Of the over three hundred million people in the United States, about six million will experience a car accident in 2013–That means one out of every fifty people in our nation. Car accidents in the United States are commonly viewed as simple collisions between two or more vehicles; however, that accounts for a smaller percentage of car accidents than you might think. Mechanical failure is also a huge factor in vehicular accidents, whether those failures result from a manufacturer defect, or from negligent auto maintenance. Accidents may result from environmental conditions such as hail or flooding, or from a poorly maintained road or parking lot. Unfortunately, nearly all car accidents in the United States are preventable, which means that in most cases it would be advisable to consult with a New Mexico personal injury attorney if you are involved in an auto accident. You may find that blame for the incident lies with any one of the following:

• Vehicle manufacturer

• Owner or maintainer of the property on which the incident occurred

• Those responsible for creating any environmental hazard that contributed to an accident

• Other drivers involved in that accident

• Manufacturer of the vehicle component which failed prior to an accident

• Individual or company which performed maintenance on vehicle which led to the collision

Car Accidents Due to Mechanical Failure

Two types of liability exist under the category of mechanical failure: liability against manufacturers, and liability against individuals or companies which service vehicles. News shows are rife with condemning stories on vehicle or component failures which cost lives. One of the most astonishing examples was Ford’s massive public indictment–which led to a recall–of the Ford Explorer. Those vehicles were improperly balanced, allowing them to tip over far too easily in some turn situations. The result may have been over two hundred deaths. The case also led to a recall from Firestone Tires, which severely damaged the company’s reputation.

Improper or negligent maintenance may also contribute to an accident. When a driver ignores his or her mechanic’s warnings to get a brake job, and those brakes fail, an accident–fatal or otherwise–may result. Other examples of negligent maintenance include:

• Failure to get an oil change, resulting in destruction of the engine

• Improper tire maintenance, leading to tire failure and resulting car accident

• Allowing wiper blades to fail, obscuring driver vision during inclement weather

• Rough driving, causing early failure of brakes, transmission, etc.

Car Accidents Between Two or More Vehicles

The most known cause of car accidents is, of course, a vehicular collision. Such collisions might be as simple as a scrape in a car parking lot, or as horrific as a high speed head-on collision. Factors known to result in vehicular collision are many, though the most common cause is impaired driving. Examples of impaired driving are all too familiar:

• Drunk Driving

• Texting or speaking on the phone while driving

• Driving while fatigued

• Driving while physically impaired due to injury or sickness

• Driving under the influence of drugs, legal or otherwise