Was Your Car Accident The Result Of Road Rage?

We’ve all gotten frustrated while driving at some point or another. Road rage, however, represents an entirely different level of anger and is much more dangerous for drivers. All car accidents have the potential to cause serious injuries for victims. Accidents caused by road rage, however, which are driven largely by aggression, tend to have particularly serious consequences, as they often occur at high speeds. Fortunately, it is possible to recover compensation for collisions resulting from road rage, so if you were hurt in an accident because of another motorist’s reckless driving, you should consider reaching out to an experienced Maitland car accident lawyer who can give your claim the best possible chance of success.

What is Road Rage?

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) defines road rage as an assault with a vehicle or another dangerous weapon by the driver or passenger of one car, on the driver or passenger of another vehicle, resulting from an incident that occurred on the road. A lot of things can contribute to road rage, including high stress levels, heavy traffic, and frustration. Road rage can also take a variety of forms, but most often involves:

• Tailgating;
• Speeding;
• Cutting off another driver;
• Running a red light;
• Making rude or inflammatory gestures;
• Verbal abuse;
• Using the brakes or headlights to intimidate others on the road;
• Forcing another vehicle to veer off of the road; and
• Hitting, ramming, bumping, or sideswiping another vehicle.

Unfortunately, this behavior often ends with an act of violence against another driver, whether it involves the use of a weapon or a collision.

How Common is Road Rage?

Road rage seems to be on the rise in just about every state in the country. One report, for instance, indicated that this year, someone will be killed or injured in a suspected road rage shooting every 18 hours. Unfortunately, these incidents only seem to be increasing, with an estimated 66 percent of traffic deaths attributed to aggressive driving, a third of which involved a firearm. Florida has proven to be one of the most dangerous states in this regard, reporting the highest number of road rage incidents involving a firearm in the U.S.

Liability for Road Rage Accidents

Road rage accidents are clearly the fault of one driver, which can make recovering compensation from insurers much easier. Furthermore, road rage accidents almost always have at least one witness who can testify as to what happened. Vehicle damage, police officer testimony, and traffic camera recordings can also be used to help determine fault and establish damages after a crash. Finally, road rage accident victims generally have a better chance of settling their claim, with most at-fault parties recognizing that juries are not typically sympathetic to violent drivers.

Helping Our Clients Recover Compensation for Their Accident-Related Losses

To learn more about how a road rage incident could affect your own chances of recovering after a crash, please call 407-960-1900 and set up a free consultation with the dedicated Maitland car accident lawyer at Goldman Law, P.A. today.

Resource:

abc7news.com/someone-is-killed-or-injured-in-a-road-rage-shooting-every-18-hours-data-shows/10781253/