Learning to drive and having access to a car is often an exciting milestone in a teenager’s development, but when teen drivers gain freedom behind the wheel, they also take on the risk of causing an accident.
Teen driving accidents in Nashville can have serious consequences, both for the victim’s health and their vehicle. If you have been injured by a teen driver, our auto collision attorneys at Ponce Law are ready to help you make a compensation claim backed by years of local experience.
No matter who and where you are, there is always some risk of an accident occurring when driving. However, teenagers appear to have a higher level of risk compared with other age groups, and they are involved in many car accidents each year.
Because teens do not have as much experience controlling a vehicle as most adults, they may not know how to avoid an accident in certain situations. Teenagers’ brains may also have a less-developed capacity for assessing risk, and they could find themselves with more distractions while driving, such as having many friends in the car or using smartphones and other technology.
The types of injuries caused by accidents involving teen drivers are no different from those caused by other car accidents, but they can still be deadly. A car crash can cause traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, and organ damage from any forceful impact, while less serious injuries—such as cuts and bruises—can result from the collision pushing your body around the inside of your car.
In addition to the cost of fixing any damage to your vehicle, any injuries can have a significant financial impact, both due to the cost of medical treatment and any income lost during your recovery. If you have been involved in a car crash with a teen driver, Nashville attorneys at Ponce Law can work with you to offset these costs and hold the other driver responsible through a legal claim.
Bringing a claim against another driver for an accident will involve proving negligence, which holds people responsible for the injuries they cause others, even if done unintentionally. Negligence typically requires evidence of several elements:
A teen driver, like all drivers, has a duty to drive safely, and driving while distracted or under the influence could be a breach of that duty. You also need to show that the teen driver’s actions or lack of care caused the accident and your injuries, which must be expressed as legal damages. This includes:
Other rules can affect your ability to receive compensation. For example, Tennessee Code § 28-3-104 creates a statute of limitations of only one year. This means that if you do not file your claim within one year of the accident, you might lose your ability to sue at all.
Also, Tennessee uses a system known as comparative negligence, which assigns fault to anyone involved, including non-parties and the victim. As established by McIntyre v. Balentine (Tenn. 1992), this system can find victims partially responsible for their own injuries and reduce their compensation proportionally. Additionally, a victim found more than 50 percent responsible for their injuries lose their right to file a claim.
After a collision with a teenage driver, contact an experienced Nashville attorney who can assist with your personal injury claim and help you figure out how to make your case and file it fast enough. While you recover, your lawyer can also gather evidence and negotiate settlements on your behalf.
The nature of a car crash is unexpected, but you can and should make use of your legal right to compensation. With the hard work and resources of a personal injury attorney on your side, you can protect your future livelihood with a damages award.
If you want to make a claim based on a teen driving accident in Nashville, Ponce Law can bring years of experience to your case. Located in your community, we can fight for you and your rights after a wreck. Contact us for a free case review as soon as possible.
