According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2,364 teen drivers between the ages of 16 and 19 died in accidents in 2017. Thousands of other lives were impacted as a result of those accidents.
Teens often lack the experience and responsibility that older drivers have and are therefore more susceptible to collisions.
If your teen son or daughter has been hurt or killed in a car accident, you have the right to hold the negligent driver responsible for their behavior, and a LaPlace teen driving accident lawyer from the team at the Morris Bart law firm is here to help.
When you retain our services, you pay nothing upfront and nothing out of pocket. We receive our payment when we are successful in your case.
For a free, no-risk consultation or to have us get to work on your case right away, contact us at (800) 537-8185.
Causes of Teen Driving Accidents
There are a number of causes of teen driving accidents:
Inexperience
Ultimately, the majority of accidents come down to teen driver inexperience. Their inexperience behind the wheel of a car could mean that your teen driver may not recognize reckless behavior in themselves or others, which could lead to an accident. Young drivers who are less likely to recognize dangerous situations are more likely to make a critical driving error that causes an accident.
Speeding
Teens are more susceptible to speeding than other drivers, which unfortunately reduces their ability to brake or steer in time to avoid an accident. Driving at high speeds also increases the seriousness of the crash. High-speed collisions are more likely to produce fatal or catastrophic injuries, not to mention greater property damage.
Drinking and Driving
The CDC reported that in 2017, 15% of drivers between the ages of 16 and 20 who were involved in fatal collisions had a BAC of 0.08% or higher, even though it is illegal to drink under the age of 21. When drivers have a BAC of 0.08%, they may experience short-term memory loss, slower reaction times, an impacted ability to process information, and impaired perception.
Drowsy Driving
Teen drivers tend to be chronically sleep-deprived as a result of their lifestyle. Many teen drivers stay up late into the night socializing, working, and studying. They are often up early in the morning to get to school. Unfortunately, sleep deprivation has many of the same impacts on the brain as alcohol and can result in drowsy driving. The National Sleep Foundation reports that researchers in Australia studied the impact of being awake for 18 hours. They found that it produced an impairment equal to a BAC of 0.05%. When the person stayed up for 24 hours straight, it produced an impairment equal to 0.10%—higher than the legal alcohol limit.
If your teen driver suffered injuries because of an accident involving a drowsy driver, you have the right to hold the negligent driver responsible for their behavior. Contact the Morris Bart law firm at (800) 537-8185 for a free review of your case.
For a free legal consultation with a Teen Driving Accident lawyer serving LaPlace, call 800-537-8185
Recoverable Damages After a Teen Driving Accident
There are a number of possible damages that you might recover after an accident. If you qualify, some of the possible damages include, but are not limited to:
- Medical costs
- Property damage
- Lost wages
- Future wages, if your earning potential is lost
- Pain and suffering
- Disfigurement or dismemberment
- Loss of quality of life
- Out-of-pocket costs
If your loved one did not survive the accident, your family may be entitled to recover losses in a wrongful death claim. Some of the possible damages you may be able to recover include:
- Funeral costs
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of consortium
- Loss of support and protection
- Medical costs left to the family to pay
- Wages and benefits previously provided by the deceased
Laws that May Impact Your Claim
There are two specific laws that you should be aware of: the statute of limitations and comparative negligence. Louisiana Civil Code Art. 3492 imposes a limit on the amount of time you have to recover compensation from the negligent party after an accident. Louisiana has a statute of limitations of one year. That means if you do not file your lawsuit pursuing damages within one year of the date of the accident, you are generally barred from recovering any type of compensation.
Louisiana also follows the pure comparative negligence doctrine under Louisiana Civil Code Art. 2323. This legal doctrine distributes liability to everyone who contributed to an accident according to their degree of proven fault. If you are somewhat responsible for the accident, your compensation will be reduced by the degree to which you are liable. For example, if your teen driver was 20% responsible for causing the accident, you can only recover 80% of the damages awarded.
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How a LaPlace Teen Driving Accident Lawyer Can Help
A LaPlace teen driving accident lawyer is here to take the burden off of you, so you and your teen can heal from your injuries without worrying about the legalities of your case. If you decide to move forward and retain our services, our team will gather evidence like police reports, medical records, eyewitness statements, and expert statements to build a strong case. We can help prove liability and the full extent of your damages.
One of our LaPlace teen driving accident lawyers can also negotiate with the insurance company or the defendant’s lawyer to pursue compensation for your injuries. We will not hesitate to take your case to trial if that is what it takes to reach a settlement in your case.
For a free, no-risk consultation or to have us get to work right away, contact the Morris Bart law firm today at (800) 537-8185.
Questions?Call 800-537-8185
to find a Morris Bart office near you.
