Mechanic fixed auto engine, then it caught fire

What is the name of your state?New York

My car was inspected by an auto mechanic who told me that it would fail the safety inspection if I did not replace a gasket as oil was leaking on to the engine and could cause a fire or could cause smoke to enter the car through the heater/ac. He repaired/replaced the gasket and cleaned the emissions system, including the engine. This was three days ago. I loaned the car to my brother in law who took the car to a job interview out of state. The engine caught fire while he was driving it today. Can I sue the mechanic? What are my options here?

Maybe. Which gasket was replaced? What was the source of the fire?

I'm not sure the name of the gasket that was replaced. The cost of the repair (of the gasket anyway) was only $90 dollars. The source of the fire was the engine. He said it was burning oil. Of course I will know more once he returns home and I see the report from the fire department, etc.

Depending on the Damage to the car from the fire, no one may be able to say what the cause was , except to write Engine fire.

You could then not determine , or prove in court , what source under the hood caused the fire .

Was there a small fire that was extinguished , or was the car totally engulfed , and totaled ?

coribeth said:

Can I sue the mechanic?

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Of course you can sue the mechanic. Then, when you get to court, you're only going to have to be able to PROVE that the mechanic was responsible for the fire that occurred in a different state, with a different driver.
How EXACTLY are you going to do that???