If you’re the parent of a teenager, perhaps you’ve allowed them to drive your car without supervision. While giving your child driving privileges isn’t an inherently bad idea, keep in mind that teenage drivers are much more likely to be involved in fatal car accidents.

Obviously, your child’s safety is a big concern, but many parents don’t realize another potential risk of teenage driving—if your child drives your car and causes an accident, you may be financially liable for the damages, even if you weren’t the one driving the vehicle. This is referred to as the family purpose doctrine.

The doctrine states that a vehicle owner who allows their car to be driven by family members may be held liable for any accidents involving said family members. The main idea behind the doctrine is to compensate the injured person or people for their damages by holding the head of the family financially responsible for their family members’ negligent actions.

This is especially necessary given children generally don’t have their own liability insurance, other than what’s available through family auto policies, or the assets to cover the losses they cause.

Is the Family Purpose Doctrine Used in Arizona?

The family purpose doctrine, which has been around since 1919, is still upheld in Arizona. Perhaps the most recent noteworthy case that illustrated the application of the doctrine and reaffirmed it as state law was the Young v. Beck case in 2011.

The plaintiff, Amy Young was seriously injured in a car accident caused by the defendant, 17-year-old Jason Beck. Young’s family sued Beck and his parents for their daughter’s injuries, which they believed were caused by the teenager’s negligent driving. The Young family based their case on the principles of the family purpose doctrine, claiming the Becks should be held financially liable for their daughter’s injuries.

Jason, who had been involved in another car accident a month prior, was only permitted to drive his parent’s vehicle to school, work or church. In the hours leading up to the accident, Jason neglected his mother’s instruction to drive to his friend’s house and then drive back home the next day. Instead, Jason and his friends drove around town throwing eggs at houses and parked vehicles and eventually caused the accident involving the plaintiff.

Under Arizona law, the family purpose doctrine can be applied in the following circumstances:

• A person other than the head of a family causes an injury
• The head of the family provided the vehicle to a family member
• The head of the family gave the family member permission to use the vehicle

Jason’s parents asserted that since they had not given their son consent to drive the car around and destroy other people’s property, they shouldn’t be held responsible for the accident. However, the Supreme Court of Arizona ruled that even though the Becks did not give their son permission to drive his friends around town, they did imply consent when they allowed him to get into the vehicle and take off.

Despite the Becks’ many objections, the court concluded the family doctrine purpose did apply to their case, giving sufficient grounds for the Young family to file a civil lawsuit against Jason Beck and his parents.

When May the Family Purpose Doctrine Not Apply to Your Case?

Cases involving the family purpose doctrine are extremely fact driven. There are several nuances that could derail a plaintiff’s efforts to incorporate the family purpose doctrine into their claim:

• If a family member owns and pays for their car, the parents aren’t liable for any accidents he or she causes
• If two people own the car, such as a parent and their child, the parent may not be held responsible for the child’s actions involving said car
• Parents who under no circumstances gave their child consent to drive a family car may not be held liable under the doctrine
• In rare cases, the defendant may claim the driver wasn’t actually part of their family

Thinking of Filing a Personal Injury Claim? Get Legal Help from a Phoenix Personal Injury Lawyer

If you’ve been injured in an accident caused by someone else’s negligence, you may be entitled to compensation. At PHX Elite Lawyers, we help accident victims find experienced and dedicated lawyers to represent them in their legal battles.

If you’re interested in a free consultation with a car accident attorney or a personal injury lawyer, contact one of the law firms listed here.