Motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death for U.S. teens. Teen drivers ages 16 to 19 have a three times higher fatal crash rate than drivers 20 years-old and older per mile driven.
Although car accidents due to teen drivers are preventable, they often result in severe injuries and fatalities. Fortunately, personal injury laws allow injured victims to obtain compensation from the at-fault party.
Whether a teen caused your injuries or your teen suffered injuries, never wait to consult with a trusted Reno vehicle accident attorney about your option.
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Teens are learning everything about driving for the first time. As a result, their reaction time is slower, and they may not properly perceive apparent risks. Some teens have a false sense of confidence, resulting in overly aggressive driving behaviors for road conditions.
Due to their inexperience, teens are more likely to cause critical errors than adults, which can lead to severe car crashes.
Although distracted driving affects drivers across all age groups, it is particularly common and dangerous for young and inexperienced drivers. Research suggests that talking on the phone while driving increases the risk of crashes in teens by six times, and up to 23 times for texting and driving.
Distracted driving takes many forms beyond talking and texting on the phone, including:
Having other teen passengers in the car can also be distracting, as can listening to loud music or interacting with others outside of the vehicle.
Alcohol affects a driver’s brain by affecting their ability to concentrate, coordinate, make good decisions, and react quickly to situations. Excessive alcohol consumption can also negatively impact your vision. Impaired vision can affect how you judge the distance between your vehicle and other vehicles.
Generally, teen drivers stand a higher chance of motor vehicle crashes than older drivers with similar blood alcohol concentrations. CDC data shows that 29% of drivers aged 15-20 who died in motor crashes had been drinking.
Teens can cause accidents that injure others, including passengers in their vehicles and people in other vehicles. When someone suffers an injury due to a negligent teen driver, the teen’s insurance – often through their parents – will usually cover the losses of injury victims.
Anyone who needs to seek compensation for injuries and losses should discuss their options with a car accident lawyer immediately.
It is a stressful experience if your teen has been involved in a car accident. Even if they’re not at fault, the other driver might blame your child for their inexperience. Further, you might have suffered injuries when a teen driver of another car crashed into you.
Consider hiring a professional from Kidwell & Gallager Personal Injury Lawyers with a proven track record of obtaining favorable car accident settlement amounts. Contact us online or at (775) 323-2667 for a free consultation.
Craig W. Kidwell is the managing partner of Kidwell & Gallagher, Ltd., and exclusively represents injured workers in Nevada. Mr. Kidwell has been practicing workers’ compensation law in Nevada since 1999 and has acted as lead counsel on over 2,000 contested workers’ compensation claims. Mr. Kidwell represents injured workers in Nevada through all stages of Nevada’s complex worker’s compensation system. Craig regularly appears in all levels of Nevada’s administrative workers’ compensation system and has represented injured workers in Nevada’s districts and Supreme Court.
This page has been written, edited, and reviewed by a team of legal writers following our comprehensive editorial guidelines. This page was approved by Managing Partner, Craig W. Kidwell who has more than 20 years of legal experience as a personal injury attorney.