Recovering Full and Fair Compensation When You’ve Been Hurt because of the Negligence of a Minor
You have a personal injury claim involving a minor. Maybe a teenaged driver hit your car or you suffered injury when some young people were engaged in adolescent horseplay. Can you bring a lawsuit against a minor? Do you want to? Can you seek compensation from their parents instead? Or from their parents’ insurance provider?
The Risks Associated with Teen Drivers
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), licensed drivers under the age of 20 have the highest accident rate of any age group. Teenaged males are three times as likely to be involved in a fatal motor vehicle accident than females of the same age. The risk of an accident also increases when there are multiple teens in the car.
Can You Bring a Lawsuit against a Minor Whose Negligence Caused You Injury?
Technically, you can sue certain minors in Texas for negligence, though, as a practical matter, you may not be able to recover much. If the minor was listed on his or her parents’ auto insurance policy, you can seek compensation from the insurer.
In Texas, you can also file a claim against the parents of a minor who caused you injury. Texas has a statute that renders parents civilly liable for the acts of minor children in certain situations:
- A parent may be vicariously liable for the negligence of a minor child, based on a theory that the parent failed to reasonably supervise the child.
- A parent may also be vicariously liable for the willful or malicious acts of a minor that cause injury or property damage.
We Can Help You Get Full and Fair Compensation When You Have a Personal Injury Claim Involving a Minor
We can help you pursue full and fair compensation for any losses suffered as the result of someone else’s carelessness or negligence. We offer a free initial consultation to anyone with a potential personal injury claim. We fight for the rights of injured people in Forney and across Kaufman County in Texas, including Talty, Terrell, Elmo, Crandall, Scurry, Oak Ridge, Kemp, Rosser, Post Oak Bend and Oak Grove. Contact Stucky Injury Law or call us at 214-453-1190 for an appointment.