Earlier this year, a Vermont technician was arrested and criminally charged with manslaughter and reckless endangerment after a car that he approved (per Vermont state inspection requirements) was later involved in an accident that killed its 83 year old passenger. The tech involved allegedly passed the car in spite of rusted brake lines and a rusted frame that contributed to the fatality, investigators say. The weathered brake lines appear to have burst immediately before or during the accident, which occurred only months after the inspection was performed, according to documents filed by the state. Regardless of the outcome of the state’s case, there is the additional threat of civil damages in any law suit brought forth by the victim’s surviving spouse or family.
It is not my intent to condemn this technician for his accidents or to agree with the actions of the state of Vermont. It is my intent to share a lesson in the importance of fulfilling our professional and ethical obligations in any inspection we perform – no, correct that – to every customer we serve, regardless of whether it is a mandated state inspection or a simple waiter oil change. As professionals, if any car that fell under our hands is involved in an accident caused by faulty equipment, we can be named personally in civil litigation. That places us in the position of facing huge out of pocket expense as we seek competent representation to protect ourselves. The shop likely has insurance to cover the costs of defending against this type of suit, but odds are YOU, as the tech working on the car, aren’t covered by it.
Which leads me to one of the most important acronyms you can master as a professional technician – CYA. Learn what it means by watching this edition — December 2015 — of the Trainer. with the best of them!
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