When an accident involves a student driver, determining liability can be complicated. Motorists may be hesitant to pursue legal action as student drivers are unlicensed and are bound to make mistakes. However, if you were injured in a student-driver collision, you may have sustained significant injuries and deserve reasonable compensation for your damages. Please continue reading to learn what parties may be liable for this type of collision and how one of our skilled Westchester County Car Accident Attorneys can help you today.
Who is responsible for an accident involving a student driver?
When an accident involves a student driver, the following parties may be responsible for the crash:
The student driver
Although student drivers are unlicensed, they are still expected to drive in a reasonably safe manner to keep everyone on the road safe. If student drivers engage in unsafe driving practices such as disobeying traffic signals, they can be found negligent. It is natural for student drivers to make some mistakes on the road as they are learning how to drive. However, if they engage in unsafe driving practices such as disobeying traffic laws, they can be held liable for a collision.
The driving instructor
Driving instructors are responsible for paying close attention to the road and the learning driver. Student drivers depend on their driving instructors to keep them safe while they are on the road. Instructors are expected to intervene and take the necessary steps to prevent accidents. If the driving instructor fails to intervene during an emergency or take certain precautions to prevent an accident, they could be found responsible for a student-driver collision.
The driving school
In some cases, if you are involved in an accident with a student driver, the driving school may be held accountable. Firstly, the driving school has many responsibilities in terms of protecting the safety of their learning drivers, instructors, and others on the road. The driving school is responsible for hiring and training its driving instructors. If they do not hire qualified driving instructors or train them properly, they can be held liable for any accidents that occur as a direct result of their negligence. Driving schools are required to hire experienced driving instructors who can teach students how to operate a vehicle safely on the road. In addition, the driving school itself is responsible for providing student drivers with safe vehicles. This means that the driving school must properly address any maintenance issues. If a student driver is provided with a vehicle with defective parts such as malfunctioning headlights, which causes an accident, the driving school could be held responsible.
If you have been involved in a car accident with a student driver, it can be challenging to determine who may be responsible. However, with the help of our dedicated attorneys, responsible parties will be held accountable for their negligent actions that caused you harm. Allow our firm to help you today!