Leased cars have lots of perks. You aren’t tied to a car if it turns out that you don’t like it, and you can always have the new car that you may not otherwise be able to afford comfortably. Still, one of the downsides of all leased cars is the hassle of getting repairs or fixing damages after an accident. Whether or not the accident was your fault, it can be a challenge to get the insurance company to fix your leased car.
You see, after an accident, you are required to notify both the dealership that leased you the car and the insurance right away. Once you have done that, getting the repairs quickly can sometimes be an uphill battle. Since the car isn’t yours, the lease agreement often requires very specific types of repairs to be made. You need to make sure that you take your car to a place that will only use parts and methods of repair approved in the lease.
When you are in a leased car, you usually still pay for all repairs needed during the course of your use of the car. This means that you will be responsible for negotiating with the insurance company for all repairs needed. The good news is that if the accident was even just partially your fault, you still most likely have excellent coverage, as required by most lease agreements. You should be able to cover the expenses.
However, sometimes it is challenging to get the insurance company to cover the extra repairs needed for leased cars. Often they will object to the sometimes additional expense of specific dealer parts. Still, you should be able to work with an accident attorney to ensure that you get what you deserve. You may also be able to cover some of the expenses not covered by the other person’s insurance when they are at fault through your own collision insurance.
If your car is totaled, the settlement will need to cover the value of the car still left to be paid on the lease. You hopefully have gap coverage for just this potential problem. If not, you need to additionally ensure that any settlement that you agree to won’t leave you open to large payments on a car you no longer have.
Our car accident attorneys serve clients throughout the Chicago area, including Aurora, Elgin, Hinsdale, Joliet, Naperville, and Waukegan. If you have been in an accident in the Chicago area in a leased car, it can be difficult to get the compensation you deserve from the insurance company. Call the Illinois auto accident attorneys at Staver Accident Injury Lawyers, P.C. today at (312) 236-2900 for a free consultation on your case. We will fight to get you just compensation and ensure that you are not treated poorly just because your car was leased.
When you’re fighting for maximum compensation, we know what it takes to get it.
