As a parent of a teen driver, your worst fear is likely that your child will get into an accident. You should be teaching your teen and taking measures to avoid this possibility. However, you also need to understand what to do and know if an accident involving your teen does occur.
Ensure Your Child’s Safety
Your main priority after an accident should be the safety of your child. Yes, you may first think about damage to the car, cost of the insurance, frustration with your child etc. but those should be secondary concerns. Once you hear your teen has been in a car accident, you should first assess whether or not they are ok. Ask about their injuries and make sure they are safe. Whether or not you are on the scene, you should keep in mind that your child is likely distressed. Do your best to take on as many responsibilities as possible including calling the police, filing a report, and talking with the other driver(s). In the moment, accidents are scary and while teens should learn what to do, you should save the teaching moment for afterward.
Understand How it Affects Your Insurance
After every accident, you should file a claim with your insurance company in order to cover any damages. However, accidents involving teenagers can have more of a far reaching impact on your insurance. Adding a teen to your insurance already raises your monthly premiums, but their actions can also further increase charges. The increase to your insurance premiums will depend on what happened. For example, drunk driving that results in an accident will increase your insurance much more than if your teen is in a fender bender. You should contact your insurance company after the accident to see how your insurance costs will personally be affected.
Make a Plan for the Future
Once you’ve dealt with police reports, insurance claims, injuries, and vehicle damage, you should sit down with your teen and have a conversation. In this conversation, you should discuss what they can do in the future to avoid accidents and what they should make sure they do next time they are in one. Focus on teaching them lessons rather than placing blame. In some accidents, it may be necessary to involve an attorney in order to work out insurance claims or other issues that come up with the other driver(s). Involve your teen in the process so they can continue to learn.
Accidents are scary for anyone who’s in them, but they are especially frightening when your teenager is involved. It’s important to know how you should handle these accidents both during and after the accident takes place.
If you’re concerned about the legal ramifications related to your teen’s car accident, you may need an attorney on your side. Click here to learn more about how Ahlander Injury Law can assist you.