Liability of Minors for Personal Injury Claims

Many assume that parents are “automatically” liable for damages caused by their children. Washington personal injury law is not so simple.

Children under six cannot be negligent.[1]

Children ages six to sixteen are held to a standard of care of a reasonably careful child of the same age, intelligence, maturity, training, and experience.[2]

Children ages sixteen to eighteen are generally treated as adults and held to same standard of care.[3]

This is not a substitute for legal advice. Other factors may change the analysis. Other parties may have proximately caused some or all of the injuries, for example.

For advice about your circumstances seek a consultation with an injury attorney.


[1] Bauman v. Crawford, 104 Wn.2d 241, 244, 704 P.2d 1181(1985); Price v. Kitsap County Transit, 125 Wn.2d 456, 886 P.2d 556 (1994); RCW 4.22.015-4.22.070.

[2] Bauman at 244.

[3] Bauman.

Posted in Washington Personal Injury Law.