[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/www.marksandharrison.com\/blog\/are-parents-liable-for-car-accidents-their-children-cause\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.marksandharrison.com\/blog\/are-parents-liable-for-car-accidents-their-children-cause\/","headline":"Are Parents Liable for Car Accidents Their Children Cause?","name":"Are Parents Liable for Car Accidents Their Children Cause?","description":"Virginia law generally holds people responsible for their own actions, and parents are not liable for the traffic accidents their children cause under most circumstances. However, there are exceptions, such as when parents negligently entrust a vehicle to an unsafe child.\u00a0That said, while parents typically are not personally liable for accidents caused by their children, […]","datePublished":"2024-06-24","dateModified":"2026-04-02","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.marksandharrison.com\/blog\/author\/marksandharrison\/#Person","name":"Marks & Harrison","url":"https:\/\/www.marksandharrison.com\/blog\/author\/marksandharrison\/","identifier":7,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/5f19b40a73ab49e8af765493aafa8c5651a274c64ede1000eb57bb6a971fb6c8?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/5f19b40a73ab49e8af765493aafa8c5651a274c64ede1000eb57bb6a971fb6c8?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Marks & Harrison","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.marksandharrison.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/logo.png","url":"https:\/\/www.marksandharrison.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/logo.png","width":235,"height":87}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.marksandharrison.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/problematic-teen-driver.jpg","url":"https:\/\/www.marksandharrison.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/problematic-teen-driver.jpg","height":667,"width":1000},"url":"https:\/\/www.marksandharrison.com\/blog\/are-parents-liable-for-car-accidents-their-children-cause\/","about":["Car Accidents"],"wordCount":998,"articleBody":"Virginia law generally holds people responsible for their own actions, and parents are not liable for the traffic accidents their children cause under most circumstances. However, there are exceptions, such as when parents negligently entrust a vehicle to an unsafe child.\u00a0That said, while parents typically are not personally liable for accidents caused by their children, their insurance policies are \u2013 and their premiums will likely go up as a result.If your teen driver was in a collision, the\u00a0Virginia car accident lawyers\u00a0at Marks & Harrison can help. We can explain the legal issues related to\u00a0motor vehicle accidents\u00a0involving children and determine who may be responsible for any resulting injuries and losses.What Is the Family Purpose Doctrine?The family purpose doctrine holds that whoever owns a vehicle is liable for any accidents that family members cause when using the car. Under this concept, vehicle owners must ensure family members use their vehicles responsibly or\u00a0cannot use them\u00a0at all. The parent of a teen driver\u00a0who is\u00a0using the family car or even a\u00a0vehicle\u00a0that the parent has given them could be liable if the teen causes an accident.However, Virginia is one of several states that has not applied the family purpose doctrine.\u00a0In fact,\u00a0state courts expressly rejected the doctrine in the 1938 decision of\u00a0Hackley v. Robey.What Is Negligent Entrustment?Negligent entrustment is another legal doctrine allowing an injured person to hold a parent liable for an accident the teen driver caused. Unlike the family purpose doctrine, the negligent entrustment doctrine is valid in Virginia courts.The negligent entrustment doctrine states that a vehicle owner can\u00a0be held\u00a0responsible for an accident if they let someone use their car when they knew or should have known they were likely to cause a crash. For example, if a child\u2019s parents knew or suspected their child was unfit to drive and let them drive anyway, they could be liable if the child caused a crash while using their car.One key thing to know about accidents involving negligent entrustment is that, per the court\u2019s finding in\u00a0Turner v. Lotts\u00a0in 1992,\u00a0a child\u2019s past driving history does not necessarily count as evidence of negligence\u00a0by itself. In other words, the fact that a child has received prior traffic citations does not automatically mean\u00a0that it\u2019s\u00a0negligent for their parents to let them use a family vehicle. A skilled car accident lawyer can help you by gathering evidence to disprove negligent entrustment in a case like this.Could Both Parents Be Held Liable for a Car Accident Caused by Their Child?Which parent could be liable for a car accident caused by their child depends on who entrusted the child with their vehicle. If both parents did, they could both be liable.\u00a0Otherwise, the parent who allowed the child to use their\u00a0vehicle\u00a0despite being unsafe would bear sole liability for their negligent entrustment.What If the Child Drove the Car Without Their Permission?As Virginia does not recognize the family purpose doctrine, the parent of a child who causes an accident while using their car without their permission likely would not face personal liability for that child\u2019s accident.Will the Parents\u2019 Insurance Rates Go Up If Their Child Causes an Accident?If a child crashes a car their parents have insured, the parents can almost certainly expect their insurance premiums to increase.\u00a0Auto insurance companies\u00a0make money by avoiding paying claims, and it\u2019s standard practice for them to raise\u00a0a policyholder’s premiums\u00a0if someone using their vehicle causes a crash. If the child regularly uses the car but is not listed on the policy, the\u00a0insurance company\u00a0will still likely charge the policyholder\u00a0additional\u00a0fees.The main exception to this rule is if a child is involved in a crash but didn\u2019t cause it. If the\u00a0other driver\u2019s insurance company\u00a0pays the claim,\u00a0then\u00a0the teen\u2019s parents likely won\u2019t see their premiums increase.\u00a0To\u00a0avoid being held liable for a crash and an increase in their insurance premiums, parents should talk to a lawyer right away after any accident involving their children.What Should You Do If Your Child Is in an Accident?You can take several important steps after your teen is in an accident to protect your family and your rights. Here\u2019s what to do:Get and document medical care \u2013 Take your child to\u00a0be checked out\u00a0immediately, even if they don\u2019t seem hurt. Keep detailed records of all medical treatments your child and any other family members receive as a result of the accident.Report the accident to authorities \u2013 If you haven\u2019t already, contact the police as soon as\u00a0you can\u00a0to report the accident.\u00a0This\u00a0is a critical step for legal and insurance purposes.Contact your insurance company \u2013 Inform your insurance provider about the accident. Provide them with any details you have, including a police report number if available.\u00a0However, be careful\u00a0not to say\u00a0anything that could make you or your child sound at fault.Gather information \u2013 Try to compile any information about the crash, such as the other driver\u2019s contact and insurance details. If you didn\u2019t get this at the scene, the police report might have these details.Seek legal advice \u2013 Talk to a lawyer who handles car accidents and personal injury law.\u00a0They can advise you on your next steps, especially if\u00a0there are\u00a0significant injuries or potential legal complications.Contact a Virginia Car Accident LawyerThe Virginia car accident attorneys at Marks & Harrison know how scary it is when your child is involved in a collision. But if someone else was at fault, they may be responsible for paying for your teen\u2019s medical bills and other losses. We\u2019re here to help you through this challenging episode and get your child on the road to recovery. Call us today or complete our contact form for a free consultation."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Blog","item":"https:\/\/www.marksandharrison.com\/blog\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Are Parents Liable for Car Accidents Their Children Cause?","item":"https:\/\/www.marksandharrison.com\/blog\/are-parents-liable-for-car-accidents-their-children-cause\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]