Teen Car Accidents

Getting one’s first driver’s license is a part of growing up; a moment in life that many youngsters look forward to with relish as they see friends and siblings progress into the adult world. Unfortunately, youthful exuberance can have its downside, as many a parent has experienced throughout the march of time. When it comes to the transition from bicycles to autos, teenagers have much to learn -- rules of the road, fixing their attention on something other than a video screen and staying attentive to all manner of dangerous and deadly hazards on our roadways.

As Maryland personal injury attorneys, the legal experts at the law offices of Lebowitz & Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers, understand the dynamics involved in car, truck and commercial vehicle accidents. While many of these collisions take place at low speeds, causing few if any serious injuries, others can occur at high speeds on an interstate, beltway or rural route. Seasoned drivers surely suffer their fair share of automobile accidents, but teenage drivers are much more susceptible to the causative factors that may result in an injury-related or fatal traffic wreck.

There is no lack of data indicating the risks involved with young and inexperienced drivers. Every parent that has at least one teen driver in the household knows all too well about the increase in auto insurance premiums that these novice drivers inevitably generate simply by their addition to the ranks of drivers nationwide.

It’s no secret that the auto insurance industry maintains detailed statistics of every kind of risk involved with motor vehicle traffic on Maryland roadways. Over more than a century of automobile use in this country, the figures bear out what many already know intrinsically: that there is a demonstrably higher rate of car, truck and motorcycle accidents among the teenage driving population, as well as those individuals in their early 20s.

The risk of injury and sometimes death from a car crash caused by a teenage driver or young adult motorist has always been with us, even prior to the advent of cellphones, mobile devices and other electronic distractions. As Baltimore automobile injury lawyers, Lebowitz & Mzhen have the training and skills to represent victims of car, truck and commercial motor vehicle accidents resulting from a negligent teenage driver. We understand that the majority of these accidents occur as a result of speeding, road racing, distracted driving or just plain adolescent misbehavior behind the wheel.

While young males are often the cause of a serious injury or fatal traffic wreck, young female motorists are not immune to the pitfalls of distracted driving and other dangerous activities while operating a motor vehicle. Although young women may not be as accident prone, in general, as young men on the road, inexperienced female drivers are also over-represented when compared to other, more mature driver groups.

Here in the U.S., traffic accidents are the main cause of death for teenagers; accounting for a staggering one-third of fatalities for this particular age group. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, car, truck and motorcycle crashes kill more than a half-dozen teens between 16 and 19 years old every day of the week. On top of this horrendous figure, traffic accident statistics indicate that more than 800,000 teens are injured in roadway collisions each year. The reasons vary for every road accident, but some of the top causes for teen driving accidents, injuries and fatalities include the following:

• Following other vehicles too closely
• Speeding more often than do older drivers
• Failing to recognize dangerous situations
• Driving without the use of a safety belt
• Drinking and driving, or riding with a drunken driver
• Being distracted by other youngsters in the vehicle
• Operating smaller or older vehicles than do adult motorists

The fact that motorists in the 16-19 age group are four times more likely to be involved in a highway accident or urban collision than their older, more experienced counterparts makes it all the more important for parents and those in authority to monitor the driving activities of these young motorists. To this point, because novice drivers statistically have the highest accident rate in their first year of licensed driving, many states maintain zero-tolerance policies toward those drivers who cause a car accident during the first six to 12 months of their driving career.

As automobile accident lawyers, the attorneys at Lebowitz & Mzhen know the law and how to apply it to situations involving teenager-involved motor vehicle wrecks. In many instances, a teen driver who causes an injury or fatality may in many cases be a sibling, relative or friend of the victim. These kind injury- and fatality-related traffic collisions can be extremely traumatic and upsetting to all of the families involved.

If you or a loved one has been hurt as a result of car, truck or motorcycle crash caused by a teenager, you may wish to contact a qualified personal injury expert, such as the lawyers at Lebowitz & Mzhen. Our attorneys can help you better understand your rights as a victim of an automobile-related crash.

Being skilled professionals, Lebowitz & Mzhen have the legal experience to ensure that current, as well as past and future medical expenses will be covered for an individual who has been seriously injured in a severe motor vehicle wreck. Please feel free to contact our offices to schedule a no-obligation consultation with one of our attorneys regarding your traffic-related personal injury accident. You may email Jack Lebowitz or Vadim Mzhen, or call us at our toll-free number: (800) 654-1949.