Are Learner Drivers Liable for Tampa Car Accidents?
According to National Traffic Safety Administration (NTSA) statistics, young drivers are more likely to become involved in fatal accidents than more experienced drivers. If you were injured by a driver with a learner’s permit, you might be wondering about potential legal action. This is something you should discuss with an experienced car accident lawyer in Tampa.
Young Drivers Often Violate Restrictions on Their Learner Licenses
Drivers with learner’s permits face many restrictions in Florida. Although teens as young as 15 can successfully obtain learner’s licenses, they must always drive alongside a fully licensed driver over the age of 21. In addition, learners can only operate vehicles during daylight hours for the first three months. After three months, they cannot drive later than 10:00 PM.
Once a teen turns 16 and earns enough driving hours to satisfy the requirements of the learner’s license, they may progress to the next stage. At this point, they may be able to drive beyond night curfew, but only when accompanied by an adult driver. They may also drive unaccompanied after curfew hours if they are driving to or from work. For example, they might be allowed to drive at night if traveling home from their night shift at McDonald’s. Once the teen gets their Class E (newly licensed) status, they can carry just one non-family member while driving alone.
Violations of Learner License Restrictions May Constitute Negligence
If a learner driver violates any of their restrictions, the court may determine that this constitutes negligence. For example, a teen learner driver might operate their vehicle at night. If that teen gets into a car accident, the court might determine that their violation of the law and their inexperience with night driving contributed heavily to the crash.
Another obvious violation involves taking prohibited passengers. If a non-family member becomes injured while riding in a learner’s vehicle, they could potentially sue the learner for violating the law. This type of lawsuit may be possible even if the learner was not at fault for the actual accident.
Alcohol consumption may also constitute negligence among teens. Since alcohol is illegal for people under the age of 21, any teen driver with alcohol in their system at the time of the crash may be negligent.
Of course, a learner driver may commit many other traffic offenses that have nothing to do with their learner status. Examples include running red lights, speeding, improper merging, and much more. Speak with a lawyer to investigate the circumstances of the crash and uncover evidence of negligence.
Can a Tampa Car Accident Lawyer Help Me?
If you think that a driver with a learner’s permit caused your accident, you may be right. Even if the learner driver seems to be faultless, they may have violated various restrictions. Speak with an experienced Tampa car accident lawyer to see whether legal action might be possible. Contact Anderson & Anderson at 813-251-0072 to continue this conversation.
Sources:
crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/813601.pdf
flhsmv.gov/driver-licenses-id-cards/licensing-requirements-teens-graduated-driver-license-laws-driving-curfews/
