When you purchase a vehicle from a car manufacturing retailer it is reasonable to assume the automobile meets the basic legal safety standards. However, after you have had a vehicle past its warranty period or if you have purchased a used vehicle, it is important to ensure that the vehicle you are driving is in proper condition before you get behind the wheel. The vehicle’s maintenance, post the manufacturer’s warranty, becomes the complete responsibility of the car’s owner and driver. Many states recommend or make mandatory yearly safety inspections to ensure the safety of the driver, passengers, and other vehicles that share the roadways is secure. Proper vehicle maintenance is important because one of the main causes of car accidents is poor automobile maintenance.
What Type of Maintenance Should a Vehicle Have Annually?
Proper vehicle maintenance includes preventative checkups and repairs that prevent unnecessary wear and tear on your vehicle and ensure the safety of your automobile. If you maintain your car on a regular basis then there is a fairly common list of important inspections. Brakes should be checked to make sure the pads are in good shape and secured tightly with no wear occurring on the rotor.1 Tires pressure and condition should regularly be checked to prevent under inflation, over inflation, or balding which all can contribute to a tire blowout.2 Suspension and Steering systems need to be tested regularly by servicing or replacing belts, pumps, or fluids to ensure there is no issues maneuvering or steering. As a driver it is important to be able to do your own basic inspection by checking your lights, the battery and cleaning any buildup on contacts, tire pressure, oil color and level, and other fluids such as antifreeze, coolant, or wiper fluid.3 These regular inspections and maintenance ensure that while you are behind the wheel you will be able to stop the car, use your wipers to clean the window during poor visibility conditions, that the car will not overheat, or so that you can steer to the car to avoid obstacles in the road. Without these regular inspections and proper maintenance any one or multiple vehicular failures could result in a serious personal injury accident or death.
Negligent Repairs or Maintenance
Sometimes poor automobile maintenance is not due to a driver’s failure to take his or her vehicle into the service station or dealer, but because the work performed was done so in an improper or negligent manner. This is why it is important to use a reputable repair shop or dealer when getting your car serviced. It is just as dangerous to improperly service a vehicle as it is to not service a vehicle at all. Service on your automobile should occur on a regular basis, but also when a failure or warning indicates maintenance is needed. For instance, ignoring dashboard warning lights or failure to address a factory recall when notice of the need to correct a manufacturing error exists, not only increases the risks of a serious auto accident, but it can also make an owner liable for accidents caused due to the malfunction or mechanical failures.
Contact an Experienced St. Louis Car Accident Lawyer for a Free Consultation
If you have been in a car accident possibly caused by poor vehicle maintenance it is important to discuss the circumstances of your accident with an experienced auto accident attorney who can help you to determine what claims should be filed and protect your rights and interests as a victim of a car accident. To contact an auto accident attorney for a free consultation please feel free to call the The Bruning Law Firm trial attorneys at 314-735-8100.
References:
