Proper Vehicle Maintenance Can Reduce Car Accidents
When you are aware that your vehicle requires maintenance, but you put it off until later, are you aware that you are increasing the odds of your vehicle causing a traffic accident? Every driver on the road owes a duty of care to other drivers to drive as safely as possible and to keep their vehicle in safe, working order. When you slack off about taking care of your car, you are putting yourself and others in potential danger.
Many states require annual or every two years safety inspections for vehicles where the motor vehicles department checks things like emissions, lights, brakes and tires, but Florida no longer requires vehicle inspections. But this does not mean that Floridians are not held accountable for maintaining the safety of their vehicles. Law enforcement has the authority to write tickets when they see drivers operating their vehicles with malfunctioning equipment.
If you should become injured in a car crash that was caused by negligent maintenance on the at-fault driver’s vehicle, you may hold them liable and bring legal action against them. The following are some examples of vehicle maintenance or defects that can cause an accident, or make an accident worse:
- Worn tires/ tire blowouts
- Brakes
- Crack in the windshield
- Windshield wipers–no wiper fluid
- Headlights/taillights– not bright enough, turn signals not working, brake lights not working
- Steering and vehicle suspension system defects
- Missing mirrors
There are certain vehicle maintenance items such as brakes or headlights that are obvious as to how they might cause or contribute to a traffic crash. Maintenance issues that can cause accidents can include the bald tires the prevented you from stopping quickly for the vehicle in front of you that stopped suddenly, the dim headlights on a cloudy night that keep you from seeing that pedestrian in the crosswalk ahead of you, the break light that is out that caused you to get rear-ended, or the broken side mirror that does not allow you to see that car hanging out in your blind spot.
When every driver is responsible about maintaining the safety of their vehicle, it makes driving safer for everyone.
Have you been seriously hurt in a car accident that was caused or made worse by poor maintenance? We encourage you to call Yeboah Law Group, P.A. for a free consultation to discuss your case. We take car accident cases throughout South Florida on a contingency fee basis. Our Fort Lauderdale truck accident lawyers can be reached by calling (800) TELL-SAM or completing our contact form.
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