After getting into a car accident I called Barbara and it was the best decision I ever made. She is amazing! I couldn’t have asked for a better lawyer to represent me. She got me the best settlement to pay back my medi...
The fight with insurance companies is just as hard as fighting for your life after an accident. As long as you dont give up on yourself Barbara will fight for you. The staff at Kidwell and Gallagher were great as well. I...
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Teen drivers are more likely to be involved in serious crashes than adults due to a combination of inexperience, risky behaviors, and increased susceptibility to distractions. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), motor vehicle crashes are the second leading cause of death for U.S. teens, with drivers aged 16–19 nearly three times more likely than drivers aged 20 and older to be involved in a fatal crash per mile driven. A Reno personal injury lawyer can give you the help you need.
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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.
Teen driving behaviors often increase the likelihood of collisions. The CDC identifies several high-risk behaviors among teens that are contributing factors in motor vehicle accidents:
In Nevada, these risky patterns are especially dangerous in urban areas like Reno, where higher traffic density can amplify the consequences of poor decisions behind the wheel.
Lack of driving experience limits a teen’s ability to detect and respond to hazards. Adult drivers typically benefit from years of experience that help them anticipate the behavior of other drivers, manage adverse weather, or react to road obstacles. In contrast, teens are still developing these judgment skills, making them more vulnerable in emergencies.
Common errors that result from inexperience include:
In Reno, where snow, ice, or heavy rainfall can create hazardous road conditions during winter months, inexperience can significantly increase the risk of collisions.
Distractions, especially smartphone use, play a major role in teen driving accidents. Teenagers are among the most frequent users of mobile devices, and many struggle to resist texting or using social media while behind the wheel. The Nevada Department of Public Safety, alongside local law enforcement and schools, has highlighted distracted driving as a top cause of teen-related crashes in the region.
Examples of teen distractions include:
In 2023, nearly 39% of Nevada teen drivers involved in accidents were distracted at the time of the crash. These behaviors divert attention from the road and can result in delayed braking or missed signals.
Teenagers are more likely to speed and engage in dangerous maneuvers than older, more cautious drivers. Studies show that younger drivers are more prone to underestimate danger and overestimate their driving abilities. In a city like Reno, where interstate traffic intersects with local roadways, this combination can be particularly hazardous.
Risk-taking behaviors commonly observed include:
These choices increase the probability of a crash and elevate the severity of injuries when a collision occurs. Law enforcement agencies in Nevada continue to cite speeding as a leading cause of fatal teen crashes.
Though the law often holds teen drivers to the same standards as adults in the case of an accident, their inexperience can escalate the severity of legal consequences. In Nevada, teens are subject to the Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) program, which places tight restrictions on driving to reduce the risk of certain behaviors. For instance
Teens who violate these rules face fines, license suspensions, and lawsuits; parents who co-sign the licenses may be held liable as well.
In a teen driver-related accident, liability is established according to negligence. Nevada is a fault state; the party whose negligence caused the accident pays the damages. Teens do less driving than people in any other age group but have the highest crash rate. In 2022, 2,883 youth ages 13-19 died in car crashes in the US, and the rate of fatal crashes per mile driven for youth ages 16-17 was three times that of drivers over 20.
The following factors are considered when determining liability:
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.