The rains that came last fall from hurricanes Irma and Harvey flooded many parts of Florida and Texas. According to consumer lawyers, a lot of the cars that got caught in the rising waters are now turning up for sale in used car lots in Central Florida and throughout the country. Most of the hundreds of thousands of waterlogged vehicles wound up in recycling yards, scrapped for parts. But lawyers say some used car dealers purchase these vehicles at auction and put them on their lots.
A flood-damaged vehicle will often appear to be in good shape. You may be able to see damage from accidents, but water damage can be hard to spot. This is particularly the case for cars caught in hurricane floods in coastal areas. A car that has been sitting in water from the Atlantic Ocean is going to have serious issues that may not be readily apparent. That’s because corrosion from the salt water takes a while to get going, and can start in unseen places. So this spring car buying season, you might want to be extra careful when buying a used car that was in south Florida or northeast Texas during the monsoon season.
Car Crashes in Your Vehicle’s History?
Flooded cars are one thing, but the chances are far greater that car accidents may be part of a used car’s past. That’s why it’s important when buying a used car, to get a vehicle history report. There are several ways you can get a free one. It’s important to know about car crashes of course, but you can also tell how many owners a car has had. (This is especially useful when trying to verify the story about the little old lady who bought the car new and only used it to go to church on Sunday.) Verifying genuine car ownership is another critical reason to get a thorough history when buying a used car.
According to floridadriverslicenses.org, cloning a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) is not an uncommon scam. This means you may be buying a stolen car, with a fake VIN. In which case, you are out of luck and the owner of stolen property. Then you may be looking for lawyers.
It pays to do your research. And that applies to finding good personal injury lawyers should you become an accident victim. For help recovering losses from car accidents or any other type of injury from negligence anywhere in Central Florida, contact the Orlando car accident lawyers at Martinez Manglardi. Call 407-846-2240 for a free consultation.
