2006-08-28 23:49:17
Dan S: It sound like the grounds for a law suit to me. If the accident was caused by the loss of the belt they replaced, then they are responsible, if it happened on the day after they serviced your car then their warranty should still be in effect. Your accident should be covered by their insurance carrier. Check the fine print on the documents they gave you. They should have an insurance company. In that case it will be a war between the insurance companies, assuming you are insured against accidents. Regardless of the state of your insurance the Car Repair Shop gave you sloppy service that lead directly to your accident, so they are at fault. You will need to get proof that that happened. If you have insurance, then call your company and let an adjuster handle it. If you don't have insurance then you will have to go to a body shop and get an appraisal. If the car is a modern one and heavily damaged then the insurance company is likely to total it. Modern cars are safer, but they do that at the cost of the vehicle. Once those crumple zones have been broken, and once the frame is bent the car is considered damaged beyond repair. Ditto if the engine was damaged, because the cost of a new one and the labor required to replace it is often more than the value of the car. The problem is getting the proof. Did a police officer file a report? Where there any witness? When did you discover the steering belt was missing, do you still have the belt? If you do then you got a chance, if not then it may be a case of he said, she said. The key issue is that belt. If it can be examined and shown that it was defective or somehow caused your accident then you got a chance for a law suit.
2006-08-28 23:49:17