Youth Car Accidents

In June 2016 a 21-year-old young man and his 18-year-old girlfriend were killed in a horrific car accident. The 19-year-old driver survived the accident. It was determined that the driver was intoxicated. Sadly, scenarios similar to this one occur thousands of times each year across the country. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) teenage drivers are 30% more likely to be involved in a car accident than older drivers. Furthermore, if there are teen passengers in the vehicle with the teen driver, the risk of an accident is higher than if the teen is driving alone or with an adult. Despite the New York graduated license program teen drivers still present a significant risk of causing accidents. Victims of teen car accidents can be both passengers riding with the teen and occupants of other vehicles. Such victims often suffer serious, life-threatening injuries such as a traumatic brain injury, broken or crushed bones, lacerations from broken glass, or a back or spinal cord injury. These types of injuries involve long recovery times, with the victim being unable to work for weeks or even months. However, under New York law victims of car accidents are allowed to seek compensation from the person whose negligence resulted in the accident. If you are in need of a New York Injury Lawyer because you or a family member was injured in a car accident caused by a teen driver it is important that you contact an experienced Bronx Youth Car Accidents Lawyer who will help ensure that the person responsible for your losses is held accountable in a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit.

The fact that teen drivers are relatively inexperienced makes it more likely that they will make driving errors. Teens also tend to make risky driving decisions.

• Speeding and tailgating. Teen drivers are more likely to speed and tailgate. Both speeding and tailgating and common contributing factors to vehicle collisions.
• Reckless driving. Teen drivers are more likely to engage in reckless or aggressive driving including speeding, tailgating, unsafe lane changes, and driving through red lights or stop signs. Any of these behaviors can lead to a collision.
• Drinking and driving. According to the CDC, among male drivers between 15 and 20 years of age who were involved in fatal crashes in 2012, 25% had been drinking.
• Distracted driving. Driving while texting or talking on a cell phone is one of the leading causes of vehicle accidents. If a driver is looking down at his or her phone, that driver is not paying attention to the road. According to statistics reported by the Pew Research Center in 2009, over 35% of 16 and 17-year-old drivers who own cell phones have texted while driving.
• Seat belt use. Teen drivers and their teen passengers are less likely to use seatbelts compared to adults. In fatal car crashes, 56% of victims between the ages of 16 and 20 were unbuckled. While failure to wear seatbelt does not cause an accident, it contributes to the severity of injuries suffered by accident victims.

If the negligence of a teen driver caused an accident that resulted in your injuries, you can pursue a claim against that person for damages. The types of compensation that you may be able to recover if you file a claim against the negligent person include:

• Lost wages
• Medical bills including bills from the hospital, your doctors, prescriptions and bills associated with medical equipment
• Damage to your vehicle
• Pain and suffering

If a loved was killed in the car accident, you may be able to pursue damages through a wrongful death action.

Keep in mind that just like all other New York drivers, teen drivers are required to be insured. If you have been injured by a teen driver, you have the right to pursue compensation through his or her auto liability insurance.

A personal injury lawsuit stemming from a car accident can be complicated, involving complex evidentiary issues related to fault. If you were injured in a car accident, contact an attorney who not only has experience handing car accidents, but is also familiar with the medical issues victims of such accidents experience. We will thoroughly investigate the accident by reviewing police reports, accident scene evidence, eyewitness accounts, cell phone records and social medial postings. Contact us at 800.696.9529 to schedule a free, no obligation consultation regarding your car accident.