Overall, when you are out and about on highways and interstates you barely see an accident taking place. This is because most drivers are good at steering their vehicle in such a way that an accident typically never happens. There are times when a car needs to stop quickly and its brakes fail.
An accident could easily take place, often involving hitting another vehicle. Brakes could fail because of a product defect or because of improper fitting by a mechanic. In either case, there may be an opportunity to make a personal injury claim against the manufacturer of the brakes, the distributor of the brakes or the car yard that fitted them. You may need to talk to a personal injury attorney first who may help you make a personal injury claim you deserve.
The Cost of an Accident When Brakes Fail
The cost of a brake failure is likely to be far higher than the cost of replacing the brakes themselves. When brakes fail it typically ends up with a rear end accident. This could do quite a variety of damage to the bumper and rear end of your vehicle. Even more serious accidents could happen, including injuries to the occupants of the car that had the defective brakes.
A starting figure for the costs of repairs to a damaged bumper alone could be in the region of a few hundred dollars. However, if the impact took place at high speed even more damage could be inflicted on the rear end of the vehicle. This could lead to a repair bill of $10,000 or more. Overall the repair to the vehicle is likely to be high and would leave a big hole in the pocket of the driver who didn’t cause the accident.
Evidence is Needed to Prove Fault In an Accident Involving a Car’s Brakes
Brake failure is a serious defect and it is important that evidence that the brakes were defective or that they were not fitted properly is used to support a claim. In most cases, the repair yard will provide a detailed report about the brakes and their condition and give an insight into why they failed. It is probably not a good idea to take the car to the same auto body shop that fitted the brakes if you suspect that they were not fitted properly!
The total repair bill could run into thousands of dollars and your car may even be totaled because of a brake failure, so the evidence of a catastrophic brake failure is essential to claim meaningful compensation.
Reasons to Work With a Lawyer
Not all claims for accidents involving brakes will be won by the victim. It may be necessary to call on the expertise of a personal injury attorney who will be more forceful when dealing with the manufacturer, distributor or whoever else was responsible for the defective brakes.
Insurers will find any way of getting out of paying the full amount of an accident claim due to brakes. To speak with a lawyer that will know who to handle tough insurers, fill out the Free Case Evaluation on this page.
