In Columbia, MO and in the State of Missouri, a person is eligible to start driving at age 16 or older when accompanied in the front seat by a licensed driver who is at least 21 years old and has a valid driver’s license. Some of the risks strongly associated with teen driving are inexperience, anxiety in certain occasions, and a failure to properly appreciate weather conditions. With certain novice drivers, there tends to be more prevalence of using their mobile devices while operating a motor vehicle, perhaps being more easily distracted.
Steps parents could take to help prevent their teens from becoming involved in a car accident, including making certain that they have as much experience as possible to properly operate a motor vehicle. For drivers between the ages of 15 and 18, there has to be an individual in the car with them when they are learning to drive.
A Columbia teen driver accident lawyer could help your case if your child was involved in a motor vehicle collision. They could investigate the accident, collect evidence, and speak to witnesses to help prove your case. You may be eligible to recover compensation from the other party. A seasoned car accident attorney could determine the cause of your accident and help you hold the other party accountable for their actions.
Some reasons an accident could occur with teen drivers include lack of experience, inexperience of properly judging distances between a motor vehicle in front of them, and being a little more aggressive behind the wheel when attempting to cross an intersection before a red light appears on a traffic signal. Collisions involving novice drivers are just a little more prevalent than those involving experienced drivers.
Extreme weather conditions and heavy interstate traffic may also increase the chances of an automobile collision. A skilled Columbia teen driver accident lawyer could review the facts of the case and help determine the cause of the crash.
In the event the teenager is involved in a car accident, parents should tell their child to stay calm. Oftentimes, younger, inexperienced, novice drivers involved in their first car collision are concerned about the condition of the vehicle and how this may possibly affect the transportation ability of the family. A parent should tell their teenagers to stay calm and be concerned about their own physical wellbeing.
Once they have properly assessed the situation, what they need to do is call law enforcement personnel and first responders, particularly if they believe that they have been injured. Their very first call should be to law enforcement personnel. Their second call should be to their parents or legal guardians to inform them of what occurred.
If there are no severe physical injuries, the driver should take photographs of the condition of the vehicles and of the roadway, collect the contact information of all individuals involved in the collision as well as any witnesses to the crash. Once first responders and law enforcement personnel arrive, comply with their instructions.
Missouri’s graduated driver’s license law requires that all first-time drivers between 15 and 18 years old complete a period of driving with a licensed driver, which allows them to have an instruction permit as well as restricted driving intermediate license before getting a full driver’s license. There is no requirement to take a formal driver’s education program, but one must have a licensed driver of a certain age accompanying them during their instructional driving years.
According to statute, there are not any exceptions to drive on the roadway if one is younger. License holders who are 16 years old may not drive with more than one non-family passenger unless accompanied by a parent, guardian, or legal custodian. At the age of 17, a driver may have no more passengers than there are seatbelts in the vehicle. To keep up with the recent laws regarding teenage motorists, it is best to speak to a Columbia teen driver accident attorney.
A car accident case plays out differently when the driver is under the age of 18 than it would with adult motorists because in certain circumstances there would be more fault placed upon the underage driver. This is due to inexperience, failure to operate their motor vehicle at the highest degree of care because they were distracted, and improperly assessed the distances between cars. A car accident case could play out differently based upon those factors attributed to the novice driver.
Columbia’s teen driving laws affect insurance claims when there is an accident. Any collision, regardless of age, would have an insurance claim reported and assigned to it. In certain occasions, the inexperience, anxiety, and distraction of a novice driver are behaviors and fact situations that could possibly place more comparative fault on the novice driver.
When looking for a car accident lawyer after a teen has been injured in a car accident, parents should find an attorney who has the best interests of the novice driver at heart. The attorney must be willing to advocate on your behalf against the driver that caused or contributed to cause the collision. Our diligent team at the A.W. Smith Law Firm is ready to help you seek the compensation you need to move forward.
Speak to a skilled Columbia teen driver accident lawyer today to learn about your legal options.
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