More people in Alabama and the rest of the U.S. are choosing to get the most out of their vehicles rather than buy new ones. This stands to reason as a car can last a good 15 years and run for up to 300,000 miles, assuming that it’s well-maintained. The problem is that many owners of older vehicles will neglect maintenance, including routine tasks like brake checks and tire replacement.

It’s not surprising, then, that many auto accidents that involve defective vehicle parts are caused by older vehicles. The Ohio Highway Patrol found this out after analyzing the defect-related crashes that had occurred in their state in the previous three years. A total of 56% of these crashes were due to vehicles manufactured between 1999 and 2008 while 24% were due to model year 2009-2018 vehicles.

Blown tires and brake failure were the two leading factors in these incidents, the Ohio HP discovered. Tire blowouts, as one might expect, were especially deadly, contributing to 42% of fatal defect-related crashes.

According to AAA, the average car repair bill comes to between $500 and $600. Experts recommend that drivers repair any issues with their car as soon as possible despite any high upfront costs. This will prevent issues from growing and raising the risk for a crash.

Most motor vehicle collisions involve negligence of some kind, and failing to maintain a vehicle or to fix an issue within a reasonable amount of time is one example. Victims who believe they have good grounds for a personal injury claim should know that it might be hard to prove negligence. For example, there’s the question of what a “reasonable” amount of time would be. For this and other reasons, victims may want the advice and guidance of a lawyer.

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