Teen Car Accidents Attorneys in Boston

Boston teen car accident attorney Jeffrey S. Glassman and the staff at our law offices understand that dealing with the serious injury or death of a child in a motor vehicle accident is among the most painful tragedies a family can endure. Frequently these accidents involve friends of the child or the children of close friends.

When it comes to car accidents in Boston, and elsewhere in Massachusetts, our teenagers are most at risk. Teens are more likely to text message or use a cell phone while driving and are more at risk for accidents caused by other poor driving decisions, including speeding and drunk driving. They are also most likely not to wear a seatbelt and to drive with too many passengers in the vehicle.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports more than 2,000 teenagers are killed in car accidents every year, and some 200,000 are injured. Each year, more than 5,000 teenagers are involved in fatal accidents. Massachusetts car accidents involving teenagers kill about 50 students every year.

The truth of the matter is that car accidents are the leading cause of death for all teens, and that risk is never higher than during a teen's first year of driving.

At the Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers, we understand what it takes to investigate and pursue a personal injury or wrongful death claim against the driver at-fault in a teen car accident. Also, a claim may be filed against the owner of the vehicle, his or her insurance policy, and insurance policies in place on other vehicles in the household.

Each case is unique, just as there are many reasons for teen car accidents. Consulting a law firm with the resources and ability to thoroughly investigate your claim can have a positive impact on the outcome of your case.

• Teens are more likely than older drivers to underestimate the dangers of a given situation and to overestimate their driving abilities.
• Teens are more likely to speed and less likely to leave assured stopping distance ahead.
• Teenagers have the lowest rate of seat belt use.
• Teens are more likely to drive drunk or to ride in a vehicle with someone who has consumed alcohol.
• Teens are four times more likely to receive a driving citation.
• Most teen driving deaths occur between 3 p.m. and midnight on Saturdays and Sundays.

Massachusetts' Graduated Driver's Licensing Program attempts to address some of the issues by granting driving rights in three stages: learner's permit, junior operator's license, and a full license. However, studies continue to show that parents can have the greatest impact on the driving habits of their teenagers by staying actively involved long after a young driver climbs behind the wheel.

If your family is dealing with a Massachusetts car accident involving a teenager, contact the Boston personal injury lawyers and wrongful death attorneys at Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers today for a free and confidential consultation to discuss your rights.

(617) 777-7777 -- Free Consultation

According to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, motor vehicle crashes are the number one cause of teen death in the entire United States. Teenage drivers are four times as likely to be killed and 14 times as likely to be injured in car accidents than people in any other age group. Teens are also more likely to kill passengers in their vehicles, rather than themselves, when they are involved in a car accident.

Teen car accidents are tragic events, especially when serious injury or death results. If you or a loved one has been involved in a teen car accident, you should be aware that the law may allow the person who caused the accident to be held financially responsible. To learn more about imposing legal liability and collecting compensation after a teen car accident, contact a Massachusetts personal injury attorney at Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers today.

Car accidents involving teen drivers have many causes and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) identifies several key factors that put teens at risk including:

• Lack of driving experience and inability to respond promptly and correctly to other drivers or to adjust to adverse weather conditions.
• Teens underestimate the dangers of driving under certain weather conditions or in certain situations while also overestimate their driving skills and ability.
• Teen drivers are speeding.
• Teen drivers are leaving an insufficient stopping distance between their vehicle and the vehicle in front of them.
• Teen drivers are drinking or using drugs before driving, despite zero tolerance laws.
• Teen drivers are texting, talking on their cell phones or otherwise paying attention to electronic means of communication rather than the road.
• Teen drivers are paying attention to their friends or passengers in the vehicle rather than other cars or driving hazards.
• Teen drivers are focusing on changing the music or paying attention to the radio instead of driving safely.

Unfortunately, teen drivers are also more likely to skip wearing seatbelts, which can make accident injuries much worse than they otherwise might have been.

If your teenager has been involved in an accident and was at fault for the accident, then you have limited recourse, although Massachusetts does require that all drivers purchase personal injury protection (PIP). This PIP will provide up to $8,000 of coverage for medical costs and applicable any lost wages, even when the teen driver was at fault. You may need to bring an action against your insurance company – motorists too often find themselves in an adversarial position when it comes to collecting damages for medical bills and other costs.

Those who are involved in accidents with teen drivers may also make claims against the teen for damages if they can prove that the teen was negligent. Teens are still held to a hypothetically reasonable person standard of care when driving, just as any other driver on the road is, and can be subject to a personal injury claim or tort lawsuit when they breach that standard of care or when they fall short of obeying the rules of the road. The insurance company of the teen driver should negotiate a settlement or pay for damages if the case goes to court, so the fact that the teen typically has limited assets should not preclude an injured victim from suing.

If the damages from the accident exceed the insurance policy limits, however, then identifying the potential defendants becomes more complicated as you may wish to consider the liability of the parents if they permitted the teen to use their vehicle or if they did not adequately supervise the teen's driving practices. Your injury lawyer will help you to identify the appropriate defendant or defendants in these situations.

Finally, if a teen driver was involved in an accident caused by some third party and the third party was at fault or contributed to the accident, you may have the right to sue the third party. This is true even if your child was a passenger in the vehicle of a friend when the friend caused the accident. The passenger of the vehicle may sue the teen driver of the vehicle to recover compensation as long as the passenger can prove negligence.

To learn more about how a Boston car accident lawyer can help you after a teen driving accident, contact Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers today at (617) 777-7777 or using our online form.