Your Teen Driver Has Been in an Accident—Now What?

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When your teenage child gets in an accident, and they were driving, it's natural to be in some shock. However, once the shock passes, if your teenager was hurt, you might start to feel that an auto injury claim would be valid. Even though you weren't present, you can help your teen to build a strong case. Here's how.

Take Them to the Doctor

Your teen may say that they feel fine, even if they have sustained injuries, but it's best to have a doctor look at them and confirm that they're okay. Even if they don't need to have a serious procedure, their being seen leaves a paper trail that proves that your child did seek medical attention for injuries. Not only that, but some injuries are not immediately recognizable by those who aren't medical professionals; let a doctor rule out a hemorrhage, internal bleeding, or a concussion, for instance.

Have Them Write a Report

While the police might have been called to the scene of the accident and can provide an official report, it is also smart for your teenager to write a brief report of their own observations and actions. The report should include information about what was happening before the accident and details about the weather, the condition of the road, and anything else they might forget as time passes.

It's important to remember that to avoid getting into trouble, teenagers might feel the urge to hide information or lie about certain details. They might not want you to know that they were with a friend you don't like, for instance. You are likely to know your teen very well and know when they aren't being truthful, so encourage them to be honest with everyone involved; you never know when a minor detail could be helpful to the case.

Monitor Their Social Media

Teenagers are big fans of social media and are often online talking to their friends and others online through their profiles. It is vital that your teen knows that they should not be mentioning anything about their case. Not only can rumors fly, but social-media posts and pictures could cause problems. Investigators from insurance companies are starting to research through the Internet more often; if they come across your teenager bragging or talking about how great they feel after their accident, that could be bad for their claim. If your teenager is posting pictures that make them look like an unsavory character, someone could claim that it's reasonable to assume that your child was at fault.

While you might not want to shut down or deactivate their social-media profiles, tell them to only allow close personal friends to view what they are saying and remind them that what they're saying and posting could be seen by everyone.

You can help your teen driver to behave wisely after they've been in an accident. Retain an auto injury lawyer, such as one from Knafo Law Offices, who can help your teenager's claim to be successful.


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