South Carolina crashes involving young, inexperienced drivers can raise issues that don’t come up in a typical car accident, such as graduated licensing rules, parental responsibility, and how a teen driver’s insurance policy works.
Jebaily Law Firm has helped South Carolina families since 1969. Our personal injury attorneys bring more than 100 years of combined experience to car accident claims statewide.
If a teen driver caused the crash that hurt you, call our South Carolina teen driver accident lawyers today or contact us online for a free consultation.
What Should You Do After a Teen Driver Causes a Car Accident?
The steps you take after a car crash can affect both your health and your potential personal injury claim. Here are some key things you should do in the immediate aftermath of a crash involving a teenage driver:
- Call 911 to report the crash, and stay at the scene until law enforcement clears you to leave.
- Seek medical care right away, even if your injuries seem minor at first, since some injuries do not show symptoms for days.
- Take photos of the vehicles, the roadway, and any visible injuries.
- Get contact and insurance information from the teen driver, any passengers, and witnesses.
- Request a copy of the official collision report from the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles once it becomes available.
- Avoid discussing fault or giving a recorded statement to an insurance adjuster before you speak with an attorney.
- Contact Jebaily Law Firm as soon as possible to speak with one of our experienced car accident lawyers.
What Compensation Can You Recover After a Teen Driver Accident?
South Carolina law allows injured victims to pursue compensation for the losses a crash causes, including:
- Medical expenses
- Lost income
- Reduced future earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Diminished quality of life
- Property loss or damage
An experienced personal injury lawyer from Jebaily Law Firm can analyze your situation and explain which losses apply to your case. If you lost a loved one in a crash caused by a teen driver, we can also help you pursue funeral costs and other losses tied to a wrongful death claim.
How Can a South Carolina Teen Driver Accident Lawyer Help with Your Claim?
Our teen driver accident lawyers can guide you through a process that often involves more than one insurance policy. A parent or guardian usually signs a teen’s license application, so the adult’s own auto policy may share responsibility for the crash alongside the teen’s coverage.
Our attorneys will identify every potential source of coverage and work toward full compensation for you.
Our injury lawyers will typically follow these steps to file an auto insurance claim for a teen crash:
- Report the crash to every insurance company that may provide coverage, including the teen driver’s policy and any parent or guardian policy for the vehicle.
- Gather your collision report, medical records, and repair estimates.
- Negotiate with insurance adjusters so you do not accept a low offer before you understand the full cost of your accident-related injuries.
- File and pursue a personal injury lawsuit if a fair settlement offer is not forthcoming.
What Is Negligent Entrustment and How Can It Apply to Teen Drivers?
Negligent entrustment is a legal claim separate from other forms of negligence in a car accident case. Negligent entrustment applies when a vehicle owner, often a parent, hands over the keys to a driver they know poses a danger on the road.
South Carolina courts have often recognized negligent entrustment claims when a vehicle owner knew a driver had a habit of driving after drinking alcohol and let that person drive anyway. Our teen driver accident attorneys can also determine whether a negligent entrustment claim applies in your situation, separate from your direct claim against the teen driver.
What Are the Most Common Causes of Teen Driver Accidents in South Carolina?
Teen drivers face many of the same road hazards as any other driver, but their inexperience raises the stakes and makes motor vehicle crashes more likely. Some examples of risky driving behaviors common among teen drivers are:
- Distracted driving – Many young drivers look at phones or talk with passengers instead of focusing fully on the road, increasing the crash risk.
- Speeding and tailgating – New drivers sometimes misjudge how much distance and time they need to stop safely.
- Driving with too many passengers – South Carolina law limits how many teenage passengers a new driver may carry, since extra riders increase the risk of distraction.
- Nighttime driving – Novice drivers face restricted hours because low visibility and fatigue increase risk when coupled with undeveloped driving skills.
- Ignoring graduated licensing rules – A teen who disregards the restrictions on their beginner’s permit or conditional license makes the road less safe for everyone who uses it.
- Poor decision-making – Drivers in their teenage years are more likely than experienced drivers to end up in high-risk situations behind the wheel.
Why Are Teen Drivers More Likely to Be Involved in Car Accidents?
A novice teen driver is about twice as likely as an adult driver to be involved in a fatal crash, according to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). To help close the gap and address teen driver safety, South Carolina uses a three-stage graduated driver’s licensing (GDL) system that gradually increases a young driver’s privileges as they gain experience.
Under the GDL system, a driver can hold a beginner’s permit at 15, move to a conditional or special restricted license around age 15 and a half to 16, and earn full driving privileges at 17, or after one year with a clean record. A new driver who accrues six or more points or is at fault for a collision during the year can lose privileges.
Parents who sign a teen’s license application take on real legal responsibility. Under South Carolina law (S.C. Code Section 56-1-110), a parent or guardian who signs the application becomes jointly responsible for the harm their teen causes while driving. The exception to the rule is when the teen carries the state’s required liability coverage of at least $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for injuries, plus $25,000 for property damage.
Consult with Jebaily Law Firm for Help After a South Carolina Teen Driver Accident
Jebaily Law Firm has recovered significant results for South Carolina car crash victims, including a $2,005,000 recovery for a client with a traumatic brain injury and a $1,017,790.53 recovery for a client struck by a driver who failed to yield the right-of-way. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome in your case, but they reflect our firm’s ongoing commitment to our clients.
Read some of the many positive reviews our law firm has received to learn what it is like to work with us. For example, one of our past clients wrote:
“George Jebaily is wonderful! I was immediately relieved of the stress of battling the insurance company after an MVA I was involved in. He was quick and efficient in closing the matter. I am so grateful. Will go to him with any and all future issues! I definitely recommend him to anyone in need of help.” – Christina B.
If a teen driver caused your auto accident-related injuries, do not wait to get legal help from Jebaily Law Firm. Our South Carolina teen driver accident lawyers offer free consultations and are ready to fight for your full compensation.
Contact us today for a free case review from an experienced car accident lawyer in South Carolina.
