Your Teen Has Rights Just Like Other Drivers

As you probably already know, teens are more at risk for auto accidents than most other age groups in Montana. Unfortunately, while younger people are generally more resilient after these accidents, it is possible that your child could experience costly, lifelong consequences from a violent crash.

Teenagers are more likely to be out driving at night, and they are also less experienced than older drivers. That is no excuse for a driver denying liability when they hit a teen’s car. Here at Edmiston and Colton Law Firm, we believe that everyone deserves to receive compensation for injuries when another party is responsible — regardless of age.

The initial situation may seem unfavorable for a teenage victim of an auto collision. As explained on the AAA website, your child’s insurance rates will probably be higher than yours. This is because insurance companies know that younger people are statistically more likely to be involved in crashes. Another aspect of this is that, during settlement negotiations and potentially at trial, the other party’s insurance company may attempt to argue that the accident was partially your child’s fault, even absent of any evidence to support this claim.

If this were to happen to you, it could be helpful to remember that facts are more important than statistics or conjecture when it comes to reaching a settlement agreement or convincing a court to award damages. Rather than your child’s age, it could be useful to look at other aspects of the situation, such as the severity of the injury, the average costs for treatment and the potential for lifelong consequences.

The other party’s insurance company would probably already know how much your child’s settlement should be. However, just because they have this knowledge does not mean that they would share it with you. It is unlikely that the company’s initial offer would be anywhere close to full compensation. Please read more on our main legal site.