Your Teen Driver And Accidents: What You Need To Know

Posted on: 14 January 2019

Regarding the operation of vehicles, teens are among the riskiest categories of driver. Teens do not have a fully mature brain, which means they cannot react as quickly as adults when driving. This is the reason why insurance expenses are higher for teens. Parents are responsible for damages caused by teens, so you need to know the following if your teen is involved in a car accident.

No Teenage Exceptions

One thing you should know is there are no legal exceptions when your teen causes a car accident. Teens must obey all traffic laws just as adults do, and they are not exempt from any traffic laws. If your teen decides to drive recklessly and causes damage and injuries to others, you and your child will be liable for damages.

You will have to pay for physical damage to the other driver's vehicle, his or her injuries, and any other costs associated with the accident. You could also be faced with a lawsuit for pain and suffering along with their lost income from work. Additionally, your insurance costs will increase, or could even be cancelled altogether.

Liability Laws for Guardians and Parents

Most all states have laws that require the parent or guardian to be responsible for a teen's actions. The liability starts as soon as your teen obtains a driver's license and begins to drive a vehicle. At that point, you assume liability for your driving teen. However, some states allow a loophole that allows you to avoid personal liability. If you do not have any full-time contact with the teen and you are unable to fully provide adequate supervision of their actions, you may argue you should not be held liable.

Your Role in a Car Accident

Even though you may not have actually played a part in the car accident, you will have a role in how the case ends up. For example, if you know your child is a new driver and you allow the child to drive in heavy traffic or in terrible weather, you hold a portion of the responsibility for allowing the teen to have access to a vehicle. Since you are the adult and capable of understand the risk your teen driver poses while on the road, you are then held at least partially liable for the accident.

If your teen driver is involved in causing a car accident, be sure to speak to personal injury attorneys like Jack W Hanemann, P.S. as soon as possible to mitigate your damages.

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