Standards of conduct in society and drivers’ willingness to follow the law have declined markedly in recent years. One effect of this is an increase in the documented instances of road rage. When a driver reacts angrily to another one, they may either intentionally take action that could jeopardize their safety, or they could lose their composure and raise the risk of an accident. If you have been injured in a road rage accident, seek help from a car accident lawyer immediately.
Road Rage Is More Than Using Weapons
Road rage certainly includes instances in which a driver uses a weapon to try to hurt someone else. Nationally, someone is killed or injured in a road rage shooting every 18 hours. Reports of road rage shootings are on the rise as drivers exhibit far worse tempers behind the wheel.
While you may associate road rage with actual physical violence or threats of it, this practice can encompass many more things. For example, one could even commit road rage when they excessively lean on a horn to show their anger. Even though honking the horn may not directly place someone else in danger, it could be the first step in the process where a driver loses their temper to the point where they are willing to try to hurt someone.
Motorists Can Use Their Own Vehicle As a Weapon
There are many other things that drivers can do in acts of road rage. For example, perhaps the most common form of road rage is when a motorist tries to use their vehicle to intimidate you. They may try to cut you off in traffic to frustrate you or even to place you in danger. The other motorist may try to make you lose control of your own car. This practice can be as dangerous as an attempted shooting because you could end up in a serious car accident.
Road rage also includes the driver using their own car as a weapon to attempt to hurt you. The driver may intentionally ram your car to cause an accident. They may try to bump you to cause you to spin out, or simply to intimidate you.
The driver does not have to make actual contact with your car to place you in danger. For example, a driver can pull in front of you and suddenly stop or slow down, raising the risk that you may rear-end them from behind. If they are behind you in traffic, they could excessively tailgate on your back bumper to make you nervous. They could even end up striking you from behind if you had to slow down or stop short in front of them.
Other examples of road rage may include:
- Weaving in and out of traffic
- Throwing objects
- Making gestures
- Sudden lane changes
- Turning on bright headlights to distract the driver
Even aggressive driving that does not cross the line to being actual road rage can put you and your loved ones at risk.
If you have been involved in an accident that involved road rage, you may be entitled to substantial financial compensation. Although you would still need to prove fault in the accident, you may be in a stronger position when it comes to negotiating a settlement agreement because the other driver’s Insurance Company may not want to fight you. They may understand that you may even receive punitive damages if your case goes to a jury, so they may have more of an incentive to settle your case. Nonetheless, you should always have the help of an experienced car accident lawyer because they would be able to negotiate with the insurance company on your behalf to maximize your compensation.
Contact a Hazlet Car Accident Lawyer at Mikita & Roccanova
If you have been injured in any type of motor vehicle crash, a Hazlet car accident lawyer at Mikita & Roccanova can be your firm advocate when you are seeking compensation for your damages. You can schedule a free initial consultation with one of our car accident attorneys by contacting us online or by calling us today at 732-705-3363. We have offices in Hazlet and Highland Park, New Jersey, and we serve injured clients in Ocean County, Sussex County, Neptune, Middlesex County, and Pennsylvania.