Proper Maintenance Saves Money And Saves Lives
Michael Babboni
Car Accidents
As a personal injury law firm, we’ve seen more than a few cases where a little basic maintenance could have averted a tragedy. With premises liability laws, also known as “slip and fall” laws, a property owner has a responsibility not only to create a safe environment (or at least one whose dangers are properly labeled), but also to keep up maintenance so that dangerous situations don’t arise out of what used to be safe.Car Maintenance
No matter the make or the model of your vehicle of choice, it needs regular checkups the same as you. That means changing your oil every 3 months or 3000 miles, of course, but it also means having an expert periodically take a look at everything from your engine fluids to your battery to your tire pressure.
Some fluids are absolutely vital, like radiator coolant and brake fluid, but even windshield wiper fluid can be very important under the right circumstances, such as driving behind another car on a muddy road. If you drive off the road because you can’t see and you can’t see because you forgot to top off your wiper fluid, then you really can’t blame someone else for your accident.
Tire pressure can also be easy to overlook. After all, while your car manual may be strict about the best pressure level, tires can survive fairly well with too much or too little air. However, the tire’s inflation level can change which part of it makes contact with ground, with overinflated tires putting too much stress on the middle and under-inflated tires putting all the weight on the sides. When this happens, one part of the tire will wear thin quickly and make the tire dangerously slippery.
At best, you’ve shortened the lifespan of your tire and you’ve forced yourself to buy new ones early. At worst, you’re driving on an accident waiting to happen, and because you didn’t treat your tires right you’re the responsible party, not the car company, not the tire manufacturer, and not anybody else who may have been involved in the accident.
Home Maintenance
Much of home maintenance is making sure your property is in good repair and your furnace and air conditioner are working as efficiently as possible, but some aspects of maintenance are about making sure that there are no dangerous situations waiting to go off.
For instance, you need to check that your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are in proper working condition every month, because not only can they save your life, your homeowner’s or renter’s insurance may decide that you’re partly at fault for failing to keep up proper maintenance and award you a smaller settlement.
For similar reasons, you should also regularly check for potential fire hazards. This includes obvious stuff like making sure you keep any oily, greasy rags you don’t immediately wash in a metal container, but it also means making sure there’s a clear path to the fire exits and that all the doors in your home can close properly. A closed door is an excellent way to slow down a fire, and if a door sticks open then it could directly impact how quickly a flame can spread.
It’s always a good idea to take care of yourself, but taking care of yourself doesn’t stop with keeping your body clean and healthy. It also means making sure that your surroundings are in good condition, too, because an accident can hurt you as surely as any bacteria or virus. So whether or not you own a car and whether you rent or own, you should always make sure you keep everything in good shape.