What Happens If You’re Injured by a Teen Driver in North Carolina?

According to the CDC, drivers ages 16 to 19 face the highest risk of being involved in a car accident and are nearly three times more likely to die in a crash than drivers over the age of 19. Every year, thousands of motorists of all ages are injured in car accidents involving teen drivers, leaving survivors and their families to juggle exorbitant costs, complex health challenges, and other long-lasting losses.

In the aftermath of these crashes, many injured victims are left wondering who actually bears the burden of responsibility for an accident caused by a teenage driver. In North Carolina, there are a few legal statutes that directly influence determinations of liability in these cases and can subsequently impact victims’ recovery options under the law. Here’s a brief explanation of how liability works in cases involving teen drivers and an overview of some of the potential sources of compensation for these costly accidents.

How common are crashes involving teens?

Because most teen drivers are short on experience behind the wheel, crash rates among drivers ages 16 to 19 remain significantly higher than those of older motorists. Teenage drivers have less practice sharing the road, navigating hazards, and making spur-of-the-moment safety decisions, so it can be harder for them to mitigate harm to themselves or to others.

In 2023 alone, over 3,000 teens between the ages of 13 and 19 died in motor vehicle crashes, according to federal traffic safety data. Given that motor vehicle accidents are still ranked the number one cause of death for teens in the United States, motorists of all ages and experience levels have valid questions and concerns about mitigating some of the risks associated with teen driving.

Who is at fault for a teen driving accident?

Determining liability for a car accident can get complicated when a teen driver is involved because there are often a variety of contributing factors in these crashes. Generally speaking, insurance companies, law enforcement, and the judicial system focus on findings of negligence when assigning fault for a crash – regardless of the age of the driver. That means fault for a crash won’t immediately be assigned to a teen driver based solely on their age or inexperience. Instead, both drivers’ actions will be considered, and liability will be determined based on whether or not a driver caused the crash by behaving negligently (or recklessly, in some cases).

Even if a teen driver is found to have been the cause of an accident, they may still not bear the sole burden of liability under North Carolina law. That’s because our state employs something called the “Family Purpose Doctrine” in these cases. Under this doctrine, adults can be held liable for the actions of a teen driver if:

• The teen was a member of their family/household and was living in the family home at the time of the accident
• The vehicle involved in the accident was owned, provided, and maintained for use by the family
• The teen was using the family vehicle with parental consent

If these conditions are met, parents may be held legally liable under the family purpose doctrine for a crash caused by their teen driver’s negligence. This may give an injured accident victim recourse for holding the parents legally accountable and seeking compensation accordingly.

How insurance works in teen driving accidents

In accidents involving adult drivers, the insurance process tends to be more straightforward, as these drivers usually own and insure their own vehicles. When a teen driver causes a crash, however, things can get a little more complicated because these drivers typically operate vehicles that are owned and insured by their parents/guardians. This can result in multiple parties and multiple insurance policies being involved in the same accident claim.

When a teen driver is covered under their parents’ auto insurance policy, the parents’ coverage may apply to injuries or damages caused by the teen driver’s actions. Some potential sources of recovery in a scenario like this might include:

• The parents’ automobile liability insurance
• The vehicle owner’s insurance policy (if the vehicle is owned by someone other than the parents)
• Umbrella insurance coverage, if available
• The injured party’s uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage, if the teen was driving without insurance or without a license

Given the high rates of injury and fatality in teen-involved accidents, some crashes may result in damages that exceed standard policy limits. When this happens, it’s vital to identify any and all potential sources of compensation to ensure your reasonable losses are covered. An experienced car accident lawyer can help you narrow down your recovery options and can even support you in a personal injury claim, should the standard insurance process fail to yield a fair resolution in your case.

An important note on contributory negligence

North Carolina has one of the strictest contributory negligence rules in the United States, which can make it more challenging to recover compensation after a crash. Under this system, an injured person who is found even slightly at fault for causing the accident may be barred from recovering compensation if their negligence contributed to the crash.

This is an often-overlooked factor in teen driving crashes because adult drivers tend to assume that a teen’s driving error will make them the obvious source of liability. In reality, if an adult driver was even slightly at-fault for the crash, they may be barred from recovering compensation unless an exception applies.

Insurance companies are well aware of this rule and often rely on it to dispute, deny, or delay claims. For example, an insurance company may argue that an adult driver was slightly speeding at the time of a crash or that they were following a teen driver too closely before a collision. If the evidence supports these allegations, the adult driver may be left entirely on the hook for their own damages.

This is why it’s so important to work with a car accident lawyer who understands the nuances of our strict contributory negligence system and can help you push back against baseless claims of shared fault. Your lawyer can help you collect the evidence, documentation, and witness testimony you need to refute these challenges and work to ensure you recover fair and reasonable compensation in accordance with state law.

What compensation is available in teen driving cases?

Injuries and other significant losses are relatively common in car accident cases involving teen drivers. If you can show that the teen and/or their parents were entirely to blame for your accident, you may be entitled to compensation for certain damages, including:

• Medical expenses like hospital bills and medication costs
• Long-term care costs, like future treatment or rehabilitation services
• Lost wages and reduced earning capacity
• Pain and suffering; emotional distress
• Mental health treatment for survivors with PTSD or other accident-related diagnoses
• Property damage

You may be entitled to compensation for these damages or for other losses, depending on the facts of your case. In some cases involving particularly egregious misconduct, a court may assign punitive damages to the defendant to deter them from engaging in similar behaviors in the future. Under state law, punitive damages are generally capped at $250,000 or three times the amount of compensatory damages assigned in the case – whichever is greater.

Again, the kinds of damages available vary from case to case, so it’s important to consult with an attorney who can help you calculate the full value of your present and future losses. The state does not place caps on economic or non-economic damages (like pain and suffering, for example) in most personal injury cases, so you and your lawyer can advocate for full and fair compensation based on the actual value of your reasonable losses.

Final thoughts

It takes a lot of faith to trust teen drivers to share the road with more experienced, adult motorists. While this rite of passage is a necessary developmental step for young adults, there are some risks associated with young drivers getting behind the wheel. When a teen driver causes a crash and harms another party as a result, the injured party may be entitled to compensation from the teen or their parents.

At Price, Petho & Associates, we understand that North Carolina’s strict contributory negligence system, coupled with the family purpose doctrine, can seriously complicate a car accident case involving a teenage driver. Whether you’re struggling with questions about who should be held accountable or are concerned about how a contributory negligence claim could impact your case, our team may be able to offer some of the clarity you need to make your next move.

If you were injured in an accident caused by a teenage driver in or around Charlotte, and you have questions about how liability may play out in your case, Price, Petho & Associates might be able to help. Contact us online to schedule a free consultation with a member of our team, and let’s discuss how best to pursue the compensation you need to recover and heal.