TEEN DRIVER ACCIDENTS

Experienced Car Crash Attorneys Assisting Naples Residents

Obtaining your driver’s license as a teenager is a memorable milestone. For many teens, the transition from passenger to driver is relatively smooth. However, some teen drivers fail to appreciate the responsibility that comes with operating a motor vehicle. In 2011, there were over 28,000 reported accidents in Florida involving teen drivers. This represents a five percent increase from the number of teen driver accidents recorded in 2010. At the Law Offices of Adam Baron, our dedicated Naples car accident lawyers have substantial experience handling teen driver collision cases and understand the complexities that may arise in these claims.

Hold a Careless Teen Driver Responsible for an Accident

Florida uses a graduated drivers licensing system, which attempts to limit the situations in which a teen driver can encounter or create high risks. A teen driver is provided with opportunities to demonstrate his or her responsible driving practices. Over time, he or she can graduate to a license with fewer restrictions. Florida teens must be at least 15 years old to obtain a learners permit. Obtaining this license requires completion of a Traffic Law and Substance Abuse Education Course. Teen drivers can graduate from a learner’s permit to an operator license at the age of 16. There are many restrictions associated with this license. For example, 16-year-old teen drivers may only drive between 6:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m. unless someone age 21 or older with a license in good standing is also in the vehicle. Florida also requires each driver to obtain an auto insurance policy.

If you are involved in an accident with a teen driver, you likely can bring a personal injury claim against him or her to recover compensation. Since the at-fault party is a minor, this often involves negotiating with the driver’s parents or involving them in the litigation. The first step to recovery requires showing that the teen driver failed to exercise the same reasonable care and skill that a prudent and careful driver would have used in a similar situation. This standard of care encompasses all of the applicable traffic rules and regulations, including the special driving rules that apply to minors. If the minor violated any applicable law at the time of the crash, such as driving while intoxicated or reckless driving, this is strong evidence that he or she was negligent.

The remaining elements of a negligence claim involve showing a causal link connecting the teen’s carelessness to the accident. It must have something that would not have happened had the teen obeyed all applicable rules and otherwise taken appropriate precautions. The final step of establishing damages allows a victim to provide proof of economic and non-economic costs and losses, such as property damage, medical bills, lost income and earning capacity, and pain and suffering.

Discuss Your Case with a Coral Springs Car Accident Lawyer

People who have been struck by a careless teen driver should not hesitate to take legal action. The Naples car accident attorneys at the Law Offices of Adam Baron provide legal counsel to victims throughout the region, including in Coral Springs, Fort Myers, North Miami Beach, Tamarac, and other cities in Broward and Miami-Dade Counties. We can fight aggressively for the compensation that you deserve at each step of the legal process. Contact us online or call us at one of our regional office locations to set up a free consultation with a motor personal injury attorney. We can be contacted in Broward County at (954) 716-8976, in Miami-Dade County at (305) 770-2131, or in Naples/Fort Myers at (239) 352-5511.