Wisconsin Teenage Car Accident Lawyer

Car accidents involving teenage drivers happen for various reasons and the consequences are often severe. Teen drivers are much more likely to be in accidents, and these accidents are often the result of reckless driving on behalf of the teenager behind the wheel. Teen driving accidents can leave victims with serious injuries, and sometimes recovering compensation from the negligent party can be a difficult and overwhelming task. If you or a loved one has been involved in a car accident with a teenage driver, you need an experienced personal injury lawyer to help you seek compensation for your damages.

Contact us at Studinski Law, LLC to speak with a lawyer about your options after being in a serious car accident. Call us today at (715) 343-2850.

The Frequency and Causes of Teen Driving Accidents

Teenage drivers may have little experience driving on roads and highways, thus they are in more accidents than the average person. In fact, teens are four times more likely to be in a car wreck than older drivers. According to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, teen driving involves car accidents that result in over 5,000 injuries per year in Wisconsin car accidents are the leading cause of death for teenagers in the state. Teens often begin driving by themselves with only days or weeks of driving experience, and often times they neglect to carefully follow safety practices.

Our accident attorneys understand that each accident case is unique and often results from various factors including:

• Driving while intoxicated
  Approximately 30 percent of teenagers in a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study admitted to riding in a car with a driver who was drunk. Teenage drunk driving accidents are common, and often times they result in serious injury or death.
• Reckless driving
  Due to a lack of experience, teens can very easily fail to comprehend the dangers of speeding and careless driving. This can be especially problematic in wet and icy conditions.
• Phone use while driving
  Many teens believe that they can read and send text messages while driving, failing to consider that their cars can travel hundreds of feet during the few seconds that they take their eyes off the road. With the popular use of smartphones by teens, phone use while driving remains a serious threat.
• Distracted driving
  Teens are often distracted by the passengers in their cars, and a CDC study found that two out of three auto deaths involving 16-year-old drivers happened when there were teen passengers in the car as well.
• Driving after dark
  Fatal teen driving accidents are much more likely to occur during the night. Reasons for this might include being distracted by passengers and the higher rate of drunk driving at night.

Wisconsin Teen Driving License Law

The state of Wisconsin recognizes that new drivers can be dangerous due to their lack of experience, and therefore graduated licenses have been put in place for teens. These laws allow for teens to get their licenses in three stages. However, this does not apply to new drivers over the age of 18.

The three stages for young teen drivers are:

1. A teen under 15½ years of age may get a learner’s permit to use for six months. The driver is required to have supervised driving while using the learner’s permit.
2. At 16 years the teen driver may get an intermediate license. With this license, the driver may not have more than one unrelated passenger in the car, and they may not drive between midnight and 5 a.m.
3. At 16½ years a teen driver may receive a full driver’s license without restrictions.

Liability in a Teen Driving Accident

If you are the victim of a teen car accident, you may be eligible to seek compensation from the negligent driver. In addition to being required to have insurance coverage, the teen driver is required by Wisconsin law to have a sponsor if driving with a license or permit while under the age of 18. There are a few exceptions to this requirement, such as cases where the teen does not have a living parent. When a parent or guardian signs up to be the sponsor of a teen driver, they verify the following:

• They accept liability for all driving actions of the minor
• They verify that the driver has at least 30 hours of driving experience, 10 of which must be nighttime driving
• They confirm that the driver is in school or has graduated from school
• They confirm that the driver is not a habitual truant

Your teen driving accident lawyer will be able to seek damages for you from the teen driver as well as any sponsor. To help you recover compensation for your injuries, we will negotiate with insurance companies and assist you in seeking a fair outcome to help with your recovery. We have helped many Wisconsin families recover damages after suffering a serious car accident, and we are ready to help you during this difficult time as well.

Our Wisconsin Teen Driver Accident Lawyers Can Help You

It’s easy to be overwhelmed after a car accident. You may have mounting medical bills and a reduced income from taking time off work to recover. We have years of experience helping clients after they have suffered injuries in a car wreck, and we can help you seek compensation if you or a loved one has been in a teen-related accident.

Do not delay in contacting Studinski Law, LLC to talk with a Wisconsin car accident attorney about your options. Call us at (715) 343-2850 and schedule a free consultation.