Q: Is it legal for someone to video tape my 17 year old forcing them to admit guilt in an accident without a parent?
He was in a car accident in a shopping center. The other driver was driving with a suspended license, no insurance in a borrowed car.
A: It would be very difficult to answer this question definitively with the information available here. Generally speaking however, if out in public, there can be no expectation of privacy by you or your child. In that case, the recording itself is probably OK. So the question then is whether your child was actually at fault for the accident or not. If he/she was not at fault in any way, then forcing them to say on video that they were at fault provides some opportunity to keep that video out of evidence, but it will likely be allowed. If it is allowed, you and your child should be allowed to explain the circumstances of that recording. Unfortunately the fact that the other driver had a suspended license is a non-issue for your child's accident (depending of course on the reason for the suspension). The fact that it was a borrowed car may allow you the opportunity to find insurance. The owner's insurance would extend to the driver, if the driver was using the car with permission.
Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.
