In today’s fast paced world, our roads are a place where emotions frequently run high, leading to a problem known as road rage. Road rage is defined as overly aggressive and angry behavior behind the wheel (often targeted at other drivers and pedestrians).
Alarmingly, road rage is extremely prevalent in America, with over 92% of Americans reporting to have witnessed some type of road rage in the past year. A concerning aspect of the road rage issue is the tendency of these incidents to escalate past just shouting and gesturing towards others. Since 2007, there have been over 200 reported murders and 12,000 reported injures as a result of road rage escalation.
The aim of this blog is to delve into the differences between road rage and aggressive driving, as well as highlight the appropriate steps to take following an accident with someone experiencing road rage.
Road Rage or Just Aggressive Driving?
While the prevalence of road rage should not be understated, it is worth noting that not all aggressive behaviors behind the wheel fall into this category.
Aggressive driving is a traffic offense that includes a variety of different behaviors like:
- Tailgating
- Brake checking
- Running stoplights.
- Speeding in heavy traffic
- Weaving in and out traffic
- Cutting off another driver and then slowing down
- Changing lanes without signaling
- Blocking other cars from attempting to change lanes or pass
While these behaviors are intentional and do pose danger to others, they are considered lesser offenses than actual road rage. If you were in an accident as a result of someone else’s aggressive driving, you should enlist the services of an experienced personal injury attorney (like David Femminineo) for legal guidance and representation.
Road Rage takes things to another level, beyond mere aggressive driving. Road rage is a criminal offense that includes behaviors like:
- Tailgating
- Running stoplights.
- Speeding in heavy traffic
- Weaving in and out traffic
- Cutting off another driver and then slowing down
- Changing lanes without signaling
- Blocking other cars from attempting to change lanes or pass
While a personal injury attorney can help with recovering compensation from insurance (following an accident involving road rage), there is little he or she can do to hold the at-fault party criminally responsible (within the confines of Michigan tort law). To pursue a criminal case against a driver who experienced road rage, it would be wise to enlist the services of the local police. This process is not as straight forward as hiring a personal injury lawyer and is generally initiated by filing a police report.
Steps to Take Following an Accident Involving an Aggressive Driver:
Remove Yourself from Danger & Seek Care
Following an accident with an overly aggressive driver, the first and most important thing you should do is get out of immediate danger and seek care for any injuries that you may have sustained. In the case of an enraged driver, this could be easier said than done.
No matter what the other driver says or does, it is important that you do not reciprocate their angry energy and remain calm. Choosing not to engage and waiting for law enforcement to arrive is a good rule of thumb.
Contact Law Enforcement
Once you have removed yourself from harm’s way and received care for your injuries, the next step you should take is to call local law enforcement to document the incident. If you want to make a successful claim or lawsuit in the future, getting a proper police report is crucial.
Gather Relevant Information
Take photos of the accident and make sure to document what the scene looked like following your crash. These photos may prove useful in proving the negligence of the other driver, later in your claim or lawsuit.
In addition to taking photos, make sure to get the name and contact information of the other driver involved in the accident as well as any witnesses who claim to have seen what happened.
Notify Your Insurance Provider
Notify your auto insurance provider about the accident promptly. This will help mitigate the possibility of any delays in your insurance claim being processed.
Getting in Touch with an Attorney
Auto accidents have a way of leaving you completely disoriented after they occur. It is completely understandable that although you suspect you were a victim of road rage, you may not know exactly how to handle this situation, or who to turn to.
A word of advice—Relax, this is completely normal!
Now would be a good time to enlist the services of an injury attorney to begin initiating an insurance claim (and potentially a lawsuit). Although the accident may fall outside their scope of expertise (if road rage was involved), an experienced injury attorney will point you in the right direction to get the help you need.
Get David Get Paid
If you are injured and want someone who will relentlessly fight for you, look no further than Femminineo Law. David and his team are amongst the highest quality injury attorneys in Michigan. No matter what type of personal injury you are dealing with, David can help you get the compensation you deserve. Call us at 855-65CRASH or visit our website at getdavidgetpaid.com today.
