Faulty Repair Accident Claims

A car accident caused by a faulty repair is one of the more complicated personal injury situations a driver can face, because the party most responsible for your injuries may not be another driver on the road. It could be the mechanic who worked on your vehicle last week or the repair shop that sent you home in a car that wasn’t safe to drive. 

Arizona law allows victims to hold those parties directly accountable, but building that case requires a different approach than a standard collision claim, and the repair shop’s insurer will work hard to make sure you don’t succeed.

A Phoenix auto accident attorney at Gage Mathers understands how these claims are built and what it takes to overcome the arguments that repair shops and their insurers routinely raise. Whether the negligence is straightforward or the facts are contested, we have the resources and the legal experience to investigate what went wrong and pursue the full compensation you deserve.

The Role of the Repair Shop

Mechanics don’t need to be licensed in Arizona, but many are. Regardless, customers expect the person working on their car to have the skills necessary to ensure that the vehicle is safe to drive.

That said, accidents caused by negligent repairs are more common than you might expect. They are often caused by the mechanic not correcting a problem, missing a significant issue, not installing replacement parts correctly, not following maintenance protocols and procedures, accidentally damaging the car while doing a repair, or leaving something inside the engine.

Proving an Accident Is Due to a Faulty Repair

In Arizona, the repair shop or mechanic is usually responsible for an accident caused by a faulty repair. They could be held liable for property damage, medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering.

Proving an accident was caused by a faulty repair can get complicated. The repair shop may try to deflect responsibility by saying the accident was a result of poor driving or skipped maintenance after they worked on the car.

Some of the ways you can tell a faulty repair is responsible for an accident are if the repair was done recently, there were ongoing problems after the repair, or signs of a malfunction cropped up immediately after the service.

To support a claim that the accident was the shop’s fault, evidence needs to be collected, and an accident fault determination needs to be made. This may involve an in-depth review of the work order, photographs of the faulty repair and accident scene, police reports, medical records, maintenance and repair history, video surveillance of the scene and surrounding area, road and weather conditions, and more. Attorneys also often hire third-party mechanics and accident reconstruction specialists to analyze and provide expert opinions.

Steps to Prove an Accident Was Caused by a Faulty Repair

1. Check the timing: See if the accident happened soon after the repair was completed.
2. Watch for warning signs: Note if the vehicle showed continued or new issues after service.
3. Collect documentation: Keep repair invoices, photos, police reports, and medical records.
4. Seek expert opinions: Get an independent mechanic or accident expert to review the repair.
5. Contact an attorney: A lawyer can connect the evidence and pursue fair compensation.

Quick Tip: The stronger the paper trail and expert support, the easier it is to show the repair directly caused the accident.

When the Repair Shop Pushes Back and the Case Gets More Complex

Repair shops and their insurers rarely accept fault without a fight. Understanding the defenses they typically raise helps you see why having an attorney from the start makes such a significant difference.

One of the most common arguments a shop will make is that any problem with the vehicle predated their work. They may claim the issue was caused by deferred maintenance on the owner’s part, pointing to service gaps in the vehicle’s history as evidence that the failure had nothing to do with what their technician did. 

Another common tactic is attributing the accident to driver error, arguing that how the vehicle was operated contributed to or caused the crash regardless of any repair issue. These arguments are designed to dilute or eliminate the shop’s share of liability under Arizona’s comparative negligence rules, so the more clearly the evidence links the repair to the failure, the less traction those defenses gain.

There is also a scenario that can change the nature of the claim entirely. If an independent mechanical expert examines the vehicle and determines that the part used in the repair was itself defective, rather than the labor being at fault, the claim may shift from a negligence case against the shop to a product liability case against the manufacturer or parts supplier. 

These are distinct legal theories with different standards and different defendants. A product liability claim does not require proving the shop acted carelessly; it requires showing the part was defective and that the defect caused the accident. An experienced attorney will identify which theory applies, or whether both apply, and structure the case accordingly.

Both of these complications underscore why preserving the vehicle and all related documentation immediately after the accident is so important. Once a vehicle is repaired again or scrapped, the physical evidence supporting your claim may be gone.

A Skilled Attorney Is Essential

Arizona is a comparative negligence state. This means that if different parties are found to each be partially responsible for an accident, the accident compensation for mechanical failure is shared according to the percentage of responsibility.

If you believe a recent repair caused your car accident, it’s crucial to contact Gage Mathers as soon as possible to discuss next steps. An reputable personal injury attorney will give you an honest opinion about the potential for a settlement and compile and present evidence to strengthen your claim.

The Gage Mathers Law Group has five decades of proven experience winning cases for victims in personal liability cases. Contact us today to learn about our 99% success rate, how we recovered $275 million for our clients, and what we can do for you!

About the Author

Joseph D'Aguanno

Guided by the belief that being a highly skilled specialist in a narrow field is better than being ordinary in everything, Joseph “JD” D’Aguanno leads Arizona’s best personal injury law firm in Phoenix, AZ. Having extensive cross-training in pre-litigation negotiations and trial lawyer skills, with decades of experience, JD strives to provide clients with the most valuable legal services a personal injury lawyer can provide. Under his direction, Gage Mathers Law Group is an award-winning personal injury law firm providing aggressive representation to victims of a car accident, medical malpractice, dog bite, motorcycle accident, and other injurious events. Gage Mathers is trusted by thousands of lawyers and clients throughout the country because of their reputation for getting clients the maximum compensation they deserve.

Years of experience: Over 24 years
Bar number: 020421
Location: Phoenix, AZ
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