Seven out of 10 teen females and 10 out of 10 teen males get into an accident, or get a ticket before the age of 24.
That’s an incredible number of teens who are driving recklessly, getting distracted and making mistakes. If you are involved in an accident with a teen driver, there are several things you should know.
First, you must follow standard crash procedures. If it’s more than a fender bender, you must call the police, who will then make an official report.
If the accident is the teen’s fault, there are three types of insurance claims you can make.
- Against the driver for causing the accident
- Against the driver’s parents if you believe they knew (or should have known) about the child’s reckless tendencies when behind the wheel.
- Against the driver’s parents under the “Family Purpose Doctrine”. This states that the owner of a vehicle is financially responsible for any accidents caused by the vehicle. This law doesn’t apply to non-family members. Not all states enforce this law, but Ohio does.
Teaching or Parenting a teen driver?
If you are the parent, it’s difficult to avoid the Family Purpose Doctrine. If your child gets into an accident, you may be held liable because of this law.
However, as their parent, you can avoid being held responsible for your child’s reckless tendencies AND make your child a safer driver by teaching them to:
- Follow the speed limit
- Stop at stop signs and red lights
- Refrain from texting and calling while driving
- Not drive while under the influence or impaired
- Avoid giving rides to distracting friends
While these are all established laws (and rightfully so), not all drivers follow them. This makes it easy for Teens to disregard the law and land them in a great deal of trouble.
When your teen is learning to drive, do your best to correct reckless behavior and ensure that your son or daughter follows the law. This protects you and your child, as well as other drivers on the road.
A Teen Can Lose His or Her License
Teens are on somewhat thin ice when it comes to the law. If a young adult accumulates more the 4 points as a result of traffic violations (a typical speeding ticket is 2 points, depending on the severity) they can lose their license. If a teen doesn’t stop and give their information at the scene of an accident, they can lose their license.
If you are an adult, you have much more room for error. While you shouldn’t take the blame for a teen, it is important to keep these facts in mind. It’s difficult to predict how a teen will react in an accident, but be sure to remember that the teen’s situation may be much more stressful than yours.
If you or a family member was injured in a car accident, call me today for your free consultation. I will work diligently to fight for the compensation you deserve.
As your Ohio car accident lawyer, I’ll be there for you, and I’ll Make Them Pay!®
Author: Tim Misny | For over four decades, personal injury lawyer Tim Misny has represented the injured victim in in birth injury, medical malpractice, and catastrophic injury/wrongful death cases, serving “Cleveland, Akron/Canton, Columbus, Dayton and neighboring communities.” You can reach Tim by email at misnylaw.com/ask-tim-a-question/ or call at 1 (800) 556-4769.