{"id":40281,"date":"2026-05-15T10:41:05","date_gmt":"2026-05-15T10:41:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/zenlawpartners.com\/vehicle-depreciation-lawsuits\/"},"modified":"2026-05-24T23:37:39","modified_gmt":"2026-05-24T23:37:39","slug":"vehicle-depreciation-lawsuits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zenlawpartners.com\/en\/vehicle-depreciation-lawsuits\/","title":{"rendered":"Vehicle Depreciation Lawsuits"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Vehicle Owners’ Rights and Judicial Practices<\/h3>\n
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1. The Concept of Impairment<\/h2>\n

In traffic accidents involving one or more vehicles in motion on a roadway that result in death, injury, and\/or property damage, it is possible to file claims for compensatory and\/or punitive damages. In such cases, the depreciation in the value of the vehicle involved in the accident\u2014which has sustained damage, required repairs, and had the damage repaired\u2014is referred to as \u201cvehicle depreciation.\u201d <\/p>\n

In simpler terms, it can be defined as the creation of a damage record due to the vehicle being involved in an accident, resulting in a decrease in its market value.<\/p>\n

Similarly, the Supreme Court of Appeals has defined loss of value as the difference between the vehicle\u2019s value at the time of the incident and the value it would have had in its repaired condition after the damage was repaired. This is because, even if the damage to the vehicle is repaired, a loss of value in the used-car market is inevitable due to the vehicle\u2019s accident history. <\/p>\n

As a result, the vehicle\u2019s resale value will decrease due to the accident. This difference is referred to as \u201cvehicle depreciation.\u201d <\/p>\n

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2. The Insurer\u2019s Liability<\/h2>\n

Zorunlu Mali Sorumluluk Sigortas\u0131 en yal\u0131n haliyle; karayollar\u0131nda, trafi\u011fe a\u00e7\u0131k yerlerde kullan\u0131lan motorlu ta\u015f\u0131tlar\u0131n bu s\u0131rada bir kimsenin zarar\u0131na neden olmas\u0131 halinde, arac\u0131 i\u015fletenin \u00fc\u00e7\u00fcnc\u00fc ki\u015filere kar\u015f\u0131 sorumlulu\u011funu belli s\u0131n\u0131rlar i\u00e7inde kar\u015f\u0131lamay\u0131 ama\u00e7layan ve yasal olarak zorunlu sorumluluk sigortas\u0131 t\u00fcr\u00fcd\u00fcr.<\/p>\n

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\u201cInsurance companies are obligated\u2014upon request\u2014to cover the loss in vehicle value incurred by the other party as a result of the at-fault party\u2019s negligence, under the terms of mandatory liability insurance.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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3. Legal Basis<\/h2>\n

Compensation for vehicle depreciation is claimed under the provisions of the Turkish Code of Obligations regarding tort liability and the Highway Traffic Law.<\/p>\n

The Supreme Court\u2019s case law on this matter has also become clear. Numerous rulings emphasize that vehicle depreciation constitutes a valid item of compensation and falls within the scope of liability of the at-fault party\u2019s insurer. <\/p>\n

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4. What Factors Are Considered in the Calculation of Vehicle Depreciation?<\/h2>\n

The calculation of vehicle depreciation, in accordance with Supreme Court precedents, will be based on the price difference between the undamaged market value of the vehicle as of the date of the accident and the value of the vehicle after repairs, taking into account the driver\u2019s degree of fault.<\/p>\n

In addition, the other factors affecting these calculations are as follows:<\/p>\n

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  • The vehicle’s mileage<\/li>\n
  • Brand and model information<\/li>\n
  • The vehicle’s damage history and nature<\/li>\n
  • Liability ratios in accidents<\/li>\n
  • The vehicle’s model year<\/li>\n
  • Date the vehicle was first registered<\/li>\n
  • The calculation is based on an assessment of all factors affecting the vehicle\u2019s value, with particular emphasis on its market value.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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    5. Who Can File a Claim for Vehicle Depreciation?<\/h2>\n
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    • The accident must involve two vehicles. In single-vehicle accidents\u2014such as collisions with a wall or similar situations\u2014compensation for loss of vehicle value cannot be claimed. <\/li>\n
    • Vehicle owners must be either fully at fault or partially at fault. Vehicle owners who are fully at fault cannot claim compensation for loss of vehicle value. <\/li>\n
    • The vehicle must have sustained damage as a result of the accident, and this damage must be repaired for the first time. The damaged area must not have been repaired previously. <\/li>\n
    • No more than two years may have elapsed since the date of the accident.<\/li>\n
    • Although the vehicle has suffered a loss in value, a claim can be filed within the limits of the auto insurance policy provided it is substantiated by technical reports.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      In addition, the vehicle must be no more than 10 years old to qualify for compensation for loss of value. If the vehicle involved in the accident is older than 10 years, a claim for loss of value cannot be filed. <\/p>\n

      However, it has been established in case law that no loss of value occurs in the case of vehicles that are a total loss\u2014that is, those that cannot be repaired for economic or technical reasons.<\/p>\n

      The vehicle owner or their attorney may file a claim for vehicle depreciation if the vehicle meets these criteria. However, to prevent the failure to recover actual damages and the loss of rights\u2014which may result from a lack of familiarity with the claims process, the importance of accurately calculating actual depreciation, and a lack of detailed legal knowledge on the matter\u2014it is recommended to seek the assistance of an attorney. <\/p>\n

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      Result<\/h2>\n

      Vehicle depreciation is one of the most important financial rights of vehicle owners following traffic accidents. It is particularly important for owners of vehicles that are either entirely or partially at fault to properly exercise their legal rights against insurance companies. <\/p>\n

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      \u201cConducting the legal process with expert support will ensure that actual damages are fully compensated and prevent the loss of rights.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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      Best regards,<\/strong><\/p>\n

      Attorney \u0130dil Zeynep Ya\u011fl\u0131ca <\/strong><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      Vehicle Owners’ Rights and Judicial Practices 1. The Concept of Impairment In traffic accidents involving one or more vehicles in motion on a roadway that result in death, injury, and\/or property damage, it is possible to file claims for compensatory and\/or punitive damages. In such cases, the depreciation in the value of the vehicle involved…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":40272,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_joinchat":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[56],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-40281","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/zenlawpartners.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40281","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/zenlawpartners.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/zenlawpartners.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zenlawpartners.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zenlawpartners.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=40281"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/zenlawpartners.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40281\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":40328,"href":"https:\/\/zenlawpartners.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40281\/revisions\/40328"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zenlawpartners.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/40272"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/zenlawpartners.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40281"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zenlawpartners.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40281"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zenlawpartners.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40281"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}