car damage

[jakie]

illinois. received repair for oil leak, immediately after the work the car started knocking and wheels and steering locked and the oil light came on. Car was towed back but shop denied being the cause of the problem. on the second trip i saw mechanic putting oil in the car. the car was inspected by a car dealer who said the oil pan flang hinge was bent and oil was all over the under side of the car. I was told the car had internal engine damage and needed to be replaced. shop would not pay for the damage. do i have enough cause to take then to court. i had to purchase another car and base on their approval also paid for car rental with no reinbursement. I would like to get paid for the price of car rental and the cost of the car I had to purchase. previous car was paid for, was 5 years old 83000 miles and in very good running condition. did not have money for the new engine, used old car as tradin for new one.

 

[Third Party]

Ups and Downs

If they were responsible for the oil leak, which after moderate use yielded a damaged engine, then they are responsible for the damage. But you presented a few problems. First off, you sold the car. Thus you do not seek to repair, but you seek to be paid the lost value of the car in the trade. You had it inspected not by a mechanic, but by a car dealer? This will not carry too much weight. And you have the burden of proving that the damage was due to their work. And since you sold the car and can no longer get a mechanic to evaluate it, you will have a really hard time proving matters. If you can prove it, you would also be entitled for reimbursement of reasonable expenses that resulted from the damage, like the car rental. (Hopefully you never rented the car excessively.)


A$$ Saver aka…
Disclaimer:
I hope this is tidbit of fiction is helpful. Again, I am not an attorney. Do not perceive this as legal advice. You should consult an attorney to answer your questions. Do not rely on this advice. Forget you ever read it. You are not a client. I am not an attorney. This is merely babble in the wind.