According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, the age group that has the highest rate of car accidents is drivers between the ages of 16 and 17. Their rates far outpace drivers aged 18 to 19, who rank second in car crash rates.
Teen drivers and new drivers have to manage a lot of things behind the wheel, and they do not have the driving experience that older drivers have. They also have the highest level of crashes that result in injuries, followed once again by drivers aged 18 to 19.
If you were injured in an accident caused by a teen driver, you might be able to pursue compensation for your damages. Certain limitations might apply to your case if the other driver is a minor, so you might want to consult a law firm representative to learn about your legal options.
You Might Be Able to Hold a Teen Driver Responsible for Your Injuries
If you were hurt in an accident involving a teen driver or any other driver, you might be able to bring a claim or lawsuit against their parent or guardian to recover compensation. The teen driver might also be covered under their parent’s or guardian’s auto insurance policy. These are details that an attorney can help you understand so that you can hold all possible parties responsible.
To receive compensation from the responsible party, you must prove that they were negligent. Under South Carolinian law, proving negligence involves establishing four key elements:
- Duty of care: You must show that the other party owed you a duty to drive with reasonable care and skill. In general, any time a driver gets behind the wheel, they must drive with caution, obey traffic laws, and keep their eyes on the road.
- Breach of duty: You must show that the other party did not meet this standard of care. Examples of breaching a driver’s duty include texting while driving, speeding, or driving while intoxicated.
- Causation: You must show that the other driver’s breach of duty caused your injuries and that there was no other primary factor to blame.
- Damages: Be prepared to offer evidence to support your claims on all of the damages and expenses you suffered as a result of the crash.
It can take a lot of work to gather enough evidence to support these factors. While you are healing from your injuries, your attorney can work to make sure that you are building the strongest case possible. This can include eyewitness testimony, photographic evidence, videos of the accident, or consulting expert witnesses. An accident reconstruction analyst can review the evidence for your case and recreate the accident to show how the other driver is to blame.
For a free legal consultation, call 864-740-8653
Teen Driver Accidents Often Involve Lack of Experience
A teen driver accident can happen for numerous reasons, but there are some common influences. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), teen driver accidents might occur as a result of:
- Driving at night or on the weekend: Crash data shows that teen drivers are more likely to get into an accident during these times.
- Distracted driving: Although distracted driving impacts every driver, teen drivers might be more prone to driving while texting, chatting with friends, and changing the radio. Their inexperience with driving might also prevent them from being able to keep an eye out for multiple hazards on the road.
- Speeding: Teen drivers are more likely to speed or forget to leave enough headway to break in time if they need to come to a sudden stop.
- Drunk driving: Intoxicated teen drivers are at a much higher risk of being involved in an accident than older drivers with the same level of intoxication.
These are just a few examples of why teenagers are more dangerous behind the wheel than any other class of drivers. If your accident happened for some other reason, you might still be entitled to collect compensation. You can call a law firm and discuss your case further in detail to determine how to proceed with your case.
Hammack Law Firm Can Help You with Your Car Accident Case
Although the age group with the highest rate of car accidents is teen drivers, any driver can cause you to suffer terrible injuries and major expenses. If you think you might be entitled to receive compensation from someone who hurt you, you should call our law firm as soon as possible.
At Hammack Law Firm, we treat our clients like friends and family. Our Google reviews and customer testimonials back this up. We know how stressful an accident can be and how the last thing you probably want to do is figure out how to get the financial recovery that you need.
Call our team for a free consultation about your Greenville car accident case. You can contact our law firm today by calling (864) 326-3333 and learn more about your legal options.
Call or text 864-740-8653 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
