Typically, accidents like these have either a one or two year statute of limitations. Your best bet is to contact an attorney who handles accidents and has had experience with negligent mechanical inspections. If you can show that you had it inspected as you should have, there were no warning signs being given to you by the car prior to the accident and you have both inspection reports, then you should have a successful case. Contact the state bars in both the state in which the negligent act occurred (first state) and in which the accident occurred. Your lawyer in the first state (if you hire one from here) needs to look at both laws to determine if it can only maintain jurisdiction (personal and subject matter) against the mechanic in the first state or second state or both and which states' laws are better.