• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Whiplash & Whiplash Injury St. Louis

Whiplash & Whiplash Injury St. Louis

  • Whiplash
    • What is Whiplash?
    • How Long Does Whiplash Last?
  • Symptoms
  • Treatment
    • Exercises
    • Physiotherapy
    • Surgery
  • Compensation
  • Car Accident
    • What to Do When You Get in a Car Accident
    • The Most Common Causes of Car Accidents
    • Wrong Way Car Crash
    • Why Hire a St. Louis Car Accident Lawyer?
    • Injuries
      • Brain Injury
      • Delayed Injuries
      • Head Injury
      • Leg Injury
    • T-Bone Accident
    • Uninsured Motorist
    • Who Pays My Medical Bills?
  • Whiplash St. Louis Blog

Teens Prone to Dangerous Driving Habits

April 7, 2017 by Christopher

Inexperience and a desire to seek excitement are two contributing factors that often lead to an auto accident involving a teenage driver.

There is much excitement driving your first car, owning your first car, going on road trips with friends, and going on romantic drives. These are just some of the things teenagers look forward to in their cars. While this excitement feels great, it can also be a cause of on-road accidents among teenagers. According to a research conducted by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) drivers aged 16 to 20 are at elevated risk of being in car accidents.

Inexperience is not the only factor contributing to the increasing number of car accidents involving teenage and young adults. A major contributing factor is the fact that teenagers seek out excitement. This is a fact with a scientific explanation.

A study conducted by Temple University involving more than 5,000 individuals across 11 countries has shown that drivers ages 16 to 20 are wired to seek out excitement and engage in risky behavior. The study points out that the brain’s self-regulation does not reach maturity until the mid-twenties, whereas the peak age of desiring risk and excitement is 19 years. While the self-regulatory ability of the brain is still developing, a teenager’s ability to regulate and mitigate risky behavior is still nascent, often leading to behaviors that can be detrimental and devastating.

Liability in car accidents involving teen drivers

First, one should understand that it is essential for everyone, including teens to have minimum insurance coverage for car accidents. The minimum figures according to Missouri law are –

  • $25,000 per person coverage
  • $50,000 per collision for bodily injury
  • $10,000 for property damage

When a teenager is at fault in a car accident, determining liability is a little different from normal cases. If the vehicle is owned by a parent or a guardian, the parent or guardian can face liability under negligent entrustment called the “family car doctrine”.

If the teenager was driving a friend’s car the owner of the vehicle becomes liable under ‘owners liability’ or ‘vicarious liability’. In this case the accident victim can place liability charges on both the owner of the vehicle as well as the teenage driver.

If the teen is uninsured, the accident victim has the same trouble as they would have if the at-fault driver was an adult driver without insurance coverage. In such a situation uninsured and underinsured coverage may come to the rescue. In cases where the coverage amount is insufficient and the victim cannot sustain the high costs of medical bills, loss of wages, and the costs of damages caused, the accident victim may be able to hold the parents, guardian, the vehicle owner, and even the at-fault teenager liable.

In accident cases involving teen drivers, it is important that legal help is sought from a trained, qualified and experienced attorney. Give us a call 24/7 at (314) 361-4242 for a free case evaluation.

Related Posts:

  • 7 Mistakes Teen Drivers Make That Can Lead to Car Accidents
    7 Mistakes Teen Drivers Make That Can Lead to Car Accidents
  • St. Louis Car Accident Attorney
    St. Louis Car Accident Attorney
  • 3 Habits Every Teenage Driver Should Cultivate to Prevent Car Accidents
    3 Habits Every Teenage Driver Should Cultivate to Prevent…
  • What Parents Can Do to Prevent Teen Car Accidents in St. Louis
    What Parents Can Do to Prevent Teen Car Accidents in St.…
  • Why Are Motor Vehicle Accidents the Top Killer of Teens?
    Why Are Motor Vehicle Accidents the Top Killer of Teens?
  • Who Is Liable If a Teenage Driver Causes a St. Louis Car Accident?
    Who Is Liable If a Teenage Driver Causes a St. Louis Car…

Filed Under: Whiplash St. Louis Blog Tagged With: Teen Driving Accidents

Footer

The Hoffmann Law Firm, L.L.C.
130 S Bemiston Ave # 603
St. Louis, MO 63105
(314) 361-4242

Free Consultation Request

    RSS Car Accident Lawyer & Auto Accident Attorney St. Louis

    • Receiving Medical Care After a Car Accident
    • 3 Common Brain Injuries That Occur in Car Accidents 
    • St. Louis Pile-Up Car Accident Lawyer
    • St. Louis Car Accident Cause by Failing to Use Turn Signals
    • Can Car Safety Features Cause Accidents and Injuries?
    • 5 Face Injuries Common in Car Accidents
    • 3 Types of Evidence to Prove a Drowsy Driver Caused Your St. Louis Car Accident
    • Leg Injuries from Car Accidents
    • Rotator Cuff Tear in a St. Louis Car Accident
    • Esophageal Injury After Car Accident

    Copyright © 2023 The Hoffmann Law Firm L.L.C.
    The images included on this site are not actual attorneys, events, or clients. The choice of a lawyer is an important decision and should not be based solely on advertisements. The information you obtain at this site is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice. You should consult an attorney for advice regarding your individual situation. We invite you to contact us and welcome your calls, letters and electronic mail. Contacting us does not create an attorney-client relationship. Please do not send any confidential information to us until such time as an attorney-client relationship has been established. Attorney Chris Hoffmann handles car and truck accident claims throughout Eastern Missouri and Western Illinois. He represents injured clients in St. Louis, St. Charles, St. Peters, Clayton, East St. Louis, Alton, Hillsboro and Belleville, and other cities in St. Louis County, St. Charles County, and Jefferson Country, MO, and St. Clair County and Madison County, IL.