Speeding and Teen Car Accidents: What You Should Know
by King Law
Teen drivers often cause more car accidents than motorists who are older and more experienced. In some cases, teen driving collisions are the result of inexperience despite a teen driver’s attempts to be safe behind the wheel. In other cases, however, a teen driver’s negligent behavior can result in a serious or fatal crash. According to a recent article in HealthDay, about 43 percent of all deadly car accidents involving teen drivers and other vehicle occupants result from speeding. As the article underscores, while “deadly speeding is a problem at any age . . . the consequences of speeding pose a particularly grave danger to young drivers between the ages of 16 and 19.”
If your teen driver was injured in a collision caused by speeding, or if you suffered serious personal injuries in a speed-related crash caused by a teen driver, you should seek advice as soon as possible from a Rochester car accident lawyer.
Teens and the Culture of Speeding in the U.S.
The HealthDay article discusses a new report from the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), which emphasizes a pressing need to prevent speeding in order to reduce the overall rate of serious and fatal car crashes involving teen drivers. One of the biggest obstacles, according to the report, is that there is “a culture of speeding in this country” that has grown into a “national pandemic.”
Speed-related accidents occur much more frequently than you might think, and anyone involved in a speed-related collision can be seriously injured. It is important to take steps to avoid these accidents in the first place, but it is also essential to seek financial compensation if you have been harmed by a speeding driver’s negligent behavior.
Filing a Car Accident Lawsuit After a Teen Collision Caused By Speeding
Most people who are injured in teen driving accidents caused by speeding will be able to seek financial compensation by filing an auto insurance claim. If auto insurance cannot adequately cover your losses, you could be eligible to file a lawsuit, but only if you have sustained serious injuries. Indeed, under New York Insurance Law § 5104, you must meet what is known as the serious injury threshold. Otherwise, an auto insurance personal injury protection (PIP) claim is your option for seeking compensation. New York law has its own definition of a serious injury, which can include but is not limited to the following:
- Death;
- Dismemberment;
- Serious disfigurement;
- Fracture;
- Loss of fetus;
- Permanent use of a body organ or body function; or
- Injury that prevents you from doing activities of daily living for at least 90 days.
If you have sustained an injury that rises to the level of a “serious” injury as it is defined by New York law, you could be eligible to file a lawsuit against the at-fault driver (or his or her family, in the case of a teen driver who is still a minor).
Learn More By Contacting a Rochester Car Accident Lawyer
Teen car crashes are often debilitating and deadly, and teen drivers who speed are often at fault for these collisions. When a teenage driver causes a speeding-related accident, occupants of other vehicles can suffer severe injuries. If you were involved in a collision with a teen driver or a speeding driver, our experienced car accident attorney can assess your case to determine your eligibility for filing a lawsuit. Regardless of whether you file only a PIP claim or an auto insurance claim followed by a lawsuit, we will work tirelessly to get you the financial compensation you deserve. Contact King Law today for more information.
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