If you have a teenager who drives, you are painfully aware that your auto insurance policy skyrocketed when he or she began to drive. There is a good reason for this: teenagers are statistically more likely to cause a car accident than adults. Under the eyes of the law, teenagers are children until they reach the age of majority: 18 years old. Their lack of maturity and experience can cause them to make poor decisions and react differently than adults. If you have suffered an injury due to the negligence of a teenaged driver, Contact Viloria, Oliphant, Oster & Aman L.L.P.
Parents Are Liable For Their Teenagers’ Car Wrecks
When a teenager obtains a learner’s permit or a driver’s license, one of the child’s parents is required to sign and verify the license under oath. The purpose of this verification is to place liability for “any negligence or willful misconduct” of a teenage driver on that parent. This means that if a teenager causes property or personal injury damages, the parent will be jointly and severally liable for those damages. Given that most teenagers do not have jobs or significant property, verification protects the rights of the general public.
Personal Injury Damages
Like with adult drivers, personal injury claims look to whether a teenager was negligent (breaching his or her reasonable duty of care) in causing the car wreck and whether that negligence caused injury to another. Significantly, in addition to the teenage driver, the driver’s parent is also made part of any claim or lawsuit that the injured party files.
A parent of a negligent teenage driver can be held liable for personal injury damages that include:
- Medical expenses;
- Lost wages and lost potential earnings;
- Pain and suffering;
- Loss of use
- Loss of consortium
Contact Viloria, Oliphant, Oster & Aman L.L.P.
Viloria, Oliphant, Oster & Aman, L.L.P. is a full-service law firm that provides personal injury representation. Our attorneys have over a hundred years of combined legal experience and have obtained millions of dollars in damages for our clients. You deserve an attorney who will work tirelessly to seek maximum compensation for your claim. If you have been seriously injured in a car accident, contact us today to see if you have a claim. Call Viloria, Oliphant, Oster & Aman L.L.P. today at (775) 227-2280 to schedule a free case consultation or contact our office through our website.