Can i sue for this situation?

Question

Here's my story:
I bought an amplifier to put in my car for $650 off or ebay (retail: $1800) and the wiring kit for it ($110). I'm in high school, and i have an auto tech class. Now, i don't know much about installing audio equipment in my car. But my classmates all said they could install it everything for me. I asked my teacher and classmates if they are 100% sure that they can install it for me, otherwise i would take it to get it professionally installed. Everybody said they guaranteed they will get it to work, and the teacher said he sees no reasons why we wouldn't be able to get it to work. So, everybody went to work. After a while, they discovered that they couldn't get it sucessfully installed, so they left it "half-way" installed. I then decided to take it to a professional car audio shop. One of the workers simply looked at the install my classmates did and said "they obviously didn't know what the !*@# they were doing." So, i set an appointment to get it professionally...

...installed with the shop. So as soon as the got back in my car to leave the audio shop, i started my car, and my car started smoking inside and underneath the hood. I mean A LOT of smoke. Then one of my amp wires leading from my car battery to the INSIDE of my car caught on fire. I quickly ran and got the audio professional to get rid of the fire. Upon examining, the two of us discovered that the fire was a result of the sloppy installation my classmates did because they pierced on of the wires. If the fire wasn't put on in time, my whole battery and car would have exploded with me inside of it. The only resulting damage was that the carpet in my car is burned, my $650 amp is blown and useless, and my $110 are also useless. Now, i realize that i didn't sign any contracts which greatly lowers my chances, but do u think i could sue and win anything at all for such a sloppy install from my classmates? i could have been seriously injured

u guys didn't let me finish the story yet before you started answering...now read it...

so even though the install was sloppy to the point where it was fatal, i still couldn't sue?

it wasn't an "experiement". they've done these types of installs many times before succesfully. that's why they said before that they were absolutely sure they could get it working. but i guess the equipment i was more advanced than they were used to

Answer 1

First Question: Can you sue? Yes.

Implied question: Will you win? Um...

You might be able to get negligence, but I doubt it. You agreed to let a high school class try to install your amp (not one of your greatest moments, I'm guessing). You tried to get a deal cheap, and you got burned (or at least your car did). Next time, take it to the shop in the first place.

Answer 2

You could probably sue, but would you win? Doubtful, unless they did some sort of damage to your vehicle that would require you to get major repair work done.

Basically, you didn't feel right about your fellow classmates working on your car, but you let them anyways. At least they tried and were honest when they said they couldn't do it. I know you're upset, and it is annoying and disappointing, but as long as the professional shop can do it, and it won't cost you anything extra for them to fix, I'd let it be, and take it as a learning experience.

Answer 3

Thats what you shoulda did in the first place! Where are your parents and why did they allow you to do that. I know you think your grown and its your car and all that but if you had told your parents that you were letting your classmates install it i'm sure they would have told you it would be better to have it done by a pro. Long story short no you can't sue them, who would you sue? Yor teacher, the whole class, come on now. You took a chance and got burned lesson learned! I hope!

Answer 4

Yes you can sue. You can sue for anything you want. But since you did not seem to be have any kind of loss (except for have a halfway installed system for a little while), then you would have no damages to collect on.

I would expect a judge to throw out such a case in a matter of minutes, then you would have court costs to pay.

Answer 5

well...what r u going to sue for?

1)didnt lose any money did u?
2)did u get hurt with them doing that work?

if the answer is no to the second and first question of mine then no of course not, u can not sue them.
what i hear from u is trying to find a way to get esay money.
grow up ur not a child anymore get money the way adults do.

lol
now i see what u mean. the answer is still no becasue the same as other people said u let the class wrk on it and its like ur fault basically. just dont let those moron work on ur stuff

Answer 6

Who would you sue? It was your decision to let these people work on it. If they didn't break anything,what is the big deal?

Don't post your question until you tell the whole story.

My answer is the same...are you going to sue your fellow students? It was your decision to let unskilled workers play around with your car. I highly doubt you have a case. Don't let idiots work on your car.

Answer 7

Take it as a lesson and move on with life. I also suggest never order HOT coffee from Mc Donalds.

Answer 8

Nope
You agreed to let them install it....You get what you pay for.
You just bought yourself a lesson. Sorry

Answer 9

Dude your letting them experiment in high school they are just learning what did you expect!! No your responsible

Answer 10

Can you sue? Of course. Will you win? NO.