HELP! 14Y/O WRECKED MY CAR

[stayn100]

What is the name of your state? Nevada

My daughter and her friend, who are both 14, decided to take my car. The friend was driving and hit another vehicle. My daughter was the only one injured. My vehicle was totaled. The other had minor front end damage. upon arriving at the scene i informed the officer that i had just bought the vehicle and I only had the title. I had no insurance and had not even registered it yet. I then rode in the ambulance to the hospital. I have not heard anything received any paperwork or anything. The first few days i stayed in the hospital. but after the initial shock i dont know what my legal options are. When i spoke to the friends parents they told me that she received four citations. No license no reg no insurance and failure to stop. I asked her when the court date was and she said she had to call to the court to see when that date would be. She also told me that she had got an attorney and the attorney told her that it was a good thing that i had not heard anything. i grew suspicious . I do not have money for a lawyer but i do not want to be unprotected and lost. If anyone can help me and at least provide some hind sight. also can i sue the friends family for at least half of the cost of my vehicle. Also should i report the car stolen. Because they did steal it.



W

 

[PayrollHRGuy]

Because they did steal it.

The keyword there is THEY. Your daughter would also likely be charged.

And a jury would likely find your family more at fault here than 50/50 as while both kids stole the car you didn't take proper care and the car was easily stolen.

 

[xylene]

The keyword there is THEY

What like one was at the wheel, the other working the pedals?

 

[not2cleverRed]

What like one was at the wheel, the other working the pedals?

The one at the wheel would have gotten nowhere within OP's daughter access to the key fob.

Sort of like a story my mom tells of two 3 year olds that burned down a barn. One was tall enough to reach the matches, but did not know how to use them. The one that knew how to use matches was too short to reach the matches, and so could not have started the fire without the other's assistance.

 

[stayn100]

Proper care? What is proper care? the friend was driving and according to both of them the friend refused to pull over. But i do hold my daughter responsible as well. Jury? I thought it would be a civil suit.

 

[quincy]

Proper care? What is proper care? the friend was driving and according to both of them the friend refused to pull over. But i do hold my daughter responsible as well. Jury? I thought it would be a civil suit.

Criminal and civil.

 

[stealth2]

Proper care? What is proper care? the friend was driving and according to both of them the friend refused to pull over. But i do hold my daughter responsible as well. Jury? I thought it would be a civil suit.

How did these two children get ahold of the keys? Whose idea was this little joy ride?

 

[Just Blue]

Proper care? What is proper care? the friend was driving and according to both of them the friend refused to pull over. But i do hold my daughter responsible as well. Jury? I thought it would be a civil suit.

When you report a car stolen, as your daughter stole your car, there are criminal charges.

 

[stealth2]

Let's add to the questions - were the children not supervised? Was there no adult home?

ETA: have either of them been in any trouble previously(and I don't mean just legal)?

 

[stayn100]

It only takes one person to drive. Both of them knew right from wrong. Like I said i am holding them equally responsible. And you are talking about matches. I am talking about driving. She started the vehicle, she drove it, she blew the stop sign and she had the accident. She has the citations. So are you saying my daughter would be charged with these same charges. If they both get in trouble so be it. I am not protecting nobody. There are consequences to every action. I was told the friend would be in trouble for the stealing because she was the one driving and my daughter would be in trouble for joyriding because she was the passenger.

 

[PayrollHRGuy]

Proper care? What is proper care? the friend was driving and according to both of them the friend refused to pull over. But i do hold my daughter responsible as well. Jury? I thought it would be a civil suit.

Proper care would have been making sure your daughter and her friends didn't have access to the keys to the car and be unsupervised enought to use them.

There can be juries in both civil and criminal suits. If you sue them that will be civil. If you report the theft it will be criminal.

 

[Zigner]

It only takes one person to drive. Both of them knew right from wrong. Like I said i am holding them equally responsible. And you are talking about matches. I am talking about driving. She started the vehicle, she drove it, she blew the stop sign and she had the accident. She has the citations. So are you saying my daughter would be charged with these same charges. If they both get in trouble so be it. I am not protecting nobody. There are consequences to every action. I was told the friend would be in trouble for the stealing because she was the one driving and my daughter would be in trouble for joyriding because she was the passenger.

Your daughter was complicit in the theft. She could be charged with the theft. They both stole the car, but it stands to reason that only one was driving (that's the nature of a car).

ETA: Of course, your daughter won't be charged with the various moving violations, as she was not the driver.

 

[stealth2]

And you are talking about matches. I am talking about driving.

It's known as an analogy.

 

[PayrollHRGuy]

What like one was at the wheel, the other working the pedals?

THEY stole it the OP even said so. It matters not at all who was actually driving when it comes to the theft charge if the car is reported stolen.

 

[stealth2]

I'm thinking back to my two at 14 (admittedly, a while ago). If the car was here, I was here. If I wasn't here, neither was the car. If I was home, I knew where the kids were (the front door does not open w/o the hounds going off). So I can't even picture a scenario where one or the other could take my keys and the car. I'm not getting it.

I'm wondering, legal gurus... would the other child's parents have a case against OP for lack of supervision?

I guess one blessing in this situation is there was apparently no alcohol involved...