Can a Parent be Held Liable if Their Teenager is Involved in a Car Accident?



Las Vegas has one of the highest accident rates in the western states. If you are a parent and your teenager is preparing to get their driver’s license, you may have more to be concerned about besides their safety on our roads. If you buy your teenager a car and are the legal owner of that car, special responsibilities come with that arrangement.

In Nevada, as a parent owning a car that their teenager is involved in a car accident, means the parent can be held liable for any property damage or personal injuries that their minor child causes. This is called the “Family Purpose Doctrine” and is set forth in NRS 41.440:


LIABILITY OF OWNER OF MOTOR VEHICLE FOR NEGLIGENT OPERATION
BY IMMEDIATE MEMBER OF FAMILY

NRS §41.440. Imposition of liability. Any liability imposed upon a wife, husband, son, daughter, father, mother, brother, sister or other immediate member of a family arising out of his or her driving and operating a motor vehicle with the permission, express or implied, of such owner is hereby imposed upon the owner of the motor vehicle, and such owner shall be jointly and severally liable with his or her wife, husband, son, daughter, father, mother, brother, sister or other immediate member of a family for any damages proximately resulting from such negligence or willful misconduct, and such negligent or willful misconduct shall be imputed to the owner of the motor vehicle for all purposes of civil damages.

Based upon the statute, if your teenager is driving your car, you can be held liable for the damages caused by your teenage driver. 


Next time, we will discuss the liability of a car owner when letting a friend drive their car.

Komentar

Postingan populer dari blog ini

Marijuana Use And Florida Drivers

Drugs Causing Impaired Florida Drivers

Drugs Causing Impaired Florida Drivers