Road rage, also sometimes referred to as aggressive driving, is a significant risk for Massachusetts and New Hampshire drivers. Road rage accidents can be devastating and in some cases, they result in critical injuries or wrongful death. Below, veteran Salem, MA personal injury lawyers Mazow | McCullough, PC explore different causes of road rage accidents and how residents can get legal help after they or a loved one is injured in a road rage accident.
Speeding
Speeding is a common offense for drivers who display aggressive behaviors when they become upset on the road. It’s not uncommon for people who experience road rage to have had a bad day or have something going on in their personal or professional lives that has set them on edge. The rage they experience and act on may not even be related to the traffic situation in front of them.
Speeding can cause a person to lose control of their vehicle, which can quickly result in a collision. Additionally, motor vehicle accidents that involve speeding are typically more severe in nature than those that occur at slower speeds. For example, a collision at 20 mph might result in a fender bender while a collision at 75 mph could result in multiple injuries and/or death.
Reckless Driving
Reckless driving occurs when a person operates their vehicle negligently or carelessly in a way that puts others on the road in real danger. Weaving in and out of traffic, speeding excessively, slamming on your brakes, driving drunk, and cutting off other drivers are some examples of reckless driving that can become road rage when a person does them out of anger.
Say a person behind you pulls up to the side of you, makes a rude hand gesture, and then pulls in front of you, cutting you off extremely close. To avoid a collision, you have to swerve or slow down quickly, potentially putting other drivers behind you at risk. This may be considered reckless driving and if a collision occurs, it would likely fall within the category of road rage accidents.
Following Too Closely
If a person driving aggressively behind you is following you too closely, this could easily cause a rear-end collision. If you need to brake quickly and the driver behind you doesn’t notice, they could slam into the back of your vehicle full-force, without ever having slowed down. If you have passengers in the backseat, a rear end crash could be disastrous, particularly if they are children.
Failure to Follow Traffic Laws
Most drivers in Massachusetts and New Hampshire obey traffic laws when on the road and pay attention to signage indicating where they should go, how fast to drive, etc. A person experiencing road rage may fail to follow traffic laws, either because they miss them or because they are angry and ignore them.
Regardless, traffic violations can be either minor or serious and either can result in a motor vehicle collision that also varies in severity. Examples of this include but aren’t limited to failure to obey the speed limit, failure to stop at a red light or stop sign, or failure to use traffic signals when turning or merging lanes.
Failure to Yield
Another example of traffic laws that are frequently broken by drivers experiencing road rage is the failure to yield. This is extremely common in aggressive driving situations, where the angry driver will not yield to another driver when necessary. For example, the angry driver may not allow cars to merge in front of them on the highway at an on ramp or entrance. Or, they may turn first, before the person who actually has the right-of-way.
Contact Car Accident Attorneys Mazow | McCullough, PC Today
Being involved in a road rage accident can change your life and the lives of the people around you, including your family and friends. Suffering injuries or losing a loved one as a result of someone else being unable to control their anger is devastating and you may be eligible to pursue financial compensation if you or a family member suffered damages as a result of the collision.
At Mazow | McCullough, PC, we understand how challenging it is to bring forward an insurance claim or lawsuit against an angry or aggressive driver, particularly after an accident. We’re committed to helping our clients get their lives back after an accident, from assisting with the arrangement of appropriate medical care to aggressively advocating for the maximum available restitution in your case.
Call us today to book your initial consultation by dialing (978) 744-8000 or toll free at (855) 693-9084. Our legal team is available now to provide you with assistance.
