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Philadelphia Car Accident Lawyers

Teen Driving Accidents

According to a study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, during the first six months of solo driving, newly licensed drivers are about eight (8) times more likely to be involved in fatal crashes than experienced drivers. If you have been injured in an accident involving a teen driver, you want an attorney who understands how to manage these issues and craft a winning strategy.

At the law firm of McCann Dillon Jaffe & Lamb, LLC, our Philadelphia car accident lawyers have extensive experience representing injured plaintiffs and the families of wrongful death victims in all types of motor vehicle accident cases including teen driving accidents. We have obtained numerous multimillion-dollar settlements and verdicts for our clients.

We look forward to helping you get the full compensation you are entitled to for your injury, including medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering. You may also be able to pursue punitive damages. Contact our Philadelphia personal injury law firm, or call our office at 215-569-8488 or 302-888-1221 for a free initial consultation.

Understanding Teen Driving Restrictions

Pennsylvania has laws for junior drivers that not only recognize the fact that teen drivers need comprehensive training, but also aim to limit the number of distractions a teen driver has during the training period.

Training hours — One of the ways that the teen driving laws help young drivers obtain additional comprehensive training is to require training hours. For teen drivers under 18 years of age with a learner’s permit, they must have 65 hours of supervised, behind-the-wheel skill building. Ten of these hours must include nighttime driving, and five hours must be driven in poor weather conditions.

Seat belt requirements — The junior driving laws also include seat belt restrictions. When a driver is under the age of 18, the driver and all occupants must wear a properly adjusted and fastened seat belt. For child passengers under the age of eight, they must be in a securely fastened child restraint system. This law is primary offense, which means that a driver can be pulled over and given a ticket for this reason alone and no other illegal driving behavior is required for the police to stop the vehicle.

Limiting Passenger Distractions for Teen Drivers

In order to ease distractions for teen drivers, the law places a cap on the number of passengers who can share a vehicle with a junior driver. When most people think about a distracted driver, they think about cell phone use or texting while driving. In reality, passengers in a vehicle can be dangerous and pose a risk of injury for inexperienced teen drivers.

Within the first six months after receiving a junior driver’s license, Pennsylvania law restricts a driver from having more than one passenger under age 18 who is not an immediate family member (brother, sister, stepbrother, stepsister of the junior driver and adopted or foster children living in the same household as the junior driver) in his or her vehicle unless he or she is accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.

After six months, so long as a driver has not been convicted of a driving violation or been partially or fully responsible for a reportable crash, the passenger limit increases to three passengers under age 18 who are not immediate family members without a parent or legal guardian present. If they have any convictions or are partially or fully responsible for a reportable crash while a junior driver, they are once again restricted to one passenger.

Philadelphia Personal Injury Lawyers at McCann Dillon Jaffe & Lamb, LLC get Compensation for Car Accident Victims caused by Teen Drivers

In every car accident case we accept, we conduct a complete investigation to determine how your accident happened. We identify all negligent parties and seek to hold them all accountable for their part in the injuries you have suffered. Our skilled trial attorneys have extensive experience on both sides of civil law matters. While we always seek to reach a fair settlement without the need for litigation, our opponents know that we are fully prepared to go to court in order to protect our clients’ interests.

Please contact the Philadelphia car accident lawyers at McCann Dillon Jaffe & Lamb, LLC to schedule a free initial consultation. You may contact us online or you can call our offices at 215-569-8488 or 302-888-1221. We serve clients in Pennsylvania, Delaware and New Jersey.