A majority of car accidents occur in Mesa because of road rage and aggressive driving. These persistent attempts are done to scare drivers and unfortunately, these types of incidents can be life-threatening. When drivers act aggressively or deliberately drive reckless on the road, those sharing the road with them suffer.
The best way for drivers to avoid a road rage incident is to recognize the signs of an aggressive driver and do what they can to avoid them.
According to the Insurance Information Institute, aggressive driving is a major factor in the traffic accidents that occur throughout the country. In fact, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), feels that the number of aggressive driving incidents is highly underreported because aggression is hard to quantify.
Example of Aggressive Driving
- Tailgating other vehicles by speeding up to them and staying close to their back bumper. Even if a vehicle attempts to accelerate, the tailgating vehicle continues to increase speed and stay close to the rear of the other vehicle.
- Weaving in and out of traffic.
- Cutting off other drivers.
- Stopping short or slowing down without reason for doing so.
- Passing a person on the right because they are driving too slow and then cutting them off.
According to the Arizona Department of Public Safety, an aggressive driver does not consider the safety of others. Instead, they have a false sense of control and power; therefore, they do not care about the consequences of their actions behind the wheel.
Aggressive drivers are different from road rage drivers, but they both can lead to accidents. Road rage is a criminal offense; therefore, a driver arrested for road rage may be easier to hold accountable in civil court. However, aggressive driving is still a traffic offense, and a driver could receive a citation for aggressive driving.
What Happens When Someone is Injured in an Aggressive Driving Accident?
If a driver is injured in a road rage accident, the best thing they can do is to remain calm. The driver of the other vehicle is already enraged; therefore, any actions of aggression toward that driver may set them off even further.
Accident victims should contact the police immediately following a road rage accident. They can then report to the officers that there was aggressive driving or the road rage of the other driver led to the incident.
While waiting for police, the drivers should take photographs using their smartphone’s camera. If there are injuries, seek medical attention as soon as possible.
Most people incur fatal injuries in road rage accidents because the road rage driver is often driving at overly fast speeds. Family members involved in a fatal accident must remain calm and consider the circumstances that led to the crash as well as reach out to a Mesa accident attorney.
How Can a Mesa Accident Attorney Help in a Road Rage Car Accident?
Road rage accidents are difficult to prove, which is why a victim needs to enlist the help of an attorney. A qualified personal injury attorney can assist the victim of this type of crash by interviewing witnesses, preparing statements from the victim, and mounting the evidence for their client. Also, an attorney knows how to gather evidence that proves the other driver was reckless at the time of the accident.
There are fundamental pieces of evidence that may help prove the other driver was enraged and caused the accident, such as:
- Witness statements
- A history of road rage
- A history of aggressive behavior (on or off the road)
- Camera footage at the accident scene
- Passenger testimony
What Compensation Could a Victim Receive in a Road Rage Accident?
Compensation in these types of cases is similar to regular personal injury claims. A Mesa accident attorney may be able to help the victim receive reimbursement for their medical costs, as well as payments for future medical treatments.
Also, if the accident victim is disabled, their pain and suffering, lost wages, and other costs associated with their injuries could be sought in court.
When a driver causes an accident because of road rage, their excessively negligent behavior may be grounds for punitive damages in addition to compensatory damages. In this type of case, a Mesa accident attorney must show that the driver was road raged at the time of the accident and that their acts were malicious.
If the driver was arrested for their road rage, it might be easier to seek punitive damages in a personal injury case.
If the accident occurred because of aggressive driving, the option for punitive damages would depend on whether the driver acted maliciously or grossly negligent at the time of the crash.
Speak with a Mesa Accident Attorney at Tobler Law
For those injured in a road rage accident or from an aggressive driver, contact the car crash team at Tobler Law.
Tobler Law has helped countless victims seek compensation for their injuries and exercise their right to hold reckless drivers accountable for their actions.
Schedule a no obligation consultation with an accident attorney today by calling 480-898-9700 or request more information online.