*UPDATED November, 2019
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recently reported that in 2016, 1,908 young drivers were killed in motor vehicle accidents, which was an increase of nine percent from 2014.  In addition, nearly 200,000 young drivers sustained injuries in car accidents in 2015, which was an increase of fourteen percent from 2014.  In California alone, 431 people died in accidents involving young drivers, including the young drivers themselves, their passengers, occupants of other vehicles, and non-occupants such as pedestrians and bicyclists.

According to the National Center for Health Statistics, other statistics reveal that motor vehicle accidents are a leading cause of death for those between the ages of fifteen and nineteen.  In fact, teen drivers are nearly three times more likely to be in a fatal accident than drivers who are aged twenty years and older.  This high risk is due in part to the fact that younger drivers are more inexperienced than older drivers in the United States.  Other factors that put teen drivers at risk include:

• Due to inexperience, young drivers are more likely to underestimate a dangerous situation and may not be as quick to recognize a hazardous situation;
• Young drivers are more likely to speed and to follow other vehicles more closely;
• Young drivers are less likely to wear seat belts;
• Young drivers may be more distractible either by their passengers or by their phone or the radio;
• Alcohol is more likely to be a factor in fatal accidents involving young drivers.  In fact, in 2014, seventeen percent of all drivers between the ages of 16 and 20 who were involved in a fatal vehicle accident had a blood alcohol concentration of .08 percent or higher;
• Nighttime and weekend driving – fifty percent of teen deaths from motor vehicle accidents occurred between 3 p.m. and 12 a.m., and fifty-three percent occurred on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday.

This GDL system recommendation includes a minimum age of sixteen years to obtain a learner’s permit, a mandatory twelve-month learner’s permit period, and nighttime driving and passenger restrictions.

New types of usage based insurance options can make car insurance more affordable to young adults. MoneyUnder30 reports that insured's can save upwards of $500 per year, not an insignificant amount of money to someone age 18-25. Nationwide's SmartRide, MetroMile and Esurance Pay-Per-Mile services are all starting to gain in popularity. While these services can help save money, drivers need to weight the pros and cons of this new technology. For instance, the distance you drive is a major factor in your rate. If you are a low mileage driver commuting back and forth to school and occasional errands this may be a great option. But heavy commuters who go from the Inland Empire to Los Angeles would pay far more with usage-based car insurance.

The Centers for Disease Control publish Prevention Status Reports that highlight the status of public health policies and practices that are designed to address different health problems and concerns, including motor vehicle injuries. While California does not score as high as other states when it comes to the PSRs, California has at least taken steps to reduce or prevent accident-related injuries and deaths in some policy and practice areas. California does require seat belts for all vehicle occupants, and places some nighttime driving and passenger restrictions on young drivers, but the minimum age for obtaining a California State Driver License Permit is 15.5 years old, and it is classified as "Provisional" for six months. While these policies and practices won’t prevent accidents entirely, they will go a long way towards reducing the number of young driver deaths and injuries.

If you’ve been injured in a motor vehicle accident in California, it is imperative that you consult with an experienced car accident lawyer as soon as possible.  Call the Law Offices of Matthew L. Taylor today at (909) 989-7774 to schedule your free consultation, serving the Inland Empire for over 20 years.

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The statute of limitations is an important “deadline” of sorts that personal injury victims and their family members must keep in mind when determining how to protect and assert their legal rights. If an injury victim or the surviving family members of a person killed by another’s negligence fails to file a claim for damages before the statute of limitations expires, then the claim can easily be dismissed and the claimant be barred from attempting to obtain compensation for those expenses and losses through a lawsuit.

California law gives the surviving family members two years from the date of an injury or death to file their claims for damages. While this may seem like a straightforward limitation, there are situations that may arise in a wrongful death case that make applying this statute of limitation more difficult:

• I don’t know what caused by loved one’s death: It may not be readily apparent that another person’s negligent behavior caused or contributed to your loved one’s death. In this situation, the statute of limitation begins to run on the date that a reasonable person would have known that another person’s negligence led to your loved one’s passing as well as the identity of this careless person.
• My loved one was injured but died after several weeks or months: This situation may occur in a fall or car crash. Your loved one sustained catastrophic injuries but was able to be kept alive for some period of time before he or she eventually succumbed to his or her injuries. In this situation, the statute of limitations begins to run from the date of your loved one’s injury accident occurred. The fact that your loved one died several weeks or months after the accident occurred does not necessarily “restart” the statute of limitation period.
• There is no way for my loved one’s wrongful death case to be resolved within two years: For purposes of the statute of limitations, it does not matter how long your wrongful death case takes to reach a settlement or trial. What is important is the date the lawsuit is initially filed. In other words, if you file a wrongful death lawsuit within two years of the date your loved one sustained his or her fatal injuries, then the statute of limitations has been satisfied, even if your lawsuit is not fully resolved for two or three years.

Heiting & Irwin, APLC has four decades of experience helping injury victims and the surviving family members of those killed as a result of another’s careless actions recover compensation for their expenses, losses, and injuries. Contacting us as quickly as possible following your loved one’s injury or death can help ensure that your legal right to pursue compensation is protected. Call us at (951) 682-6400 or complete our online form to schedule a free initial consultation.

Photo Credit: https://pixabay.com/en/users/ManfredKain-3578327/