Teen Driver Accident – Teen Driving Accident St. Louis

If you have been hit by a teen driver, or if your teenager was injured or killed due to their friend’s negligence, we can help.

For teenage drivers, the risk of being involved in a car accident among 16-19-year-olds is higher than among any other age group. In fact, a teen driver is 3.7 times more likely to be involved in a fatal auto accident than a driver who is 20 years or older.

Car Accidents and Inexperienced Drivers

There is a reason teenagers have higher insurance premiums. They are inexperienced drivers and tend to have inferior judgment and lower impulse control. In addition, the increasing number of distractions due to technology has not helped reduce the rate of teen driving accidents.

Teen drivers are more likely to speed up and become distracted by their phones or friends. They are also less likely to wear seat belts than older, more experienced drivers. Teenagers are also at a higher risk of intoxicated or impaired driving due to the use of alcohol, marijuana, or other drugs.

Because teenagers are more likely to text or use their cellphones while behind the wheel, our lawyers review phone records and witness statements in these types of cases with great care.

The sad result of so many of these types of car accident cases is that teenagers not only injure or kill themselves, but they injure other drivers or pedestrians as well.

Teen Auto Accidents and Liability

Every driver in Missouri must have car insurance with a certain amount of coverage. While their parents’ insurance policy covers the majority of teens, the parents themselves will likely not be liable for injuries or damage that results from their teen’s accident.

An experienced St. Louis auto accident attorney can help determine who is liable for any injuries you suffer due to a teen driver’s recklessness or negligent driving.

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Vicarious Liability and St. Louis Teen Driver Accidents

If your teen driver is involved in an auto accident, who is held liable for the damage and injuries?

Having your teenager drive alongside you is one thing; turning the keys loose and letting them go out on their own is another. Teen driver accidents happen because teens often lack the skills, experience, and maturity to make the right decisions.

You can’t always control your teen driver’s actions when they are behind the wheel, but talking to them about the responsibility involved in driving an automobile might encourage them to make sound decisions. However, on top of worrying about your teen’s safety, there are other factors that you have to be concerned with regarding Missouri’s insurance laws and liability.

Add Your Teen to Your Insurance Policy

Once your child gets their license, you should add them to your insurance policy. If you let someone drive your car and they are in an accident and found to be at fault, then the car’s owner is responsible for paying for the accident due to vicarious liability. Vicarious liability covers any driver who has permission to drive another person’s car if they are in an accident. So even if they are driving with just a permit, you, as the car owner, will be liable due to vicarious liability.

If you are held liable for vicarious liability, your insurance company will pay for the injuries and damages resulting from the accident – but there are stipulations. If someone in your house shares the same address, if you do not specifically name them on your car insurance policy as a driver, then your insurance company might deny them coverage. Depending on your insurance policy, that may apply whether they are driving on a permit or have a license and are driving without you. It is, therefore, a good idea to call your carrier and ask them if your child should be on your policy even before they have their license.

Liable Due to Vicarious Liability?

If you haven’t listed your teenager on your insurance and are in an accident, vicarious liability would likely still apply. If your insurance company denies them coverage, since they are a minor, the liability to pay for all the resulting damages and injuries would likely be on you. If your insurance company does not cover your teen because they weren’t specifically listed, you may leave yourself open to being sued in court.

4 Tips for Teaching Your Teen To Drive Safe

Be Patient

First and foremost, it’s important to be patient. Learning to drive can be frustrating, and it’ll take time for your teen to get the hang of it. Everyone learns at their own pace.

Be prepared for a few bumps in the road (literally), and try to keep cool when things don’t go as planned. Explain calmly what your teen did wrong and help them understand that making mistakes is part of learning. Patience and practice will go a long way in helping your teen to become a safe driver.

Start With the Basics

It can be tempting to try and teach your teenager everything at once when they start learning to drive. However, it’s important to remember that they’re new to this and need time to get comfortable behind the wheel.

For this reason, it’s best to start with the basics and slowly build up their skills. Some basics you should focus on include teaching them how to control the car, park, and stop safely. Once they have mastered these skills, they can move on to more advanced topics, such as parallel parking and driving in heavy traffic.

Practice in a Variety of Different Driving Conditions

As a parent, you may think that the best way to prepare your teen for driving is to let them practice in a quiet neighborhood with little traffic. However, allowing them to practice in various conditions is also important.

This means not just practicing on nice, sunny days. They should also experience driving in rain, snow, at night, and even on busy highways. By allowing them to practice in various conditions, you’ll help them feel more confident and prepared when they’re out on the road.

Praise Good Driving

When your teen does something well, let them know! A little positive reinforcement can go a long way in boosting their confidence behind the wheel.

Watching your teen behind the wheel for the first time can be nerve-wracking as a parent. However, these simple tips can help them become safe and responsible drivers.

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