Aggressive driving has always been around. However, dash-cam footage now brings incidents of road rage to anyone on social media. Sometimes, it seems that everyone sharing the road is in a big hurry and very angry about it at the same time. Read on and find out more about road rage accidents and injuries that can come with them.
The Dangers of Road Rage
Accidentally cutting someone off, driving at the speed limit, braking suddenly – all those things can create road rage in unbalanced drivers. The causes of road rage are many and many victims are innocent of any wrongdoing.
Road rage can turn a drive to visit friends into a fight for survival. When another driver gets aggressive, they can cause these issues for everyone nearby:
- Driving too close and hitting another vehicle in the rear.
- Performing aggressive actions that make other drivers nervous and distracted enough to have an accident.
- Passing and weaving in and out of traffic quickly to make it possible for an innocent river to hit the aggressive driver when they cannot stop in time.
- Running other drivers off the road into a roadside object.
Determining Fault After a Road Rage Accident
Evidence can tell the story of a road rage accident. This evidence comes from other drivers, passengers, and neutral eyewitnesses. When law enforcement arrives at the scene of a road rage accident, they will interview everyone who saw the accident. The information gathered forms the accident report which contains the officer's opinion as to how the accident occurred. The officer will include a simple line drawing of how the vehicles interacted and how they collided with each other. In most cases, this report is used by the insurers to assign fault.
Damages and Fault
When another driver caused an accident, they are responsible for paying the victim's expenses or damages. Damages like medical expenses, lost earnings, and more are owed to the victim. If the perpetrator of the road rage incident has insurance, they will pay the costs. However, even when the at-fault driver is insured, you may need to take extra steps to get paid for pain and suffering and other damages.
Punitive Damages
Besides the damages listed above, many road rage victims are also entitled to be paid punitive damages. The courts have the power to add punitive damages to a lawsuit. Punitive damages are often higher than any other category of damages. They are meant to send a message when another driver is not just careless but negligent.
Speak to a personal injury lawyer to learn more.
