Learning to drive is a right of passage for many teenagers, but the risks these new drivers present for other motorists are significant. Every year in Connecticut, there are thousands of car accidents involving teenage drivers. If you were involved in a teen driving accident in Connecticut, contact D’Amico & Pettinicchi, LLC, to discuss your options for legal action.
Out of other age groups, teenage drivers are involved in more accidents overall. There are various factors that contribute to the youngest drivers’ overrepresentation in collision statistics, including their experience level. Other causes of the high teenage driving accident rates are:
While distracted driving isn’t a uniquely teenage driver problem, motorists aged 16 – 19 are especially susceptible to distractions. Whether from friends and other passengers in the vehicle, cell phones, or music, there are a number of distractions that threaten to pull a young driver’s attention away from the road.
Inexperience and poor judgment mean risky driving decisions are more common among teenagers. Speeding, tailgating, cutting off other drivers, and running red lights are some of the dangerous behaviors that lead to teenage driving accidents in Connecticut.
Because they are inexperienced, teenage drivers have a different set of laws and restrictions for operating a vehicle in Connecticut. Young drivers with only a learner’s permit cannot transport multiple passengers, with only a few exceptions. When learning to drive, teenagers must be accompanied by an instructor who is at least 20 years old and has been driving for at least four years. There are additional rules, but the general concept is that new drivers must be accompanied by someone who can safely instruct them.
Once teenagers obtain a driver’s license, they still face restrictions. For example, drivers under 18 cannot drive between 11:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. except in limited circumstances.
Even with added safeguards like driving curfews and passenger restrictions, teenage driving accidents are common in Connecticut. If you have been injured due to a teenager’s negligent or reckless driving, you may be able to file an accident claim to recover damages.
Connecticut is a comparative negligence state, which means that drivers who are less than 50% at fault for an accident can recover damages for the harm they sustained. You may be able to recover compensation for economic and non-economic damages, such as:
While most of us have experienced the early years of learning to drive and can understand how difficult this stage of life often is, accident victims deserve compassion and justice.
To maximize your chances of a successful accident claim, work with an experienced lawyer at our firm. At D’Amico & Pettinicchi, LLC, our attorneys have over a century of combined experience, and we take a personalized, strategic approach to each case. Contact us to schedule a free consultation to learn about your options for seeking compensation after a teen driving accident in Connecticut.
