Drivers have a duty to maintain their vehicles and have any issues addressed within a reasonable period of time. If they neglect maintenance, they may put themselves and others at risk. Residents of Georgia should also know that owners are more likely to neglect it the older their vehicle is.
Older vehicles are in the majority of auto accidents involving defective equipment. For instance, the Ohio Highway Patrol analyzed the past three years’ worth of defect-related crash data in their state and found that 56% of these crashes were caused by model year 1999-2008 vehicles. Twenty-four percent were the fault of drivers in model year 2009-2018 vehicles. It stated that brake failure and blown tires were the catalyst for most of the accidents. A significant portion of fatal defect-related crashes (42%) were the result of tire blowouts.
More people are relying on their older vehicles rather than purchasing new ones, many of which are, after all, expensive. Newer cars are costly to maintain as well; for instance, a bumper replacement may cost $200 in an older car but $1,000 in a newer one. A well-maintained vehicle could last some 15 years, too. Still, the chances of defect-related crashes go up the more older vehicles there are on the road.
When motor vehicle accidents are the result of drivers who failed to maintain their vehicles, then those who were injured may be able to pursue a claim against the other side’s insurance company. As they may face strong opposition, victims may want an attorney to represent them. The attorney may bring in third parties like crash investigators and medical experts to build up the case before heading off to negotiations.
