My Teen Died in an Atlanta Car Crash: Can I Sue the Driver’s Parents?
On April 6th, Fox 5 Atlanta reported that three teens from Atlanta had lost their lives after a fiery car accident. The high school students were on spring break when their jeep veered off the road, crashed into the trees, and burst into flames. One person survived. If you lost your teen under similar circumstances, you might be wondering whether you can sue the parents of the driver. Contact an Atlanta car accident attorney to learn more about this possibility.
What Is Georgia’s “Family Purpose Doctrine?”
The Family Purpose Doctrine is a Georgia law that allows you to hold the parents of teen drivers liable for crashes under certain circumstances. In order to sue the parents of a teen driver for causing the crash that claimed the life of your child, you need to establish several facts:
First, you need to show that the parents owned the vehicle that the teen driver was operating. Second, you need to show that the vehicle is a “shared family car” used for basic errands like grocery shopping or soccer practice. You also need to establish that the teen driver had permission to take the vehicle, and that this driver crashed due to their own negligence.
How Do Wrongful Death Lawsuits Work in This Scenario?
In this scenario, a parent could potentially file a wrongful death lawsuit against the parents of the teen driver. This lawsuit could be possible whether the teen driver survived the crash or not. The goal would be to recover economic and non-economic damages associated with the fatal crash. Perhaps the most obvious example is the cost of a funeral for your teen.
You might also recover compensation for what the teen would have earned and contributed to the family throughout life. If your teen incurred medical expenses before passing away, your wrongful death claim can cover the outstanding medical bills. You can also pursue non-economic damages for the psychological and emotional burdens associated with losing a young family member.
Was Anyone Else Responsible?
You might also want to discuss other potential defendants with your auto accident attorney. If the teen driver drank before getting behind the wheel, you may be able to sue the establishment that served them illegally. Finally, you can sue another driver who contributed to or caused the accident. For example, the teen driver might have swerved to avoid hitting a reckless truck driver before crashing.
Can an Atlanta Auto Accident Lawyer Help Me?
If you want to pursue legal action on behalf of your deceased teen after an Atlanta car accident, you are fully entitled to discuss your options with a legal professional. Under certain circumstances, it may be possible to sue the parents of the teen driver for wrongful death. Learn more by contacting Morain & Buckelew, LLC.
Sources:
fox5atlanta.com/news/3-metro-atlanta-teens-killed-florida-spring-break-crash-1-injured
wsbradio.com/news/local/3-metro-atlanta-teens-killed-1-critically-injured-car-crash/BKCC6TKPI5C2XNAUFBKTOI3IHQ/
law.cornell.edu/wex/family_purpose_doctrine