Can You Sue A Mechanic For An Injury? | Tyroler Leonard Injury Law

While many car accidents are the result of another person’s negligence, there are circumstances where a defective part or mechanical error directly contributed to the crash. If you brought your car to a mechanic and believe that errors during the repair later caused you to have an accident, you may be wondering whether you can sue a mechanic for negligence. Our Wisconsin and Minnesota car accident lawyers can help with your claim. We’ll investigate the accident and look for evidence that shows who was at fault, potentially including the mechanic. Learn more about how we can help after your injury accident.

Understanding Negligence and Defective Mechanic Work

If you took your car in for a repair and the negligent work of a mechanic caused you to have an accident, you may have a claim for negligence directly against the repair shop or mechanic. Consumer laws do allow you to sue a vehicle repair shop or a mechanic for negligence if you believe the service provided was negligent.

Mechanics have a duty to properly repair a vehicle brought in for service. Consumers must show that instead of properly repairing a vehicle, the mechanic damaged the vehicle. This may occur because of installing a faulty or defective part or component or simply behaving recklessly or negligently by speeding through repair work without following the necessary checks and balances. If the repair shop had an untrained employee perform repairs without proper supervision, this could show negligence, too.

Additionally, a victim must show damages that resulted directly from the faulty repair. Victims can seek financial compensation for things like physical injuries, damage to the vehicle, financial losses from missed work, and pain and suffering.

Examples of Negligence Related to Mechanical Work

There are many examples of negligence that could result in damages, including:

Faulty repairs that result in an accident
Fraud
Failure to adhere to a car’s warranty requirements
Carelessness
Replacing parts with faulty or defective components
Poor workmanship
Incorrect parts being installed
Not fully or correctly repairing the damaged part
Damaging other parts of the vehicle as repairs are performed.

If you experienced any of the above, you may be able to sue a mechanic for negligence. Our experienced Wisconsin and Minnesota personal injury lawyers can help you determine whether you can sue a mechanic for negligence in your specific situation.

Pursuing a Claim Against a Mechanic or Repair Shop

There are many options available to you when pursuing a personal injury claim based on negligence. Consider contacting our experienced attorneys who can guide you through your options and help you understand all your legal rights. Every situation will have a unique set of facts and circumstances.

Settling Directly With the Mechanic

If you were in an accident because of a faulty repair, you may first want to try to settle directly with the repair shop. This may be the best option if the accident was small or if the only damage was to your vehicle.

However, if the mechanic or repair shop was part of a larger chain, discussions may need to occur with the corporate office to see if you can receive compensation for your injuries and losses. If you feel that a mechanic purposely or intentionally damaged your vehicle as part of larger fraud you can reach out to the Wisconsin Dept. of Justice consumer complaint department or the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office.

Pursuing a Personal Injury Claim

In some cases, you may have to file a personal injury claim. If an insurance company, mechanic, or repair shop fails to compensate a victim for the injury and losses stemming directly from their negligence, consider visiting with our personal injury attorneys to learn all your legal options. Try to hold onto any spare parts that may have been involved in the repair that you believe contributed to the accident and damage to your vehicle. Our legal team can gather expert opinions from other mechanics to establish that negligence occurred. If the mechanic put defective parts in your motor vehicle, the mechanic might not have known about the issue, but our Wisconsin or Minnesota defective product attorneys could still bring a claim against the manufacturer of the failed part.

Proving Negligence

Each state has its own criteria that will need to be met in order to prove that negligence occurred in your accident. There may also be unique laws and recovery options available to you, depending on where you live.

For example, in the state of Wisconsin, if you bring a negligence claim in small claims court and you are successful, Wisconsin Statute 100.20(5) lets you potentially recover financial costs for going to court and any potential legal fees you incurred. In Minnesota, laws regarding negligence are covered under Minnesota Statutes Chapter 604.

There are certain instances when a mechanic or a repair shop will not have legal responsibility for the outcome of a recommended repair. For example, if a mechanic recommends a course of action and you choose to not have the repair done, the mechanic is not liable for an accident that occurs after the consultation.

Do Defective Car Parts and Errors By Mechanics Frequently Cause Injury Accidents?

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) collected its latest data on the cause of accidents during a study of crashes from 2005 to 2007. According to the study, the vast majority of accidents (94%) are attributable to driver error. The study says about 2% of accidents occurred because of vehicular error or malfunction. Problems with tires, brakes, steering, or the engine were all part of the vehicular malfunction percentage.

The Minnesota Dept. of Public Safety also studied crashes to look for causes. Its study covered accidents in the state from 2020 to 2023. Defective brakes, steering components, tires, and suspensions all played a role in accidents during the study period. In total, these accidents involving a malfunctioning vehicle led to 2.4% of all accidents in the state. Some of the accidents in these studies occurred because of defective parts, while others occurred because a mechanic or car repair shop improperly installed the parts.

Even if a mechanic’s error or a defective part was not the primary cause of the accident, it might have partly contributed to the crash. The mechanic could be negligent in a situation like this. Our attorneys will investigate the crash and determine whether the mechanic’s actions potentially played a role in the accident.

Another Driver’s Mechanic Could Be Part of Your Injury Claim

If another driver’s car failed and led to an accident in which you suffered injuries, it’s possible that the other driver’s mechanic made an error during a recent repair that led to the crash. If so, our Minneapolis car accident law firm might be able to file a claim against the other driver’s mechanic. You can trust our team to do a thorough investigation, looking for all the information required to strengthen your injury claim.

We rarely expect mechanics or manufacturers of defective parts to admit fault in your case. This means our lawyers may have to put in extra hours to find evidence that the other driver’s mechanic played a role in causing the crash. We have extensive experience as investigators that we use to work toward the best possible outcome in your case.

Contact Our Experienced Car Accident Injury Attorneys Today

If you took a vehicle in for a repair and the faulty repair led to an accident, our experienced personal injury attorneys at Tyroler Leonard Injury Law can determine if you have the legal right to pursue compensation and justice for your injuries and losses. Our attorneys can help in several ways after your car accident, including by explaining all your legal options so you can make the best choice for your circumstance. Contact us today at 651-259-1113 to learn more during a free consultation.

Attorney Rachel Sperling Leonard

A partner of Tyroler Leonard Injury Law, Ms. Sperling Leonard practices exclusively in personal injury and wrongful death claims. Specifically, she specializes in car accidents, motorcycle accidents, boating accidents, dog bites, dog attacks, slip and falls, trip and falls, sexual assaults/abuse and other assaults. Some representative cases of Ms. Sperling Leonard’s in the last few years include: a $1 million settlement for an individual injured in a car crash, a $750,000.00 for a man injured when he slipped and fell, a $455,000.00 settlement for an individual injured after falling, and multiple $250,000.00 settlements for individuals injured in motorcycle and auto accidents, among many others. She frequently turns insurance company denials into fair-value offers.
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