Greenville Teen Driving Accident Lawyer

A Greenville teen driving accident lawyer at the Hammack Law Firm may help you pursue compensation for your losses if you got hurt in a collision that involved a teen driver. Some of the laws are different for teenage drivers, which can aid us in establishing negligence.

Plaintiffs have a limited amount of time to file lawsuits seeking money damages for their injuries and losses. If you miss the deadline, you may lose your right to compensation.

You can call us today at (864) 326-3333(864) 326-3333 to get started. The first consultation is free. If we take your case, you will not have to pay upfront attorney’s fees. We handle personal injury claims on a contingency fee basis, which means that we get paid out of the insurance proceeds or award at the end of the matter.

The Top Five Reasons Why Teenage Drivers Get Into Accidents

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identified the following five factors as the top reasons why teen drivers have motor vehicle crashes:

• Speeding: On average, teens tend to drive faster than adult drivers. Also, younger drivers often follow other vehicles too closely, which can be unsafe. The combination of driving at high speeds and tailgating can make it challenging for the teen driver to avoid a collision.
• Failure to wear a seat belt: According to the CDC, only 58.8 percent of teenage drivers wore seat belts. Because too many teenagers are driving without seatbelts, teen fatality rates are high.
• Lack of experience: Although teenagers might have confidence in their driving skills, this self-assessment is inaccurate. Because they have not been driving for as many years as the typical adult motorist, teenagers often underestimate hazards on the road. When in a crisis, teens lack the ability to come through the situation without a crash. Youth and inexperience also lead to unwise decisions that cause accidents.
• Evening and weekend collisions: Many of the crashes involving teenage drivers happen at night or on the weekend. Driving in the dark requires different techniques than daytime motoring. On the weekend, the teen might be distracted by passengers or have abilities impaired by alcohol.
• Alcohol consumption: It is illegal for people below the age of 21 to drink alcohol. It is also illegal to drink and drive, yet some teenagers, like adults, do so. Many teen driving fatalities involve young people who drink and do not wear seatbelts when behind the wheel.

Whether one or more of these factors caused the crash that injured you, a

Greenville teen driving accident lawyer at the Hammack Law Firm may be able to hold the at-fault driver responsible. You can call us today at (864) 326-3333(864) 326-3333 for a free case evaluation.

We Can Build a Case That Shows the Teen Driver Was at Fault

We cannot automatically sue a teen driver for your losses. The defendant must be legally liable for the accident that hurt you. According to the American Bar Association, we must prove the following four of elements of negligence to hold the defendant responsible for your injuries:

• Duty of care: The teen driver owed you a legal duty of care. Everyone who drives on public roads has an obligation to exercise caution and obey the traffic laws.
• Breach of duty: A person’s actions or inactions may be considered negligent if they failed to act the way a reasonable person would. For example, two young drivers decide to race each other through downtown Greenville. Exceeding the posted speed limit and going too fast for the circumstances are both examples of speeding, which is negligent.
• Causation: The negligent act must have caused the accident that injured you. Because the teen drivers were speeding, it led to one of the teenage drivers losing control and skidding into your car. Their negligence caused the collision.
• Quantifiable damages: You must have measurable losses to pursue a personal injury claim based on negligence. If you have physical injuries from the crash, the facts satisfy this element.

You do not have to sort out the liability issues on your own. We can examine the facts of your situation to assess legal responsibility.

Pitfalls That Could Reduce the Value of Your Injury Claim

The value of your injury claim does not get set in stone on the day of the accident. Many things could happen later that reduce the amount of money damages you may be able to pursue. Here are some things to avoid:

• Do not give a recorded statement: The insurance company’s claims adjuster might contact you and ask for a recorded statement. They might ask you questions and record your responses. The insurer can take the transcript and “cherry-pick” your answers, twisting them into something you did not intend. The adjuster can use the recorded statement against you to try to pay you less money. If the adjuster asks for a recorded statement, tell them to talk to your lawyer.
• Do not accept a settlement before you finish medical treatment: Until your doctor releases you from treatment, you do not know if you will have permanent problems from the injuries. If you have impairment as a result of the crash, that loss can be a part of your injury claim. You cannot come back and ask the insurer for more money after you settle your claim.
• Do not miss the statutory deadline: Our state gives you limited time to file a lawsuit against the at-fault party. If you miss the deadline, you could lose the right to collect compensation.

Get Legal Representation for Your Teen Driving Accident Injury Case

Having a teen driver involved in a motor vehicle collision can complicate matters. You do not have to learn which laws pertain to teenage drivers in South Carolina. A Greenville teen driving accident lawyer at the Hammack Law Firm can take care of the legal matters while you devote your attention to getting better.

We treat our clients like our family and friends. Our clients get to enjoy a warm, supportive environment when dealing with us. Read our Google reviews—they are amazing!

You can call us today at (864) 326-3333(864) 326-3333 to find out how we can help you.

Our Client Bill of Rights offers a 30-day unconditional satisfaction guarantee —no costs and no fees. We serve our Greenville clients in all areas of personal injury, including auto and motorcycle accidents, truck accidents, and boating accidents.

To get started with our Greenville personal injury law firm, please simply contact us online or call (864) 326-3333(864) 326-3333 for a free consultation.