Can I Be Held Liable If My Teenager Driver Causes An Accident In The Car?
If a teenage driver creates an accident, the parent could, in certain situations (and in some states) be held financially accountable for the injuries.
Car Accident lawyers in Dallas can help you with this.
The moment of giving a teenage driver the keys to the family car is often a significant moment for parents or guardians. It's a ritual, and an entry point to be concerned about liability and safety in the case of an automobile accident. What you need to be aware of is:
Based to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention drivers between 16 to 19 will be three times as likely as those aged 20 and older to be killed in an accident because of reckless behavior and inexperience of the driver.
- Based on the state's law and the circumstances that led to the collision the parent or guardian might be held accountable if their child driver causes a car crash.
- In all but the most extreme circumstances, a parent's guardian's insurance policy will be able to cover the costs of injuries and other damages arising in a crash that involves their teenage driver.
Legal Theories That Underlie Car Accident Fault
• The concept of negligence in law is the one most often used to determine who is accountable for an accident. The basic principle of the negligent theory of liability is drivers have the obligation to operate a vehicle in a reasonably safe way. A driver could be legally liable for any harm that arises from breaching this obligation and injuring another (medical expenses, loss of income, damage to the vehicle, and various other damages).
• All drivers, even teenagers are bound by the obligations imposed by the concept of fault negligence. Drivers who are new to the profession are still obliged by law to take the utmost care and caution in all driving scenarios regardless of their inexperience or lack of skill in comparison to other motorists on the road.
Parental/Guardian Responsibility In Teenage Driver Accidents
In certain circumstances, the parents of the teen or legal guardians might also be accountable for the damage caused by the car accident. The specific circumstances of the incident and the place where it occurred will determine the specific theory of this responsibility. In general, however, any three different situations could result in this type of parent liability.
Careless Trust
In accordance with this Legal Services, it is a violation of the law if the parent or guardian had knowledge or should have realized that their child driver was a risk to other drivers, and they didn't take the necessary steps to prevent the driver from operating a vehicle or to decrease the risk of injury the teen could be held accountable in the event that their child causes an accident.