Calvert County, MD, Car Accident Lawyers: What to Know About Teen Drivers Causing Car Accidents

If you — or a loved one — have been injured in a car accident caused by a teenage driver in Calvert County, Maryland, you are still entitled to seek compensation for your injuries under Maryland law. In general, victims who are injured in accidents are entitled to seek compensation regardless of how old the at-fault party was at the time of the accident. The main difference between making an insurance claim and/or filing a lawsuit is that the insurance claim will likely be made on the parent’s insurance policy, and the teen’s parents will be held legally responsible for paying compensation. In this article, the Calvert County, Maryland, personal injury attorneys at the Law Office of Robert Castro provide some information on teen drivers and how such cases are handled. If you have been injured in an auto accident here in Southern Maryland, call us at (301) 870-1200. We are experienced and top-tier Maryland car and auto accident attorneys with offices in Waldorf, Maryland.

CDC Statistics on Teen Drivers and Auto Accidents

Sadly, a lot of Maryland vehicle accidents are caused by teen drivers. This is not too surprising since, according to the Centers for Disease Control, lack of experience is a “leading contributor” leading to accidents. See the CDC info page here. Further, the CDC states that “crash risk is particularly high during the first months that teen drivers have their license” and that nighttime driving is even more risky for teens than for older drivers.

Worse still, teen crashes result in more fatalities than older groups of drivers. The CDC reports that:

• Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for U.S. teens.
• About 2,800 teens ages 13–19 lost their lives in car crashes in 2020. That’s an average of eight teens a day.
• Teen drivers ages 16–19 have a fatal crash rate almost three times as high as drivers ages 20 and older per mile driven.

How Legal Liability for Teen Crashes is Handled in Maryland

As noted above, crashes caused by teenage drivers are generally handled in the same manner as other Maryland auto accidents. That is, the first step is to make insurance claims for the injuries and damage to property with the relevant insurance companies. With teenage drivers, this typically means making a claim on the parent’s insurance policy.

There are several reasons for this. First, under Maryland law, parents are legally responsible for the negligence and wrongful behavior of their children until they reach the age of majority. The age of majority is 18 in Maryland. As a practical matter, if the driver who caused the accident was under 18 at the time of the accident, Maryland law prevents suing the teenager directly. Those under the age of 18 are not allowed to be sued in a lawsuit. Thus, there is no choice but to sue the parents as the legally responsible parties.

With respect to insurance, making a claim on the parents’ policy is often required because most teenagers do not buy their own car insurance. Rather, at the appropriate age, parents will have their teenagers added as additional insured drivers on their car insurance. As such, once again, there will be no choice but to make the insurance claim against the parents’ policy.

Contact Waldorf, MD Personal Injury Attorney Robert Castro Today

This article has been provided by the Law Office of Robert Castro. For more information or questions, contact our office to speak to an experienced Maryland personal injury lawyer at (301) 870-1200. We are Waldorf, MD, Personal Injury lawyers. Our address is 2670 Crain Highway, Waldorf, MD 20601.