Safe driving requires focus, patience, and experience, which younger drivers often lack. Instead, inexperienced drivers tend to drive aggressively, get distracted easily, and cannot handle situations on the road calmly. Because of this, teenaged drivers are proportionally involved in many more accidents than adults.
When you have been injured in a teen driving accident in Houston, an attorney may be able to help you. Vehicle collisions are frequently expensive due to damaged property repairment and medical costs. When you are injured in an accident due to teen negligence, call to speak with one of our dedicated car accident attorneys about pursuing compensation for your losses.
Rules Applicable to Teen Drivers
Recognizing that experience is often a prerequisite to safety, this state has enacted several rules for young drivers in an effort to make them drive more safely. Texas Transportation Code § 521.222 allows the state to issue a learners permit to first-time drivers between the ages of 15 and 18. This permit allows the teenager to drive only with a licensed adult in the front seat of the car.
Even after a teenager graduates from a learning permit to a license, they will still have to follow certain rules older drivers do not if they are under the age of 18. For example, Texas Transportation Code § 545.424 provides that no one under 18 may use a cell phone while driving, even with a hand-free device. Moreover, teen drivers may not drive more than one passenger under the age of 21 who is not related to them and cannot operate a vehicle between the hours of midnight and five in the morning.
When a person is injured by a young driver in a Houston car crash , they cannot recover damages for their injuries unless they prove the other driver was at fault. Although fault is often difficult to prove, statutes like the above can make it easier: if the other driver violated any of these rules at the time of the wreck, that could be used as evidence of their reckless or careless driving.
What if Multiple People Are at Fault?
Of course, wrecks in Houston, like anywhere else, can be complicated, as the teen driver may not necessarily be the only person at fault. Even when an injured person is partially at fault for an accident, that will not prevent them from recovering for their injuries.
Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code § 33.003 provides that the jury must determine the percentage of responsibility attributable to each person involved in the wreck. The injured person can still recover compensation, but their award will be reduced in proportion to the percentage of fault assigned to them.
However, Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code § 33.001 states that an injured person may not recover any compensation at all if their percentage of responsibility is more than 50%. An attorney with experience in these situations could help an injured person understand how these rules will apply in their case.
Contact a Houston Attorney Knowledgeable in Car Crashes Involving Young Drivers
Teenage drivers can make bad decisions, but that does not mean you or your loved ones must bear the costs of their recklessness. When you have been injured in a collision that was not your fault, a lawyer may be able to help you understand the laws applicable to your situation and how they will affect your potential recovery and advise you on the best path forward.
Call today to schedule an appointment with an attorney who specializes in teen driving accidents in Houston.