It would be unusual for compression damage to occur solely as a result of a car accident. Compression damage is usually due to other factors influencing the compression inside the engine’s cylinders, such as old age, overheating, dirt in the fuel and so on.
Of course, if you have been involved in a head-on collision, your engine may have been damaged by the impact and many different components could have been affected, including the engine’s compression. You will need to know exactly what can be done to have your car repaired to its original condition before the collision before you submit a claim.
If the crash was sufficient to cause engine damage then you may have been injured as well. Talk to a personal injury lawyer about a possible claim as you would normally include the cost of medical treatment with the cost of repairing your car.
Filing a Claim for Compression Damage
As has been mentioned above, if you were injured in the accident, you should combine the damage to the car with the cost of the injury or injuries when you prepare a demand letter to the other driver’s insurer. Of course, this assumes that you believe that you were not to blame for the accident and that someone else was at fault.
All personal injury claims including property damage claims must provide proof of liability, i.e. that the person responsible for the accident had been behaving in a negligent manner and this negligence caused the damage to your car as well as any injuries.
When you file your claim eventually, make sure that you are doing so within the state’s statute of limitations for such a claim and that you include as much documentation as possible. Leaving details out such as repair quotes or bills for medical treatment can delay the payment of compensation.
Specific Evidence Needed for Proving Compression Damage
It’s not difficult proving compression damage, as all a mechanic needs to do is use a compression tester, a device which fits on to the cylinder head where a spark plug normally screws in. The difficulty is in proving that the compression failure was due to a specific accident, as this would be unusual unless there was other significant damage to the vehicle.
There should be clear signs of a head-on or side impact collision at the front of your vehicle that caused a severe knock to the engine. If you are in the vehicle when the accident happens and have a device that can take photos, you should take as many photos as possible of the vehicles as well as the damage done from different angles. Other evidence can come from eye witness reports, a police accident report and a detailed report from the car repair shop by a mechanic after examining your vehicle.
Why you Should Work with a PI Lawyer When Filing for Compression Damage
As your claim will depend on whether you were injured in the accident as well as the damage to your vehicle you may need to contact a personal injury lawyer to help with preparing a demand letter and presenting your claim to the at-fault driver’s insurer. The higher the amount you are expecting to claim, the more important it will be that you get effective legal representation. Fill out the Free Case Evaluation today!
