If you’ve recently been in a collision with a teen driver, you may be dealing with anxiety about how you’re going to pay for your expenses. Whether your injury is minor or major, you deserve compensation for your medical bills and lost wages. Our attorneys can assess your options for financial recovery and answer your questions.
Our Naples teen driver accident lawyer can help file your claim or lawsuit. We can negotiate with insurers or defense attorneys for appropriate compensation. With our knowledge of Florida insurance laws and experience with personal injury, we will assess your options and pursue the best path for your financial recovery.
What Compensation Options Do You Have After an Accident With a Teen Driver?
Florida’s “no-fault” insurance laws affect your options for recovery depending on how hurt you were in the accident. Our Naples teen driver accident lawyer can help you compile expenses, such as medical bills and lost income. This will assist us in estimating the value of your case so that you can file for what you’ve lost.
PIP Insurance
If you only suffered minor injuries, then you can only use your Personal Injury Protection or PIP insurance. This is one of the coverages required by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles for all Naples motorists.
PIP only covers injury-related financial and property losses, including medical bills, lost wages, and car repair or replacement services. It can also cover injured passengers.
However, PIP does not cover noneconomic damages such as emotional trauma and physical impairment caused by your injuries. You must have injuries severe enough to meet Florida’s tort thresholds before you can file a liability claim or lawsuit. For instance, if the accident led to a permanent loss of important bodily function, then you would qualify.
Liability Claims
You may qualify to file a liability claim with the teen driver’s auto insurance provider. While injury liability coverage is optional for Naples motorists, they might still carry it to protect themselves. You can also recover property losses through the responsible driver’s liability insurance, depending on your circumstances. Our attorneys can advise you if this is an option for your situation.
Accident Lawsuits
Depending on your options, your lawyer may advise you to file a lawsuit. Instead of dealing with an auto insurance company, the civil court will review the accident and decide the settlement amount.
Generally, this kind of legal action is limited to severe injuries. Our attorneys can determine your eligibility to pursue additional compensation with a lawsuit.
Parents and Guardians Can Be Liable Too
According to Florida Statutes Section 322.09, a parent or legal guardian is generally responsible for a teenage motorist’s misconduct, particularly if they are below 18 years old. This is because minors cannot apply for a driver’s license without their parent’s or guardian’s signed consent.
So if you are up against an at-fault minor, the Naples teen driver accident lawyer can help you file the action against the parents instead. The only instance in which you can file against a minor is if they are emancipated. This is when they gain adult rights and responsibilities.
However, if you face an 18- or 19-year-old motorist, you can file for damages against them. We can determine which of these situations applies to your case.
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Your Shared Fault Also Affects Your Damages
Florida’s comparative negligence laws apply to your teen driver accident. This means winning your case does not mean you can recover all your damages. If you share some blame for the collision, the court or claims adjuster will reduce the settlement based on your fault percentage. However, unlike in many other states, you can still recover damages even if you share more than half the liability.
Our team would be happy to answer questions about what this might look like in your case. We can also explain how our investigation can bolster your claims and prevent undue blame from being assigned to you.
Benefits of Working with a Teen Driving Accident Lawyer
Apart from helping you prove the teen driver’s fault in the accident, having a Naples teen driver accident lawyer can also benefit you in various ways, such as:
Complying with Filing Requirements
Claims and lawsuits have various filing requirements that should be complied with, so your case can proceed without a hitch. If you don’t follow regulations, in some cases, you may be barred from pursuing compensation. Our team can make sure these kinds of errors don’t affect your ability to file.
Provide Legal Representation
Our Naples teen driver accident lawyer will not only help you build your case, but we can also represent you when filing in court or with the insurance provider. This can keep you from incriminating yourself or being manipulated into making costly mistakes. The attorney will know what to say and can guide you on what to do.
Negotiate with the Other Party
Besides representing you, our teen driving accident lawyer can also help you negotiate for a fair settlement. Insurance companies are for-profit entities that don’t always care about paying what you need. We can field low offers and push for compensation that will help you move forward from your accident.
If the teen motorist or their parent wants to try settling the matter privately, the lawyer can still negotiate on your behalf.
We Can Review Your Case
Before taking any legal action, consider consulting with our Naples teen driver accident lawyer first. We can evaluate your case to better advise you on how to proceed. Then, we can help you through each step in the process.
The law offices of Anidjar & Levine have served Florida injury victims since 2005, and our team has decades of collective courtroom experience. Do not hesitate to contact us over the phone or message us online to get started with your case.
