Teen Drivers Cost More, Regardless of Chicago Car Accidents
26-Jul-2011 If you have a teenager who has or will soon have a driver's license, most likely you will not be surprised to know that adding him or her to your insurance will cost you - a lot. Chicago car accident lawyers know some of the hazards that drivers - particularly young drivers - face, including texting while driving and other distracted driving behaviors.
Which might explain why a recent compilation of family insurance premiums across the U.S. on carinsurance.com showed rate increases of up to 243% as a result of adding a teenaged driver.
The Chicago Tribune reports, "to find out what adding a teen driver does to a family's insurance premiums, CarInsurance.com compiled insurance quotes in 25 states for families with a 49-year-old father and a 48-year-old mother who drive a financed 2009 Toyota Camry and a paid-off 2004 Ford Expedition. The quotes included full collision and comprehensive and liability coverage for both cars. The couple didn't have any violations or accidents on their record; they lived in middle-class suburbs and commuted to white-collar jobs. Then the folks at CarInsurance.com added a teen boy with a clean driving record to the policy. That's when rates went sky-high."
While 243% was the highest increase (Scottsdale, AZ), even the more moderate 94% (Northville, MI) increase could put a serious cramp in a family's monthly debt load. To make sure you are getting the best available rate for your teenaged driver, make sure you shop around for the best available coverage and take advantage of discounts like good student discounts offered by many carriers.
Additionally, as your teenaged driver gains experience and age, your insurance premiums should start to decrease - as long as they are not involved in a car accident in Chicago or your area. Chicago car accident attorneys encourage teenaged drivers - and all driver, for that matter - to practice the following safe driving rules of the road:
- Do not text and drive - EVER.
- Do not drive while distracted - this includes eating, talking on the phone, even applying makeup - anything that takes your attention off the road, even for a split second.
- Drive cautiously and defensively; always be aware of the cars around you and anticipate what they may do.
- Never drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
In addition, some states have guidelines in place for new drivers that limit the times of day they are permitted to be on the road and the number of passengers (if any) they are allowed to transport.

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VERDICTS &
SETTELMENTS
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$1,225,000 settlement for a speedway patron who got hit by a baseball-sized rock kicked up by a race car. The rock hit her so hard, she needed an emergency tracheostomy and brain surgery.
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$6,000,000 settlement for our client, a 4 month old baby whose doctors had failed to diagnose a brain infection that left her with permanent brain damage and cerebral palsy.
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$11,800,000.00 in a product liability settlement for a father of five who tragically died when his tire treads failed, causing his vehicle to roll over.
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We obtained a $5 million settlement for a woman whose son died when his physician failed to diagnose a tumor.
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A woman recovered $2.25 million in a medical malpractice case, in which the woman's obstetrician/gynecologist failed to spot her cancer on a pap smear, causing our client to have to undergo multiple, surgeries.
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A $2 million verdict was obtained for a woman whose Ob/Gyn failed to refer her to a gynecologist to treat what turned out to be a malignant uterine sarcoma.
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We obtained a $1.7 million settlement in a nursing home neglect case in which a 72 year-old man suffered radiator burns so severe that he had to have his legs amputated.
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We obtained a $1.4 million award in a slip and fall case involving a 13 year-old boy who developed severe hip trouble after falling down the stairs of his high-rise.
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A $1.25 million settlement in favor of our client, an 18 year-old boy who lost most of his vision after being assaulted by a security guard.
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We obtained a $1.15 million settlement for our client, a little girl who suffered severed burns as a direct result of fire code ordinance violations.
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A union painter whose legs got crushed by a forklift recovered $1 million in damages.
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A $1 million settlement in favor of our client, a hemophiliac, who suffered severe soft tissue damage in a car accident.
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A union steel worker who injured his back moving a 300 pound steel beam in the rain recovered $1 million for his construction site work injury.
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We obtained a $900,000 settlement in the case of a beaten prison inmate who died after being given the wrong medication at the hospital.
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We obtained a $600,000 settlement for a man who suffered a below the knee amputation after his friend accidentally shot him with a hunting rifle at a restaurant.
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A 54 year-old woman recovered $600,000 in a product liability settlement after her oven mitt exploded and severely burned her breasts.
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A woman who had lost her baby to fetal distress while in the hospital was awarded $500,000 for medical malpractice.
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An 81 year-old bedridden stroke victim recovered $390,000 after he developed what would turn out to be fatal pressure ulcers stemming from negligent nursing care.
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A nursing home resident won a settlement of $300,000 stemming from a hip fracture accident. His nursing staff had failed to take proper fall-risk precautions.
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We obtained a settlement of $250,000 for the estate of a 21 year-old man who, after sustaining life-threatening injuries in an automobile accident, subsequently died in the hospital due to the staff's failure to insert a chest tube.
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We obtained a settlement of $175,000 for the estate of a woman whose negligent nursing home care resulted in bed sore ulcers that led to an infection that ultimately caused her death.
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We obtained a $150,000 settlement for a 69 year-old stroke victim who had to have an above the knee amputation due to nursing home neglect.
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A $150,000 verdict was recovered for the estate of a 79 year-old man, who suffered bed sores stemming from nursing home neglect that ultimately contributed to his death.
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