Welcome to the board and please put in your location in your profile - it greatly helps with giving appropriate info (e.g. is your's a N. American 626 or European 626).
I think you'll need to be more specific with what type of damage the oil filter did. For example, assuming the oil filter fit and did it's job then no it shouldn't damage anything, but we need more info.
oil was leaking from filter according to mechanic and the filter was changed over 8 months ago this happened after my mothers car was rearended and do to the oil leak the engine ceased
