When teenagers get their driver’s licenses, they may hear the ubiquitous jokes about teens being a danger on the roads. It is certainly true that teens are inexperienced and unpracticed in the art of responding quickly to changes in driving situations. Additionally, teens may be susceptible to many distractions, especially if their friends are in the car. Unfortunately, it may only be after their friends suffer in a personal injury accident before many teens learn the difficult lesson about the responsibilities they have behind the wheel.
A Pennsylvania school system that is still recovering from the loss of a well-loved teacher is now struggling to cope with the aftermath of a recent accident. The crash occurred around 2 p.m. on a Saturday when nine teens were riding in an SUV on a narrow, winding road. The occupants of the vehicle were between the ages of 14 and 17 years old.
For unknown reasons, the vehicle left the roadway and struck an embankment on a curve in the road. The SUV flipped and ejected four of the nine passengers. Because of the number of people in the car, investigators believe that only a few of the teens wore seatbelts. Six of the passengers were taken by helicopter to Pennsylvania hospitals, including Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, and several suffered injuries authorities described as critical.
When the dust settles and the families of these children begin seeking answers, they may want the advice of an attorney. In similar cases, an attorney has helped parents determine the best way to potentially obtain adequate compensation for the injuries their children suffered from the negligence of a teen driver. Depending on the outcome of the personal injury investigation, the parents of the victims may have a number of options to consider.
Source: CBS Pittsburgh, “9 Teens Injured In Lower Burrell Crash“, Lynne Hayes-Freeland, Oct. 21, 2017
