I took my car in to get recommended maintenance done:
Timing belt
Tune up
Water pump
VW Jetta 2004 at 100,000 miles. Car has been running PERFECTLY fine up till this point and this was necessary maintenance for this many miles.
I dropped car off at the same place I have been taking my car for years. Yesterday I picked the car up and while on my way home at a red light the car stalled. Then wouldn't turn over, then started smoking, I got out of the car, and opened the hood at which point flames erupted from the engine compartment.
I moved away from the vehicle where I proceeded to watch it become engulfed in flames until fire and police arrived to extinguish the the fire.
The car is 100% totaled. I have spoken with my insurance company and will hear from the adjuster come Monday. I left a message with the auto repair place and they called me back and asked me about the incident and said they will contact their insurance company Monday as well.
Questions:
What legal recourse do I have? (I understand the burden of proof is on me to prove that the auto repair facility did something that caused this.)
Will the insurance company send an investigator out to figure out how this started?
Is it worth pursuing a suit against the service shop? (The vehicle caught on fire with me in it, so my life was definitely at risk.)
Respectfully,
TH
Timing belt
Tune up
Water pump
VW Jetta 2004 at 100,000 miles. Car has been running PERFECTLY fine up till this point and this was necessary maintenance for this many miles.
I dropped car off at the same place I have been taking my car for years. Yesterday I picked the car up and while on my way home at a red light the car stalled. Then wouldn't turn over, then started smoking, I got out of the car, and opened the hood at which point flames erupted from the engine compartment.
I moved away from the vehicle where I proceeded to watch it become engulfed in flames until fire and police arrived to extinguish the the fire.
The car is 100% totaled. I have spoken with my insurance company and will hear from the adjuster come Monday. I left a message with the auto repair place and they called me back and asked me about the incident and said they will contact their insurance company Monday as well.
Questions:
What legal recourse do I have? (I understand the burden of proof is on me to prove that the auto repair facility did something that caused this.)
Will the insurance company send an investigator out to figure out how this started?
Is it worth pursuing a suit against the service shop? (The vehicle caught on fire with me in it, so my life was definitely at risk.)
Respectfully,
TH