Prom and Graduation Season Crash Risks: What Families Should Know After a Teen Driver Wreck
Prom and graduation season is a time of photos, celebrations, and proud family memories. It’s also a time of late-night driving, busy roads, extra passengers, and serious crashes, many of which involve teens.
Teen drivers face a higher crash risk than any other age group. Many of the most serious crashes involving teen drivers happen between 9:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., and around half occur on weekends. These are peak driving times during the busy prom and graduation season.
When a wreck happens during prom or graduation, many families hear the same thing right away: the teen must have caused it. This is, of course, not always true. Teens, like anyone on the road, can be hurt by someone else’s careless choices. Before your family accepts blame, it’s important to understand what really happened, who might be responsible, and what legal options might be available.
Talk to an Experienced Providence Car Crash Lawyer for Free
To schedule a free and confidential consultation with an experienced Providence car crash lawyer, call Mandell, Boisclair & Mandell at (401) 273-8330 today. We have been fighting for victims of serious injury in Rhode Island for nearly 50 years and are here to help you determine the best way to proceed with your claim.
Why Prom and Graduation Season Can Be So Risky for Teen Drivers
This time of year puts teens in situations that can increase car crash risks, even when they’re trying to be careful. Common risk factors, like nighttime driving, weekend driving, and having teen passengers, are compounded during prom and graduation celebrations by:
- More teens on the road at the same time
- Events running late into the evening
- Drivers who are traveling on unfamiliar roads
- Cars with extra passengers
- Excitement, fatigue, and distraction
- Drug and alcohol use
Rhode Island’s graduated licensing rules and strict cellphone bans for underage drivers can help to address some of these risks, but are not always enough to completely prevent a crash.
When your teen is injured in a wreck, it’s important to have a skilled legal team on your side that can help to identify the cause and determine where liability should fall.
At Mandell, Boisclair & Mandell, our Providence car crash lawyers work with experts across a variety of professions to dig deep into these accidents, figure out what happened, and help those injured by someone else’s negligence seek fair and full compensation.
Teen Drivers Are Often Blamed, But Not Always at Fault for a Crash
Teenage drivers are often blamed because they are young and inexperienced. While these things are true, they aren’t necessarily factors in every crash involving a teen driver. It’s useful to have a car crash lawyer who can look into how the wreck unfolded.
A crash during prom or graduation weekend may be caused by:
- A speeding driver
- A drunk or drug-impaired driver
- A distracted driver
- A driver who follows too closely
- Poor road design or dangerous road conditions
- A vehicle defect or maintenance issue
A teenager being behind the wheel does not automatically mean the teenager caused the collision, and even if they contributed to the accident, your family may still be entitled to seek compensation. However, if your teen did play a role in their accident, the compensation they can collect will be reduced by the percentage of fault they are assigned. This is something defense lawyers and insurance adjusters know well. It’s important to have a car crash lawyer on your side who can show how the collision happened to help protect your teen (and your family) from being unfairly saddled with the blame.
What if My Teen Was a Passenger?
If your teen was riding with a friend who was in an accident after prom, graduation, or a party, your child may still have a claim. Depending on the circumstances, these claims may involve:
- The driver of the car your teen was in
- Another driver who caused or contributed to the crash
- Multiple drivers, if fault is shared
Claims against a classmate, friend, or another family can feel uncomfortable. Having a thoughtful and compassionate attorney can help. At Mandell, Boisclair & Mandell, our Providence car crash lawyers take into account the emotional toll a claim can have. We work to ensure the smoothest and least stressful proceedings, helping your family recover necessary damages without causing significant social or emotional turmoil.
What Compensation Might Be Available After a Teen Driver Wreck?
When a teen is injured in a car crash, the damage can stretch far beyond the crash itself. Medical bills can pile up fast. Recovery can take weeks, months, or longer. School, sports, work, and plans can all be disrupted. All of these things need to be considered when calculating damages.
Compensation your teen may be entitled to includes:
- Emergency room care
- Hospital bills
- Follow-up treatment
- Physical therapy
- Future medical needs
- Lost wages (if they have a job)
- Out-of-pocket expenses the family has had to cover
- Tutoring and education expenses (if they require assistance)
- Scarring or permanent injury
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
A serious car wreck involving a teen driver can change the course of that child’s life. Families need to know the full value of harm before accepting any offers from insurance. Insurance offers are often well below what’s actually needed for an injured teen and their family to truly recover.
Mandell, Boisclair & Mandell takes time to understand all of the losses that follow a crash. We are thorough in our calculations, making sure that both current and future needs are accounted for, enabling us to pursue the full amount of compensation your family is due.
How Quickly Should I Talk to a Car Crash Lawyer?
The days after a crash can be messy. Parents have to deal with doctors, school calls, and all that comes with caring for an injured child. Talking to a lawyer as quickly as possible helps to protect you from unfair treatment from insurance companies during this vulnerable time. It also helps to get the ball rolling on your compensation claim, so your family can recover what you’ve lost and have the resources for what you may still need.
A dedicated Providence car crash lawyer can start the process by:
- Reviewing the crash report carefully
- Preserving witness statements
- Looking for video footage
- Examining vehicle damage
- Identifying all possible sources of liability
- Pushing back when blame is pinned too quickly on your kid
This is exceptionally important when the youngest driver in the case is being treated like the obvious culprit. Sometimes the “obvious” explanation is nowhere near accurate.
Why Families in Rhode Island Turn to Mandell, Boisclair & Mandell
At Mandell, Boisclair & Mandell, our lawyers represent injured people throughout Rhode Island with compassion, strength, and decades of experience. We fully investigate car crash claims, carefully calculate damages, and prepare every case for trial, enabling us to provide the most effective representation possible. Responsive, attentive, and involved in every claim, our team will treat your family with compassion and care as we work to build the strongest case for compensation.
When your family is dealing with a teen car accident injury, you don’t need stats on teen driving behaviors, you need to understand the facts of the case. We work with crash specialists and other experts to identify all liable parties and help ensure that justice is truly served.
Talk to One of Our Providence Car Crash Lawyers Today
If your teen was injured in a prom or graduation season crash, don’t assume the first story is the right one. Teen drivers are not always at fault. Liability may be shared. And your family may have the right to seek compensation even when others try to place quick blame on your child.
Contact Mandell, Boisclair & Mandell online or call our office for an obligation- and cost-free case review where we can learn more about your situation, help you understand your rights, and guide you toward the best solution for your family. Based in Providence, our car crash lawyers welcome clients from all areas of Rhode Island.
