Legal Question in Personal Injury in New York

Re: Lease

Not quite sure what you mean by the car is "leased" in your name but registered and insured in your son's. We know that the Federal law known as SAFETEA-LU, passed in 2005 lets companies in the business of leasing cars off the hook for liability when those cars are involved in accidents while being driven by lessees. That law is to expire next year but Congress is at work on a new version. So the Hertz, Avis, Budget Rent-a-Car companies are likely no longer the deep pockets they once were. That means if your son, or someone he allows to drive the car, is involved in an accident, any good lawyer will look high and low for anyone else with assets to sue. If your name appears anywhere on any document related to this vehicle, i.e. lease, registration, insurance application, inspection, anywhere, I would make sure the insurance broker includes you as a "named insured" or "additional insured" on the car's policy, (and get more than the minimum required, lots more if you can afford it). Best, M. E. Zuller