Most drivers find themselves in at least one accident, and new drivers in their teens are especially likely to be in an accident. They simply don’t have extensive driving experience and they may make mistakes due to their new driver status. Unfortunately, teens can also panic and makes serious mistakes after a car accident.
Some of the more common mistakes that minors may make after an accident include:
1) Over talking. Many teens will immediately apologise and feel bad about being in a car accident, even if it’s not clear who caused the accident. Unfortunately, saying “sorry” after a crash can be used an admission of liability. In many cases when a teen driver is in an accident with an adult driver, the older driver may try to use their age to claim that the least experienced driver caused the collision, even if this is not strictly true. It is important that if you have teen drivers in your household you teach them not to say much after an accident. Tell them to stick with facts.
2) Agreeing with adults. Many new drivers who don’t have any experience with driving or with accidents may simply go along with what adults at the scene tell them to do. They may agree that they have made a mistake, even if this is not the case. They may also agree not to exchange information or to not report the accident. They may simply trust that the adult in the situation knows what to do and may follow their lead. Unfortunately, this can lead to teens being blamed for hit and runs or it can lead to them not getting the fair compensation they deserve. If you have a teen driver in your household, encourage them to contact you following a collision.
3) Not speaking to an attorney. Young drivers should speak to an attorney following a crash. A serious injury can affect an entire lifetime of income earning and a bright future. Getting fair compensation and getting legal advice also prevents teens from being blamed from an accident they didn’t cause.
4) Leaving the scene of an accident. Young drivers may simply panic after an accident and leave. Unfortunately, this can make the consequences of a crash much worse. Even if a teen driver has been drinking or has made a mistake leading to an accident, tell your children and any teen you know the importance of staying at the scene of an accident, offering assistance, and exchanging contact information.
5) Failing to document. Most young adults today have cell phones and mobile devices they can use to photograph their injuries, car, and the whole car accident scene. Yet not all of them think to do so after an accident. Make sure you tell your teen to write down and photograph as much information as they can in the minutes immediately following an accident. Memories start to disappear quite soon after a traumatic event such as a car crash and you want to preserve as much of that information as possible.
If your teen has been injured in a car accident in Hollywood or anywhere in South Florida, contact Flaxman Law Group at 1-866-352-9626 (1-866-FLAXMAN) for a free accident consultation with a Hollywood car accident attorney. Unfortunately, young drivers sometimes get unfairly blamed for causing a car accident and the consequences can lead to inadequate compensation for injuries or to unfairly increased insurance costs. Our attorneys understand the tactics insurance companies may use to try to blame a young driver for an accident which was not their fault. We have a team of investigators and car accident reconstruction experts who can get to the bottom of what really caused an injury.