As cities across the country increase in population, traffic becomes increasingly congested. With more people on the road, it makes sense that travelers will get increasingly frustrated as they try to get to where they are going. The frustration that some drivers feel while they are on city streets can feel road rage.

Succumbing to road rage is never a good idea.

When drivers experience road rage, they may lose the self-control it takes to avoid accidents. If you or a loved one suffered an injury in an accident that involved road rage, contact a car accident attorney in your area. Continue reading to find out three examples of road rage.

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What Is Road Rage?

Road rage is an emotional response to something upsetting that occurs in traffic. Another driver may cut you off, you may want to try to beat a yellow light, but the car in front of you is moving slowly, or the car in front of you suddenly brakes-you may have experienced road rage.

If a driver gives in to the anger that road rage causes, the consequences can include property damage, serious injuries, or even death. If you or a family member suffered an injury in an accident with a driver experiencing road rage, contact a car accident attorney in your area to learn how to protect your legal rights to compensation.

How Common are Road Rage Accidents?

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, road rage is a significant factor in car crashes across the country. Road rage seems to be a leading cause of accidents in the country. The most common cause of a road rage accident is congested traffic.

The most common types of people who get into car accidents involving road rage include people who are running late for work, an event, or an appointment, and those who are running late for work, an event, or an appointment. Before taking the wheel, someone may have been arguing with their significant other, someone might have received bad news before starting their trip, or a parent may have been disciplining their children.

What Are Signs of Road Rage?

When you think of a road rage accident, you may think of a scene on the road with two drivers honking their horns and screaming at each other. A road rage incident is an emotional encounter that usually escalates into an argument and sometimes even a physical altercation. The aggression accompanying an incident of road rage can lead to injury, property damage, and even death.

Drivers that let their emotions take over and experience road rage may take actions that lead to car accidents. If they cause a car accident, they are responsible for any damages. If a road raging driver injures you in a car accident, call a car accident attorney in your area to protect your legal rights to compensation.

Signs of road rage include:

• An intentional collision with another vehicle
• Drivers yelling at each other on the road
• Aggressive lane changes
• Tailgating
• Honking

Three Common Examples of Road Rage

There are many different types of road rage. Three common examples of road rage are face-to-face confrontation with another driver, tailgating, and causing an accident intentionally. Each of these examples of road rage can lead to terrible accidents.

Face-to-face Confrontation with Another Driver

Road rage is an emotional reaction to a frustrating situation. Some drivers may lose their cool in this situation and get out of their car to confront the driver that they deem acted inappropriately. Doing this is not the right choice and can lead to an escalation. A driver should never get out of the car in traffic to start a fight with someone they got angry with while driving.

Tailgating

Tailgating happens when a vehicle is traveling too closely behind another car. A driver that tailgates usually does not leave enough room to stop to avoid an accident with the car they are tailgating. Tailgating is a type of road rage.

When drivers begin to get frustrated, tailgating is a road rage response. The driver tailgating is likely speeding and trying to catch up to the other driver, sometimes to start a physical altercation or a screaming match. A tailgating accident can lead to various injuries, including whiplash and damage to the lower back, that can take many years of treatment to recover fully.

Causing an Accident Intentionally

Sometimes drivers with road rage will intentionally cause a crash to get back at an imagined slight from another driver. An enraged driver may hit the back of your car or sideswipe you to “teach you a lesson.” It is important to contact an experienced car accident attorney if you or a loved one suffered an injury in an accident with a driver experiencing road rage.

Common Injuries That Happen In Road Rage Accidents

Road rage accidents can cause serious injuries, property damage, and even deadly injuries. Your injuries and their severity depend on what happens in the accident, but the following are some typical injuries that happen during a road rage incident.

After an accident, your only focus should be on getting better. You deserve to get the compensation that you deserve. Your car accident attorney can help you get the compensation you deserve under the law. Examples of potential damages in a road rage accident include:

Medical Damages

An accident victim injured in a car accident is entitled to recover financially for their injuries. You mustn’t delay in getting medical treatment after an accident. You may suffer from injuries you need a physical examination to identify, like internal bleeding or a concussion.

Speak to a car accident attorney about your options for financial recovery after a road rage accident. You may recover compensation for your current and future medical bills. Follow all your doctor’s advice and instructions. Keep up with your medical bills to ensure that you maximize your access to compensation.

Pain and Suffering

You may recover pain and suffering damages. Pain and suffering damages are intangible and often hard to prove. If you believe you should receive compensation for pain and suffering damages, you should seek an experienced accident attorney to help you get the money you deserve for your injuries.

Lost Income

You should also recoup your current and future lost income if you miss work because of an accident. You may also be entitled to receive money for your lost earning capacity. Lost earning capacity damages address the difference in salary between the job duties you performed before the accident and the job duties you can perform now.

In some cases, an injured person can return to work, but only at a job that does not aggravate their injuries. For example, if a construction worker suffers harm in an accident, they may never perform their previous job duties, but maybe they can work at a job that does not require heavy lifting. They should recover the difference between the two salaries.

Loss of Consortium/Loss of Companionship

If you are married at the time of the accident, your spouse may have a claim for a loss of consortium claim. A loss of consortium claim allows your spouse to recover from losing your companionship due to your injuries.

Help File a Lawsuit

Filing a lawsuit can get complicated. This is likely your first encounter with the legal system, and the opposing party will rely on your inexperience. An experienced car accident attorney knows the rules of civil procedure, evidence, and local court rules, so you do not have to worry about how to comply with procedural rules.

Your attorney’s knowledge and experience will help you avoid losing your case on a technicality. For example, every plaintiff must conform to the state’s statute of limitations- a deadline set by law that limits the amount of time to file a lawsuit. You can rely on an experienced car accident attorney to protect your rights as an injury victim.

Negotiate With the Insurance Company

Car accident attorneys represent their clients’ interests with insurance companies. Insurance companies are for-profit businesses, and insurance adjusters focus on increasing the company’s bottom line. An unrepresented accident victim is more likely to settle their case for less than the case is worth.

An experienced car accident attorney will ensure that you anticipate both present and future losses and do not leave money on the table. If you or a family member suffered an injury in a car accident, call an experienced car accident attorney in your area.

Investigate the Cause of the Accident

The facts of your car accident claim will determine whether or not you win your claim. Having a solid understanding of the facts of the accident is therefore crucial for you and your lawyer. With the help of other professionals, an experienced car accident attorney can gather a complete picture of what happened during the accident. An accident may involve various factors, such as poorly maintained roads or vehicles, improper signage, or distracted driving.

Speak With Debt Collectors and Hospital Billing Departments on Your Behalf

Your car accident attorney will speak to debt collectors about your payments, including the billing department at the hospital that treated you immediately after the accident. Communication from the hospital and other debt collection agencies can be funneled directly to your attorney so that you can focus solely on your recovery.

Identify All Potentially Responsible Parties

You must name all potential defendants in your car accident lawsuit. Some car accident victims do not investigate well enough to know all potentially responsible parties. If you do not identify every person responsible, you risk not receiving compensation for all your injuries.

Answer Your Questions As the Case Progresses

A car accident lawsuit may leave you with many questions. It is hard to know the best next step, and you cannot find the answers to all your questions with an internet search. However, suppose you have the right legal team on your side. In that case, you can rest assured that you will have a resource in your car accident attorney that will use their knowledge and experience to answer your questions and help you anticipate the next step of the lawsuit.

There is no reason to go it alone after a car accident. Call a car accident attorney in your area to learn more about your options to pursue compensation after a car crash.

What if I Cannot Afford an Attorney?

If you suffered an injury in a road rage car accident, you should not let the fear of the cost of legal services deter you from pursuing legal action. Many accident victims get nervous about paying an attorney, even if they think they have a solid case. Fortunately, most car accident attorneys across the country work on a contingency fee basis.

A contingency fee is a payment structure that allows a client to defer payment for legal services until after the case is over. You may have heard an advertisement that sounds something like “we don’t get paid unless you do,” and this refers to a contingency fee agreement.

The terms of a contingency fee agreement must be in writing, and you should sign it before the legal representation begins. Certain terms should be in a contingency fee agreement, including who pays for litigation costs and the percentage of the final settlement an attorney receives for their work.

Litigation costs are expenses that come up during a lawsuit. Examples of litigation costs include filing fees, payment for expert witness testimony, postage, money for copies, etc. Your attorney might cover all litigation costs up front and seek reimbursement from a settlement after the case closes. If the client wishes, they may pay litigation costs as they arise.

The most important term of a contingency fee agreement is often what percentage of the final settlement the attorney will receive as legal fees. This varies from firm to firm or even from case to case, and you should clearly understand your fee obligations if you win your claim.

Contact a Car Accident Attorney Today

If you have been the target of a road rage accident and suffered injuries or property damage, you need a personal injury lawyer working on your behalf. You need a legal team on your side to protect your legal rights after an accident. Contact a car accident attorney in your area today.

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