Anything can happen when you are on the road because it takes just one wrong day to drive everything topsy-turvy. Imagine yourself stuck in a freeway’s gridlock or stop-and-go traffic, and another vehicle changes the lane without alerting you. Because of that driver, you pull the brakes and honk. The one at fault behaves aggressively with you even after making a glaring mistake. Such sudden development can leave you speechless and traumatized. Data suggest these types of road rage cases are common in the US. Victims often suffer from emotional trauma, property damage, and physical injuries in these cases. To protect yourself in those circumstances, you need the help of personal injury attorneys.
Do you live in San Diego? You can search for San Diego car accident attorneys for guidance. Before this, let’s clarify a few things to understand your case better.
- Causes of road rage automobile accidents
Multiple factors are there. However, the most common is the excuse of running late made by almost all motorists. Traffic signal congestion is another cause of concern, which often infuriates impatient drivers. Some people indulge in road rage due to their naturally aggressive behavior or cultural influences. These people disregard civility and authority. The car’s insulated environment sometimes encourages them to do whatever they desire because nobody knows each other. Someone with clinical or habitual anger issues can also indulge in this.
- Protection tips for victims of road rage
You can be terrified, but maintaining calm and composure is essential in these situations, mainly to avoid imminent danger. You can contact the emergency number to report the incident. Visit a nearby police station for report filing and obtain a copy. Stay in your vehicle without engaging with the at-fault party if you are still in traffic. Avoid responding to their gestures or other attempts. Otherwise, the matter can soon escalate. It will be great to take photos and videos of the event carefully. The offender should not get a hint of this. One must also go for a medical examination. You would need to evaluate the property damage caused by road rage. Of course, a lawyer should be appointed to handle the issue end to end.
- Road rage vs. aggressive driving
it’s easy to confuse aggression and rage. However, legal proceedings deal specifically with different cases. In aggressive driving cases, drivers don’t pay heed to other’s safety. Road rage entails threatening someone with a weapon, verbal insults, physical harm, and speeding toward them. Aggressive driving behavior may not target a specific driver or car, but road rage driving behavior often toe the line. That’s why all road rage cases can have an element of aggressiveness, but not all aggressive driving incidents qualify as road rage.
Nevertheless, consult a qualified lawyer for assistance in these matters. A road rage offender can suffer criminal and civil charges in California. Under the civil code, at-fault parties will likely face license suspension for six months or one year based on the number of offenses. They may have to pay a fine for their reckless or aggressive behavior. At the same time, you can recover damages for your pain, suffering, trauma, income loss (if any), medical bills, etc.