Leased Car Accident Lawyer in Queens, NY

Leasing a vehicle can be an attractive option compared to purchasing it outright. But what happens if you get into a car accident in a leased car? How does your relationship with the dealership affect your right to pursue compensation for your injuries and other losses?

The good news is that the effects of an accident on a leased car and your right to financial recovery are likely going to be minimal. However, there may be some other ways in which you’ll need to approach your claim a bit differently. A leased car accident lawyer in Queens can help you understand your rights and options and manage your claim while you focus on healing. Contact the office of The Tadchiev Law Firm, P.C., to get started with a free, no-obligation consultation. 

How Our Car Accident Lawyers Can Help You with Your Case

A car accident in a leased car can raise questions about the role of insurance, who bears responsibility for damage to the vehicle, and what your lease obligates you to do. The Queens car accident lawyers at The Tadchiev Law Firm, P.C., can handle the legal and insurance issues involved with your claim by doing the following:

• Investigating the crash and gathering evidence showing how it happened
• Identifying all potentially liable parties and applicable insurance policies
• Communicating with insurance companies and responding to requests for information
• Reviewing your medical records, lost income, and other losses connected to the accident
• Evaluating whether you may have grounds to pursue compensation outside New York’s no-fault auto insurance system
• Handling negotiations and preparing your case for litigation when appropriate
• Addressing issues involving the leased vehicle itself so you can focus on your physical recovery

Why Leased Car Accident Cases Are Different

A leased car accident can involve additional considerations because you don’t own the vehicle. Instead, the leasing company retains ownership, and your lease agreement may impose specific requirements about insurance coverage, repairs, and reporting an accident.

While these issues are generally separate from your personal injury claim, they can affect how you handle the aftermath of the crash. To avoid complications while pursuing compensation, it’s helpful to understand your lease terms and applicable insurance coverage.

A leased car accident lawyer can help you understand your obligations under your vehicle lease.

Understanding New York’s No-Fault Insurance Rules for Leased Vehicles

The rules of New York’s no-fault insurance system apply whether you own or lease the vehicle you were driving at the time of the accident. Your personal injury protection (PIP) coverage can pay certain accident-related medical expenses, lost earnings, and other reasonable expenses up to the limits of your policy, regardless of who caused the crash. Basic PIP coverage pays expenses of up to $50,000 per person.

After a car accident in a leased car, you can pursue no-fault benefits through your auto insurance policy. Your vehicle being leased rather than owned doesn’t affect your protections under your no-fault insurance. However, the dealership may impose separate insurance and reporting requirements you’ll need to follow to remain in good standing.

When Can You Sue After a Leased Car Accident?

Under the no-fault insurance system, you must turn to your coverage first if you’re seeking compensation for accident-related losses. But what happens if your injury meets New York’s serious injury threshold or your losses exceed the limits of your policy? In that instance, you may be entitled to step outside the no-fault system and seek additional compensation from the party who was responsible for causing the accident.

Whether your injury meets this threshold depends on the specific facts and medical evidence involved. The fact that you were driving a leased vehicle doesn’t affect your right to financial recovery.

Types of Insurance Coverage After a Leased Car Accident

Depending on the circumstances and what policies are in effect, several types of auto insurance may apply after a crash involving a leased vehicle, including the following:

• Personal Injury Protection (PIP) – This covers your medical expenses, a portion of your lost earnings, and certain other accident-related costs.
• Liability Coverage – This policy may compensate you when another driver is legally responsible for your injuries.
• Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist Coverage – This coverage may apply when the at-fault driver is uninsured or lacks sufficient insurance to cover your losses.
• Collision Coverage – This policy can help pay for damage to the leased vehicle, subject to the policy terms and deductible.

Compensation Available After a Queens Leased Car Accident

The compensation you may be eligible to recover after a car accident in a leased car depends on whether you’re filing a standard no-fault claim or pursuing compensation outside the no-fault system.

A no-fault claim may help you recover compensation for your medical expenses and lost income up to the basic limit of $50,000. Filing a claim against the other driver allows you to recover additional compensation for those losses, as well as for pain and suffering and other accident-related expenses and losses.

The fact that your vehicle was leased doesn’t affect how much compensation may be available to you.

Call Our Leased Car Accident Attorneys Today for Help with Your Claim

If you got hurt in a car accident in a leased car, the Queens leased car accident lawyers at The Tadchiev Law Firm, P.C., can help you move forward. We have over 120 years of combined legal experience supporting injured people in the communities surrounding our office in Floral Park. Our firm has recovered millions in compensation for our satisfied clients. As one person wrote of their experience with us:

“Thank you so much to Tadchiev Law firm. They took my car accident case and it was a very difficult case. Despite this it was a great result! Staff is super friendly and always there to help out and answer any questions. I highly recommend them”

– Leslie L.

When you trust us with your leased car accident case, you can count on us to provide the focused attention and aggressive advocacy you deserve. We’re committed to providing comprehensive and personalized legal services and client support for the duration of your case, and we work on contingency, which means we charge no fees unless and until we recover compensation for you.

To learn more about how The Tadchiev Law Firm, P.C., can help you, contact our office right away to arrange a free, no-obligation initial consultation with an experienced leased car accident lawyer in Queens.