VEHICLE DEPRECIATION
VEHICLE DEPRECIATION
GENERAL VEHICLE DEPRECIATION
A vehicle damaged in a traffic accident is taken to a repair shop for repairs. As a result, the vehicle is classified as used because it was involved in an accident. This classification makes it difficult to sell the vehicle, and its value decreases, leading to a lower selling price. For this very reason, vehicle owners who have suffered losses are awarded compensation for the vehicle’s loss of value to address the hardships they have experienced. For this compensation to be awarded to the affected vehicle owner, the owner must not have been at fault in the traffic accident. The purpose of this compensation is for the at-fault party in the traffic accident to compensate the affected vehicle owner for their loss, thereby addressing the owner’s hardship.
FACTORS CONSIDERED IN CALCULATING VEHICLE DEPRECIATION
The make and model of the vehicle involved in the accident, the year the vehicle was manufactured, the date the vehicle was first registered, the vehicle’s mileage at the time of the accident, the market value of similar vehicles on the date of the accident, whether the vehicle had sustained any damage prior to that date, and if so, the nature of such damage, and finally, by examining the painting work performed on the vehicle up to that date and the replaced parts, a calculation is made.
VEHICLES FOR WHICH DEPRECIATION CANNOT BE CLAIMED
No claim for loss of value may be made due to damage sustained by wheeled and armored public intervention vehicles, municipal buses (public transportation vehicles), specialized vehicles used for street sweeping, or fire trucks. Finally, if a vehicle with a foreign license plate is involved in a traffic accident in Turkey and sustains damage, the owners of such vehicles cannot claim for loss of vehicle value either.
CONDITIONS FOR VEHICLE DEPRECIATION
1 – The traffic accident must involve two vehicles. For example, a vehicle that crashes into a wall cannot claim the vehicle’s market value.
2 – Another requirement for a vehicle involved in a traffic accident to be eligible to claim depreciation is that it must not be 100% at fault for the accident.
3 – The vehicle must have sustained damage as a result of a traffic accident. And this damage must be repaired.
4 – The final condition for filing a claim for vehicle depreciation is that the repaired parts must not have been repaired as a result of a previous traffic accident.
One important point to keep in mind is the statute of limitations. There is a two-year statute of limitations for filing a claim for vehicle depreciation compensation; if a claim is not filed within this period, the individual can no longer exercise this right and will have forfeited it.
PERSONS FROM WHOM COMPENSATION FOR VEHICLE DEPRECIATION MAY BE SOUGHT
The registered owner of the other party’s vehicle that caused the accident, the insurance company that issued the Compulsory Liability Insurance policy, and the driver of the vehicle involved in the accident are jointly and severally liable. The claimant has the right to seek compensation from any of these three parties. If the vehicle owner and driver are required to pay this amount, they have the right to seek reimbursement from their own insurance policies.
TAYYİP TAŞKAN/HÜSEYİN DOĞAN