Full question:
My son (16 year old) lives separately, although he is not emancipated yet. He recently got into a fight with his neighbor’s son and damaged the neighbor’s car. For the sole reason that my son is unemancipated and a minor, am I legally liable for the damage caused to the neighbor’s car? We live in Vermont.
- Category: Minors
- Subcategory: Liability of Parent
- Date:
- State: Vermont
Answer:
Yes, as the parent of a unemancipated minor child you are responsible for their actions and any damage caused. In Vermont, if an unemancipated minor who is below the age of 18 years willfully of maliciously damages any public or private property or injures any person , then either of his or her parents shall be liable to the owner of such property or to the person injured by the minor. The relevant statutory provision in this regard is stated below.15 V.S.A. § 901 states:
This content is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Legal statutes mentioned reflect the law at the time the content was written and may no longer be current. Always verify the latest version of the law before relying on it.