Teenage drivers have an extremely high rate of car accidents, in part because they do not yet have the experience and judgment necessary to operate a vehicle safely. Speeding is one common mistake that teenage drivers make behind the wheel. Whether it is overconfidence or a lack of appreciation for the law, other drivers on the road are at extreme risk due to their actions. If you have been injured in an accident with a teenage driver that involves speeding, you may be entitled to substantial financial compensation. However, the question is whether you may be able to go to receive that compensation.

Teenaged Drivers Have a Much Higher Rate of Speeding

Nearly one in every three car accidents that involve teenage drivers is caused by speeding. Granted, not every teenage driver engages in unsafe driving practices, but many of them do. Teenage drivers have nearly three times the rate of fatal car accidents as a motorist who was over the age of 20. The risk is even more pronounced when a teenage driver has other passengers in the car, as there is often peer pressure to engage in risky behavior. Of course, the teenage driver could also be a victim in an accident in which the other driver was speeding, but statistically speaking, it is more likely to be the other way around.

While speeding is dangerous for any driver, it is even more hazardous when it is done by a teenager. Drivers must exercise a certain amount of caution to be able to respond to traffic challenges around them on the roadway. When they are speeding, they reduce the amount of time that they have to react. Further, motorists are more likely to lose control of their vehicles when they are speeding. Crashes that involve speeding will usually result in more serious injuries because of the force unleashed by the accident.

How to Seek Compensation for an Accident That Involves Teenage Speeding

Any driver in Georgia needs car insurance before they are allowed to get behind the wheel. Parents must put their teenage driver on their car insurance for them to be permitted to drive. If the driver is over the age of 18, and they are not on their parent’s insurance policy, they need to purchase their own car insurance coverage. As such, if the teenage driver was responsible for the accident, you would file a claim against whichever insurance policy covers them.

When you have been injured by a teenage driver, they may not have the assets to pay any damages beyond the insurance coverage that their parents have. There are several ways that you can hold a parent liable for the actions of their teenage driver:

• When a teenager below the age of 18 receives a driver’s license in Georgia, the parent assumes “joint liability” for any damage they cause.
• You can use the Family Purpose Doctrine to hold the parents accountable when they own a vehicle that is used for family purposes, and they allow a teenager to use it.
• If the parents knew or should have known that the teenage driver had a propensity to be reckless, you may sue the parents for “negligent entrustment” of the vehicle.

When you hire a car accident lawyer for your case, they will investigate and learn more about the details of the insurance coverage that is available to pay for your injuries. They will pursue the most effective route to full compensation on your behalf.

Contact Our Macon Car Accident Lawyers at Childers & McCain, LLC to Get the Compensation You Deserve if You Suffered Injuries Due to a Teenage Driver

Our Macon car accident lawyers at Childers & McCain, LLC can be one of the best friends that you have when you have been injured in a motor vehicle crash. To get us working on your side, schedule a free consultation by submitting our online contact form or calling us today at 478-254-2007. Located in Macon, Georgia, we gladly serve clients in the surrounding areas.