Due to their inexperience and lower level of maturity, teenage drivers cause far more than their share of car accidents. Although teenage drivers account for only 6% of motorists in New Jersey, they are involved in 13% of the crashes where there are fatalities. If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident involving a teenage driver, you may be entitled to substantial financial compensation. There may be legal issues that are specific to crashes involving teenage drivers, and you would need the help of an experienced Atlantic City car accident lawyer.
Why Teenage Drivers Can Be Dangerous
It takes a certain amount of experience behind the wheel to be able to effectively avoid danger and respond to challenges on the roadway. Teenage drivers simply do not have this experience. In addition, a teenage driver is far more likely to exercise poor judgment. They engage in dangerous practices, such as texting while driving and operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol, at much higher frequencies than other motorists. The combination of the lack of experience and poor driving habits raises your danger level when you are on the road.
Parents May Be Liable for the Actions of Their Children
If the driver was under the age of 18, the parents would be liable for the accident because the teenage driver would be covered under the parents’ car insurance policy. If the teenage driver was responsible for the accident, the insurance company would need to pay you up to the amount of the policy limit. However, it is not automatic that a teenage driver is responsible for the accident by virtue of their inexperience. You would still need to prove that they did something that would be considered negligence.
The Family Purpose Doctrine may come into play when determining whether the parents are liable for their teenager’s car accident. If a parent has sent their child on a household errand, the child would be acting as an agent of the family. There may be legal questions about liability when the driver did something other than the task that they were assigned, such as visiting a friend or going to another store for their own personal purposes.
Depending on the age of the driver, the parents could be legally responsible for the harm that the teenager has caused. If a child has reached the age of 18, the parents are not automatically responsible for the accident. It does not matter whether the child lives in their parents’ house. However, there may be circumstances under which you can hold the parents responsible, even if the driver was over the age of 18. For example, if the driver was operating their parents’ car with permission, you may be able to file a lawsuit against the parents for negligent entrustment of the vehicle if they should not have lent their car to their child.
Even if you cannot hold the teenage driver or their parents liable for the accident, you would still have coverage under New Jersey’s no-fault laws. Your car insurance policy would have Personal Injury Protection (PIP) that would pay for your economic damages from the car accident. You would need to be able to hold the driver and their parents responsible for you to be able to receive non-economic damages, such as pain and suffering, and emotional distress.
Contact the Atlantic City Car Accident Lawyers at D’Amato Law Firm if You Have Suffered Injuries
If you have been injured in a motor vehicle crash, get legal help from the Atlantic City car accident lawyers at D’Amato Law Firm. To schedule a free consultation, submit our online contact form or call us today at 609-926-3300. With our office located in Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey, we proudly serve clients in Atlantic City, Linwood, Galloway Township, Cape May, Vineland, Millville, Bridgeton, Ocean City, Woodbury, and South Jersey.