Negligent Auto Body Repair? Here’s How to Protect Your Rights

Motorists rely on their vehicles for daily commutes, long-distance travel, and recreational trips. However, passenger cars and trucks require regular maintenance and occasional repair. 

If you’ve been involved in a collision or accident, you may find yourself searching for auto body repair nearby. Finding the right automotive repair shop can be difficult, but it’s critical to do so.

Hiring a disreputable or negligent auto body repair shop can result in further costs and losses. Unfortunately, some careless and inadequately trained motor vehicle technicians do more harm than good.  

Faulty automotive repair isn’t just inconvenient and frustrating—in some instances, this type of negligence can result in severe car crashes and catastrophic personal injuries. 

If you or someone you love has been injured due to defective auto body work, don’t wait. Seek legal guidance from the caring team at America’s largest personal injury firm, Morgan & Morgan. 

Our compassionate tort lawyers know how to hold negligent businesses and companies accountable. We firmly believe that all victims deserve compensation when another party’s carelessness has caused them harm. 

Fill out our brief contact form to schedule a no-cost legal consultation with our team, with no obligation to hire us. We look forward to working with you to recover the compensation you need to deal with your injuries.

What Are Dangers of Negligent Auto Body Repair?

When you seek out auto body repair nearby, you may be in a rush to get your vehicle road-ready. Many people need their vehicles to get to work, school, and other places. In the modern world, automobiles keep people’s lives on track. 

If your car or truck isn’t working, it can be an urgent problem. Even so, it’s important to remember that the reliability of repairs is as important as the speed. 

Auto mechanics may need to adjust, repair, or replace car or truck components to fix an issue. Repair technicians have a duty to provide their clients with a reasonable standard of service.  

Mechanics shouldn’t be negligent in their duties and should use the skills, knowledge, and professionalism their training bestows. Those who fail to meet the appropriate standard may cause their customers significant problems and issues. 

To fulfill their professional duty, mechanics must always:  

• Ensure that the repaired vehicle is road-ready
• Engage in repairs to which the customer agreed
• Only make necessary repairs
• Possess the skills and knowledge expected of professional mechanics 

There are many circumstances in which the repairs on your vehicle may qualify as “negligent.” When looking for auto body repair nearby, you have the right to expect a reasonable quality of service. 

Some of the most typical examples of negligent motor vehicle work include: 

• Damaging vehicular components while performing repairs
• Failing to properly diagnose obvious problems or issues
• Failure to fully repair damaged vehicular components
• Installing inappropriate or unnecessary parts
• Not following proper procedures when repairing a vehicle 

These are only a few examples of negligent automotive work. Many different scenarios may result in a valid auto body negligence claim. 

Review the facts of your case with one of the seasoned legal professionals at Morgan and Morgan. Our attorneys have a thorough understanding of the laws and statutes related to this type of case. 

Negligent businesses should be held accountable for the harm they cause their customers. If you’ve suffered an accident or injury due to substandard auto body repair, reach out to Morgan & Morgan today.

How to Provide Negligence in an Auto Body Repair Case?

To hold a mechanic or auto body shop accountable in a civil claim, you’ll need to show that they were negligent. In legal contexts, negligence can be challenging to prove. 

As such, it’s best to collect as much evidence as possible to support your claim and secure the services of a knowledgeable legal representative. One of the skilled lawyers at Morgan and Morgan will use the documents and other evidence in your case to show that the at-fault party was negligent.  

You’ll need to prove that the repair shop in question failed to provide you with a reasonable standard of care. To recover financial compensation, you’ll also need to show that the mechanic’s negligence led to your injury or property damage. 

In other words, the substandard service must be the reason you sustained actual financial or personal harm, and the harm you’ve suffered must be of a type that can be compensated in monetary terms.  

Consulting with an attorney can help you better understand the possible compensation in your auto body repair case. Fortunately, the compassionate tort lawyers at Morgan & Morgan have decades of experience fighting on behalf of negligence victims.

What Are Common Types of Financial Damages in Personal Injury and Accident Claims?

When a negligent mechanic’s substandard work has caused you to sustain property damage or an injury, you may be entitled to compensation.

In most civil tort claims, plaintiffs can pursue two types of monetary awards. These payments are also known as “damages.” Many successful personal injury claims result in both “special” and “general” damages for the plaintiff.

What Are Special Damages?

The first type of compensatory payment, special damages, is meant to make up for the negligence victim’s direct financial costs. If your car has been improperly repaired, you’re likely to suffer additional financial challenges.  

For instance, suppose you hire a shop for auto body repair nearby to repair your car’s steering system, and your mechanic returns the car without fully addressing the problem. 

This oversight may cause your vehicle to become uncontrollable and dangerous. If you’re involved in a crash because of shoddy repair work, the at-fault party may owe you special damages for the resulting financial costs. For example, you may need to repair your car’s frame following the collision.

Some of the typical examples of special damages in these cases are: 

• Property damage caused by defective repairs
• Vehicular replacement
• Lost wages and income due to inability to work
• Past and current medical bills
• Anticipated future medical care costs
• In-home care, if needed
• Decreased long-term earning ability 

The knowledgeable team at Morgan and Morgan will review the financial documentation related to your claim. A skilled personal injury attorney can assess the special damages you’re owed by examining the following types of documents: 

• Receipts
• Invoices
• Bills
• Other relevant financial records 

It’s typically easy for an experienced lawyer to calculate the special damages in an accident or injury case. When you have one of the skilled tort attorneys at Morgan & Morgan representing you, you can rest assured that the at-fault party will be held responsible for the full value of your claim.

What Are General Damages?

General damages are the other common type of financial payment in successful injury claims.

The most obvious costs and losses that victims experience are financial. However, personal injuries can also result in a range of significant and devastating personal consequences. Injury victims typically undergo severely negative experiences for which they deserve compensation. 

Some of the typical examples of general damages in personal injury claims are: 

• Physical pain and suffering
• Embarrassment and ostracization
• Emotional turmoil and anguish
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Loss of the ability to enjoy life
• Anxiety, depression, and panic disorder
• Miscellaneous psychological harm 

Insurance providers often attempt to devalue these losses. It’s therefore vital to hire a legal representative to help you secure the total amount of general damages in your case.

General damages in a personal injury claim can be difficult to calculate accurately, as there are no receipts or bills to help you determine an appropriate amount of monetary compensation. 

Greedy insurance corporations often attempt to pad their bottom lines by denying injury victims the general damages they’re owed. Don’t allow this to happen to you if you’ve been harmed as a result of defective auto body repairs.  

The seasoned legal professionals at Morgan and Morgan won’t allow an uncooperative opposing party to undervalue your claim. We’ll work diligently to recover every dime you’re rightfully entitled.

How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Faulty Auto Body Repair Attorney?

When the negligent actions of a person or business have caused you harm, it’s critical to get legal guidance. Accident and injury victims are often understandably concerned about the perceived costs of hiring a tort attorney. 

Fortunately, the skilled legal professionals at Morgan & Morgan are compensated through a contingency approach. In other words, our clients aren’t required to pay any attorneys’ fees before the completion of their case. 

Our compassionate lawyers know that victims usually face major financial challenges as a result of their accidents or injuries. When one of our lawyers agrees to take your case, you won’t pay a penny until we recover compensation for you. 

Our legal team will agree to represent you in exchange for a specific percentage of the monetary award from your claim. You won’t pay anything unless and until we settle or win your case. 

Don’t hire a lawyer who requires you to pay attorneys’ fees before obtaining money in your personal injury case. At Morgan and Morgan, we only get paid if you do.

How Long Do I Have to File a Defective Auto Repair Claim?

Laws at the state level determine how long injury victims have to file claims for compensation. This legal time limit is known as the “statute of limitations.” 

The statute of limitations on faulty auto body repair claims varies from state to state. However, it’s always best to speak with a lawyer as soon as possible. 

The legal team at America’s premier tort law firm will help you pursue financial compensation before it’s too late. Filing a claim after the relevant statute of limitations has passed will most likely result in the dismissal of your accident or injury case.

Will My Tort Claim Go to Trial?

Most civil accident and injury claims don't go to a courtroom trial. Typically, the victim and the at-fault party reach a settlement without the need for a formal lawsuit. 

However, sometimes a trial is necessary. Because of this, you should have qualified legal representation to help you get the money you need.

Don’t allow a tightfisted insurance company to pay you less than the total value of your case. Let Morgan & Morgan take the lead.

Speak With an Attorney Following Faulty Auto Body Repair

Negligent mechanics can cause their clients to experience serious financial and personal damage. When this happens, victims may be entitled to monetary recovery. 

Contact the accomplished litigators at Morgan and Morgan to review the details of your legal claim. Complete our quick contact form online to arrange a free meeting to determine your legal options.