What Fatalities and Teen Drivers Have in Common

As the parent of a teen driver, you might already have concerns about your child’s ability to navigate the roads safely. As a rite of passage, the teen may be excited while you experience a fair share of panic, even if you’ve helped them practice. It turns out there are good reasons to be concerned about teens behind the wheel.

Unfortunately, teenage drivers often have overconfidence in their abilities and a lack of experience behind the wheel and both of these factors can contribute to a greater likelihood of an accident. In addition to being at higher risk for being involved in an accident overall, teen drivers also face a higher chance of severe injuries and fatalities. It can be a tragedy to see a loved one whose life has been cut short due to a preventable accident but unfortunately, this is a reality for far too many families every year.

Parents can play an important role in helping to reduce the number of teen driving fatalities by giving their teenage driver plenty of opportunities to practice driving and by modeling positive driving behavior. Since 2011, auto accident driver deaths of 16-year olds increased and a number of different research studies have pinpointed that teen drivers face a high likelihood of distracted driving, a leading cause of driver fatalities.

Encouraging teens to obey traffic laws, wear seatbelts, never drive while impaired, never use electronic devices, and to maintain a safe following distance can all help to cut down on serious teen driver fatalities. Losing a loved one, especially a teenage driver, due to a preventable accident can be overwhelming and difficult to cope with. However, you may be eligible to pursue a personal injury claim for the severe medical conditions and injuries sustained by a teen driver or to pursue a wrongful death claim if your teenage son or daughter paid the ultimate price for someone else’s negligent behavior. Consulting with an attorney now will give you a better idea of what’s involved in filing a legal claim.

Berger Lagnese & Paul, LLC can help you if you’ve suffered injuries in a teen driving accident. Call our Pittsburgh-based firm at 412-471-4300 or fill out our online contact form to get started today.

The articles on this blog are for informative purposes only and are no substitute for legal advice or an attorney/client relationship. If you are seeking legal advice, please contact our law firm directly.