What if the Other Driver was a Minor?
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Teen Driver Liability: Responsible Party is a Minor
When your teenager is involved in a car accident, you may be wondering what the laws concerning liability in Texas are. Many car accidents that happen tend to involve teenage drivers. It is important to become aware of liability laws in Texas and how these laws may apply to your situation. The liability of your teen will depend on the specific situation of the accident. Common Sense Tips Before you allow a teen to drive on the road, you should make him or her aware of the great responsibilities that driving entails. You should try to explain the following laws to him or her. If a teen has an understanding of how a car accident may impact his or her entire family, then the teen may be more likely to drive in a safe manner on the road. Crashes Involving the Family Vehicle When a teen is involved in a crash with a family vehicle, the parents or legal guardians of that teen may be liable. They may be held liable for “negligent entrustment” if the teen has a track record of getting into accidents or being irresponsible on the road. Texas also employs the “family car doctrine,” and this doctrine maintains that parents may be liable for paying damages when an accident involves a family car. If a teen gets into an accident with the family car, then chances are that his or her parent will have to pay for damages. Crashes Involving a Friend’s Car If a friend allows a teen to drive a car, then he or she may still be sued in the event of an accident. A friend’s insurance policy can cover any damages caused by an accident. However, a teen may also be sued by the person who has been injured. If the insurance policy does not cover the full extent of damages in the case, then a teen may be sued and have to pay damages to the injured person. It is important for a teen to always make sure that a friend has car insurance before he or she drives a vehicle. A teen should also make sure that he or she has car insurance before driving another person’s vehicle. Crashes Involving Uninsured Motorists If the teenager does not have car insurance at the time of an accident, then his or her parents will likely have to pay for damages out of their own insurance policies. The other driver’s insurance company may also work with the parents’ insurance company to work out a deal. There could be other penalties that a teen faces for being uninsured, such as having his or her license suspended. If you have been involved in a car accident with a teen driver, then you may want to get in touch with a lawyer who can help you. Personal injury lawyers are available to work with insurance companies to negotiate a settlement for your case. You can get in touch with personal injury lawyers to receive an assessment of your claim.
Where Zinda Law Group Practices:
Our car accident law firm was founded in Texas and has a team of Austin personal injury lawyers as well as attorneys in Dallas and Fort Worth.
As we’ve grown we expanded out west to El Paso, Texas subsequently into Arizona adding Tucson Personal Injury Lawyers to the firm, as well as adding offices in Colorado including Denver Personal Injury Lawyers and the surrounding cities such as Colorado Springs.
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Types of Cases We Handle:
We also have a team of attorneys that have experience serious injury cases such as car accidents, wrongful death and truck accidents. We also have experience handling more complex cases such as gas explosions and drug injury cases, such as the Taxotere® Lawsuits.
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