Stevens v. Veenstra

Aaron Veenstra (defendant), a 14-year-old enrolled in a driver's education class, struck and injured James Stevens (plaintiff) while practicing driving with an instructor present. The trial court instructed the jury to hold Veenstra to the standard of a reasonably careful minor of similar age and experience, and the jury found for Veenstra. Stevens appealed, arguing driving is a dangerous adult activity warranting the adult standard of care, while Veenstra argued that because he was driving specifically as part of a minors-only educational program, the adult standard shouldn't apply.