Your Trusted Personal Injury Lawyers in Waterford, CT
As teen drivers learn how to navigate the rules of the road, they face multiple challenges, including inexperience and distractions. These hurdles can lead to an increased likelihood of accidents, and that means that motorists and pedestrians can face serious consequences.
Teen driving accidents in Waterford can leave people with injuries and property damage. If you were impacted by a young driver’s negligence, a car crash attorney could help negotiate with insurance and work for the settlement you need.
It is well-known that teen drivers pose more risks behind the wheel, and many states address these concerns by placing additional legislation on young drivers. Connecticut has a multi-faceted approach to providing teen drivers in Waterford the space they need to learn how to drive while mitigating risks for others and accidents.
Sixteen- and seventeen-year-old teens with driving permits are strictly limited in what passengers they can have (generally only a licensed driving instructor or a driver over the age of 20 who meets additional requirements and is actively instructing the driver). All passengers in a vehicle driven by a teen with a permit must wear seat belts, and no cell phones (including hands-free options) or other electronic devices can be used by the driver.
Once a sixteen- or seventeen-year-old driver is licensed, they still face restrictions on passengers. For the first six months, they are limited to only parents/guardians, licensed instructors, and licensed drivers over 20 who meet good standing requirements. For the second six months, they can also drive with immediate family in the car.
These drivers face curfew restrictions as well. Unless they are driving to or from an exempted event (religious activity, school, work, or out of medical necessity), they cannot drive between 11 pm and 5 am. They also must wear a seatbelt and cannot use a cell phone (including a hands-free device) or other electronic device until their 18th birthday.
When a teen driver in Waterford is involved in an accident, additional questions of liability can come into play. Since there are conditional legislative requirements placed on these young drivers, there are more considerations to make when assigning fault. A teen driver who was violating curfew, for instance, may face legal penalties that could impact their liability.
In addition, insurance companies may have policies that exempt them from covering accidents when a teen driver is not compliant with all applicable laws or if the policyholder (typically the teen’s parents) failed to properly add them to the insurance.
In these cases, the injured party may need to explore other legal options, such as bringing a lawsuit directly against the teen driver or their parents or seeking compensation under their own insurance policy for uninsured or underinsured drivers.
Navigating the legal and insurance implications of teen driving accidents in Waterford can be complicated and frustrating — especially if you are also dealing with recovery from injuries. Our teen driving accident lawyer can help answer your questions, dig into the details of the insurance policies, establish liability, and help represent you in any resulting lawsuits.
You may be able to seek compensation for existing medical bills, ongoing treatment (such as physical therapy or medications), property damage, and pain and suffering. To get started, call our firm today.
We are committed to provide personalized attention to each and every client’s case – no matter how large or small– because that is each client’s only case. We are proud of our firm’s reputation of combining integrity and compassion with an unflinching dedication to getting the right result. We will do what we say.
