What Are the Legal Options After a Car Accident Caused by a Teen Driver?

Teen drivers bring energy and optimism to the road, but also risk. Inexperience, distraction, and overconfidence can make young drivers more likely to cause serious accidents. When that happens, victims are often left wondering: who is legally responsible, the teen, the parents, or both?

At Big Auto Accident Attorneys, our team handles complex car accident cases throughout Arizona, including those involving underage or newly licensed drivers. Here’s what you need to know about liability, insurance, and your legal options after a crash caused by a teen driver.

Teen Drivers and Higher Accident Risk

According to the CDC, drivers aged 16–19 are nearly three times more likely to be involved in fatal crashes than drivers aged 20 and older. Common causes include:

• Texting or using a phone while driving
  
• Speeding or tailgating
  
• Inexperience with traffic laws or conditions
  
• Driving with friends in the vehicle (distraction)
  
• Nighttime or weekend driving
  
• Impaired or drowsy driving

Arizona’s Graduated Driver License (GDL) laws aim to reduce these risks by restricting when and how teens can drive. For example, new drivers under 18 cannot drive between midnight and 5 a.m. or carry more than one non-family passenger for the first six months, unless accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Violating these restrictions can factor into a finding of negligence if a crash occurs.

Who Is Liable When a Teen Causes an Accident?

1. The Teen Driver

Teenagers are legally responsible for their own actions behind the wheel. If they cause a crash through speeding, distraction, or recklessness, they can be held personally liable for damages.

However, most teens don’t have significant personal assets, which is where their parents’ or guardians’ insurance coverage comes in.

2. The Parents or Guardians

Arizona law (A.R.S. § 28-3160) holds parents jointly liable for damages caused by their minor child while driving, if they signed the teen’s driver’s license application.

In practice, this means the parents’ auto insurance policy will typically cover the accident, including medical expenses, property damage, and other losses up to policy limits.

3. The Vehicle Owner

If someone other than the parents owned the car, for example, an employer or a friend, that person may also share liability under the principle of negligent entrustment. That means they knowingly allowed an inexperienced or unsafe driver to use their vehicle.

How Insurance Coverage Works

Arizona is a fault-based insurance state, meaning the driver who causes the crash (or their insurer) must pay for the damages.

A typical policy for a household with a teen includes:

• Liability coverage – pays for injuries and damage the teen causes to others
  
• Collision coverage – pays for damage to the teen’s own car
  
• Uninsured/Underinsured motorist coverage (UM/UIM) – protects you if the at-fault driver doesn’t have enough insurance

Because teen drivers are high-risk, parents often have higher premiums and higher coverage limits. If your damages exceed those limits, your lawyer can pursue additional claims directly against the parents or other responsible parties.

What If the Teen Was Driving Recklessly or Illegally?

When a teen driver’s behavior goes beyond simple carelessness, such as driving under the influence, racing, or texting while speeding, the case can involve gross negligence.

In those situations, you may be entitled to punitive damages, which are designed to punish reckless conduct and deter others from doing the same. These cases often require expert testimony, phone record analysis, or toxicology reports to prove intent or impairment.

Steps to Take After a Crash Involving a Teen Driver

1. Call 911 and report the accident. Always get a police report, which will document who was driving and whether any laws were broken.
   
2. Seek immediate medical care. Even minor symptoms can worsen over time, and medical documentation strengthens your claim.
   
3. Gather evidence. Take photos of the vehicles, road conditions, and visible injuries.
   
4. Exchange information with the teen driver and their parents, if present.
   
5. Avoid direct communication with insurance adjusters until you’ve spoken to an attorney, especially when minors are involved.

Your attorney will handle the investigation, contact witnesses, and determine whether multiple parties share liability.

What Damages Can You Recover?

Victims of car accidents caused by teen drivers may be entitled to compensation for:

• Medical expenses (current and future)
  
• Lost income and reduced earning capacity
  
• Property damage
  
• Pain and suffering
  
• Emotional distress
  
• Loss of enjoyment of life

If the crash caused a fatality, surviving family members may also bring a wrongful death claim against the driver and their parents.

Why You Need a Car Accident Lawyer

Cases involving minors can be legally sensitive. Multiple insurance policies may apply, and insurers often minimize payouts by blaming the victim or downplaying the teen’s fault.

At Big Auto Accident Attorneys, we know how to uncover every layer of liability. Our lawyers build strong cases by:

• Reviewing police reports and phone records
  
• Investigating the teen’s driving history
  
• Subpoenaing surveillance or dashcam footage
  
• Working with accident reconstruction experts
  
• Negotiating aggressively with insurers

We handle everything on a contingency fee basis, you pay nothing unless we win your case.

Contact Big Auto Accident Attorneys

If you were injured in a car accident caused by a teen driver, don’t try to navigate the insurance system alone. The sooner you get legal help, the stronger your claim will be.

Call 844 BIG AUTO (844-244-2886) to speak with a Phoenix car accident lawyer today, or visit our office at:

Big Auto Accident Attorneys3550 N Central Ave, Suite 550
Phoenix, AZ 85012

We’ll help you hold negligent drivers, and those responsible for them, fully accountable.
Big injuries need big results.

Content reviewed by managing attorney, Nic Edgson. Nic has been an Arizona-licensed lawyer for more than a decade and focuses his law practice on helping people seriously injured in car accidents and truck accidents. He has represented thousands of clients and recovered more than $50 Million Dollars fighting for their injuries and medical bills. Throughout his legal career, Nic has helped those injured through some of the most difficult times in their lives.