When drivers let their emotions get the best of them behind the wheel, it can lead to aggressive driving, confrontations, and even car accidents. If you or a loved one have suffered an injury in a crash caused by an enraged driver, it’s important to understand your rights and options. Contacting an experienced Dallas car accident lawyer can handle this difficult situation and fight for the compensation you deserve.
What is Road Rage?
Road rage refers to angry, violent, or aggressive behavior displayed by drivers. It often involves unsafe driving maneuvers like speeding, tailgating, weaving through traffic, or intentionally hitting another vehicle. Road rage can also escalate into verbal altercations, threats, or physical violence between drivers.
Some common signs of road rage include:
- Excessive honking, yelling, or using obscene gestures
- Deliberately cutting off or blocking other vehicles
- Chasing or following another driver
- Getting out of the vehicle to confront someone
- Bumping or ramming another car on purpose
Road rage is different from aggressive driving in that it usually involves a specific target and is motivated by anger rather than simply being in a hurry. However, both road rage and aggressive driving put everyone on the road at risk of serious car accidents and injuries.
Example 1: Tailgating and Brake Checking
One of the most common and dangerous examples of road rage is when an angry driver deliberately tailgates or follows too closely behind another vehicle. Tailgating is extremely risky because it leaves very little room for error. If the lead car needs to brake suddenly for any reason, the tailgating vehicle is likely to crash into the back of it because there isn’t enough stopping distance.
Enraged tailgaters may flash their headlights, lay on the horn, yell obscenities, or make rude hand gestures at the car ahead, especially if they feel that the other driver is going too slowly or holding up traffic. Some may even bump the rear of the other vehicle to show their frustration or try to intimidate the driver into speeding up or getting out of the way.
In some cases, the driver in front may react to being tailgated by brake checking the other car – slamming on their brakes abruptly to scare or startle the tailgater into backing off. However, this is an extremely dangerous tactic that can backfire horribly. If the tailgating driver fails to react in time, they can easily rear-end the lead vehicle with great force. Brake checking often leads to serious rear-impact collisions, especially when it occurs at highway speeds.
It’s important to understand that following too closely is illegal in all 50 states because it greatly increases the risk of rear-end accidents. Most states have specific laws requiring drivers to leave a safe following distance between their vehicle and the one ahead. While the exact distance may vary based on speed, weather conditions, and other factors, a general rule of thumb is to allow at least one car length of space for every ten mph of speed.
So, if you’re traveling at 40 mph, you should leave about four car lengths between you and the next vehicle. It’s always better to leave extra room if possible, especially in heavy traffic or low visibility conditions. If the driver behind you is tailgating aggressively, the safest response is to change lanes or pull over when it’s safe. This will allow them to pass rather than engaging in a dangerous brake checking-war.
If you have been rear-ended by a driver who was tailgating you, it’s important to understand your legal rights and options for seeking compensation. Depending on the severity of the crash, you may be facing costly medical bills for emergency room visits, surgeries, medication, and ongoing treatment. You may need to miss days or weeks of work while you recover, resulting in lost income and making it difficult to keep up with living expenses. Your vehicle may also require extensive repairs or be totaled completely.
The physical, financial, and emotional impacts of a rear-end collision caused by an aggressive tailgater can be overwhelming. But you don’t have to navigate this difficult situation on your own. An experienced car accident attorney can pursue the compensation you need for your damages and get your life back on track.
Example 2: Cutting Off and Sideswipes
Cutting off other vehicles is another extremely common manifestation of road rage. This happens when one driver deliberately cuts in front of another car very suddenly, leaving the other motorist little to no time to react safely. A driver may do this out of frustration if they feel that other vehicles are moving too slowly or to punish another motorist for a perceived slight, like not letting them merge or change lanes quickly enough for their liking.
Angry drivers may cut others off by crossing multiple lanes of traffic in one motion, zooming up from behind and then veering into another car’s lane right in front of them, or abruptly merging or changing lanes without signaling. Some enraged motorists even use the shoulder or median to pass other vehicles and then deliberately swerve in front of them.
Regardless of how it happens, cutting off other cars is incredibly dangerous and a major cause of sideswipe accidents. This type of crash occurs when the sides of two parallel vehicles collide. It can happen when one motorist cuts off another so unexpectedly that the other driver is startled into jerking the steering wheel, inadvertently veering into the lane beside them.
Sideswipes can also result if the driver being cut off slams their brakes, causing their vehicle to slide sideways. In some cases, the offending driver may even strike the side of the other vehicle deliberately as they whip around it.
Sideswipe accidents are particularly common and risky when vehicles travel at high speeds, such as on freeways or interstate highways. The sudden impact can easily cause one or both drivers to lose control altogether, potentially setting off a terrifying chain reaction of secondary collisions.
At high velocity, a sideswipe can cause a vehicle to spin out, roll over, or careen into other motorists, creating a massive multi-car pileup. Other drivers may swerve to avoid crashing into the wrecked cars, not realizing there are vehicles in adjacent or oncoming lanes. The resulting collisions and impacts can be catastrophic.
Victims of sideswipe accidents caused by road rage often suffer severe and devastating injuries like traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, broken bones, lacerations, crush injuries, and more. Some sustain permanent impairments that drastically impact their ability to work, care for themselves, and participate in activities they once enjoyed. Tragically, some sideswipe crashes are so violent that victims do not survive.
If you have suffered an injury in a sideswipe collision caused by another driver’s road rage, cutting you off intentionally and recklessly, seek medical attention right away, even if you think your injuries are minor at first. Some serious car accident injuries like whiplash, concussions, and internal trauma can take hours, days, or even weeks to develop noticeable symptoms.
Refusing or delaying treatment after a crash will not only jeopardize your health and recovery, but it can also seriously damage your ability to pursue an injury claim later on. The insurance company may seize on any gaps in treatment to argue that you aren’t as hurt as you claim and don’t deserve much compensation.
To protect yourself physically, financially, and legally after a road rage sideswipe accident, get checked out by a medical professional as soon as possible to document your injuries. Then, consult with an experienced Dallas car accident lawyer in your area to discuss your rights and legal options.
Example 3: Forcing a Car Off the Road
One of the most terrifying and life-threatening examples of road rage is when an enraged driver uses their vehicle as a weapon to intentionally force another car off the road or highway. This may start with aggressive tailgating, cutting off, honking, gesturing, and yelling, but it quickly escalates to the offending driver bumping or ramming the other vehicle from behind.
The road rage driver may then pull up alongside the victim’s car and swerve towards it threateningly or even slam into the side of it. They may try to physically push or force the other vehicle onto the shoulder or off the pavement entirely. In some cases, the offender may get ahead of the victim’s car and then brake-check them hard, trying to cause a rear-end collision or force them to veer off the road to avoid crashing.
This is an incredibly dangerous situation that puts the lives of everyone on the road at risk, not just the initial victim. Drivers and passengers in the car being attacked may panic and lose control, especially at highway speeds. They can easily be run off the road and roll over, flip multiple times, or crash into trees, guardrails, signs, poles, embankments, and other objects with violent force.
Other motorists may swerve or brake suddenly to avoid hitting the out-of-control vehicles, causing them to have their own wrecks. Head-on collisions are common if cars are forced into oncoming traffic lanes, often resulting in fatalities. Multi-vehicle pileups can also occur if other cars nearby cannot stop or maneuver in time to avoid crashing into each other and the original wreck.
The injuries from this kind of road rage crash can be catastrophic and permanently life-changing. Survivors may suffer traumatic brain injuries, paralysis, severed limbs, organ damage, severe burns, disfiguring scars, and more. They may require emergency surgeries, lengthy hospitalizations, ongoing physical and mental health treatment, home health assistance, and other costly care. Some victims are left unable to work or live independently.
On top of the terrible physical and financial consequences, the emotional trauma of experiencing such a violent and malicious attack is often shattering. Victims may develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues that make it difficult to drive or even ride in a car again without feeling overwhelmed by fear. They may have nightmares, flashbacks, and intrusive thoughts about the crash that disrupt their sleep, relationships, and daily functioning.
No one should have to endure this kind of trauma because of another driver’s inability to control their rage behind the wheel. If you or someone you love has been victimized by a motorist who intentionally forced your vehicle off the road, you need experienced legal representation right away to fight for your rights and the compensation you deserve.
Key Takeaways
Be very careful about discussing the accident with the other driver’s insurance company. Anything you say can potentially be used to shift blame onto you, even if the other person was clearly at fault.
It’s best to avoid posting about the accident on social media or discussing it in detail with others until you’ve consulted with a car accident attorney. Insurance adjusters may look for information to use against you.
Call a Car Accident Lawyer Today
Dealing with insurance companies after a road rage crash can be overwhelming, especially when you’re trying to recover from painful injuries and emotional distress. The other driver’s insurer may try to pressure you into accepting a lowball settlement or even deny your claim completely.
That’s why it’s so important to contact an experienced car accident lawyer as soon as possible after a road rage accident. They can handle all communications with the insurance companies and advise you of your rights and options for seeking fair compensation.
A skilled personal injury attorney will thoroughly investigate the crash, gather evidence, interview witnesses, and build a strong case for holding the other driver accountable. They can also calculate the true value of your current and future damages, including medical expenses, lost income, vehicle repairs, pain and suffering, and more.
Most car accident lawyers offer free initial consultations and work on a contingency fee basis, which means you won’t owe them anything unless they recover money for you. You have nothing to lose and much to gain by reaching out for legal guidance after a road rage accident.
