What You Should do if Your Teen has Gotten Into a Car Accident

Teenagers are one of the most car accident-prone groups in the country. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were more than 3,200 teen drivers ages 15 to 19 involved in fatal traffic crashes in 2017 and more than 2,500 were killed. Car crashes are still the leading cause of death for teenagers in the U.S., with many of the crashes being caused by distracted or other types of impaired driving. A car accident can leave you with thousands of dollars worth of damages and your teenager with serious injuries or even criminal charges, depending on the situation. Here are a few steps you should take if your teen has gotten into a car accident:

1. Call Emergency Services Immediately: For many teenagers, their first instinct after they get into an accident is to call their parents. While this can be relieving for you, you also need to make sure that emergency services are called. Either you or your teen needs to call 911 immediately, even if injuries are not serious. Calling 911 will dispatch police and ambulances if needed.
2. Take Photos: If your teen is able to, you should have them take photos while they are still at the scene. These photos could be crucial to the successful settlement of a car accident case. Make sure they take as many photos as possible, especially of the damages to their car and the other person’s car, any visible injuries they may have, the license plates of each vehicle, the scene of the accident as a whole and any factors that may have contributed to the accident.
3. Record Information: You should tell your teen to take notes of any other information that might be useful. Important information can include the make and model of the other vehicle, road conditions, weather conditions, the date and time of the accident, the time police arrived, the officer’s badge numbers and any witness information. Tell them to get the insurance information of anyone else involved in the accident before they leave the scene.
4. Get a Copy of the Police Report: When police are called to the scene of an accident, they will begin compiling information about the accident that will later be written into a formal police report. It will also be helpful to have a copy of the police report when you begin a case with your insurance company or a lawyer. The police report will include information about testimonies given to the officer by both parties involved in the accident, the officer’s opinion of what happened and any witness testimonies, including their contact information.

It can be a scary thing to receive the call that your teen has gotten into a car accident. Once you know that your teen is safe, you should begin taking steps to ensure the situation is resolved quickly. Depending on the severity of the accident, your teen could be suffering from serious injuries that could cause them to miss school or lose out on wages from their job. At the Law Office of John S. Fotopoulos, P.C., we understand that injuries from a car accident can be so severe that it will affect your teen for the rest of his or her life. Our compassionate Tinley Park, IL, car accident lawyers can help you fight for the compensation that you and your teen may deserve. Call our office today at 708-942-8400 to schedule a free consultation.

Sources:

Teen Driving

My Teen was in a Car Accident. Now What?