Syracuse, New York, Car Accident Caused By Road Rage

Syracuse, New York, Car Accident Caused By Road Rage

Jed Dietrich, Esq., Recognized as a Super Lawyer, is Committed to Providing Unparalleled Representation and Peerless Personal Injury Service. If You or a Loved One Has Been Injured in a Road Rage Accident That Was Not Your Fault, the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. Could Help You Investigate Your Collision and Begin Asserting Your Rights to a Fair Recovery.

Road rage can pose serious risks to New York drivers.

Although most incidents never escalate beyond hand gestures and unkind words, some motorists let anger get the better of them. Instead of taking a deep breath, they may instead try to use their vehicles as a weapon, threatening and, in some cases, physically assaulting victims who would simply want to return home safe and sound.

You do not have to pay the price for another driver’s rage. If you or a loved one has been injured in a road rage car accident that was not your fault, the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. could help you explore your best options to obtain compensation. Please send us a message online or call us at 1-866-529-5334 to speak to a car accident lawyer near Syracuse and schedule your free consultation.

The term “road rage” is used to describe an unusually angry or hostile mindset that can, in some cases, escalate to violence. According to the New York Department of Motor Vehicles, road rage often includes “behavior[s] to provoke others or to make them fearful.” It is different from aggressive driving, which can be characterized as a violation of state traffic safety law, in that road rage almost always involves the commission or attempted commission of a crime.

Here is what you need to know about road rage, its most common triggers, and the many ways in which anger and hostility can cause accidents.

Road rage is a broad term that could encompass many different actions.

Some of the most common types of road rage include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Aggressive communications. Road rage often involves hostile communication between the at-fault motorist and the victim. These aggressive communications could include the excessive and unlawful use of a vehicle horn, attempts at verbal assault, or obscene hand gestures.
2. Aggressive driving actions.Road rage sometimes incorporates the use of the at-fault driver’s vehicle. Some motorists may “cut off” the victim, “brake check” their car, or attempt to block traffic. In extreme cases, drivers may even try to force the victim off the road.
3. Aggressive physical behavior.If a road rage incident escalates into a physical confrontation, the aggressive driver could exit their vehicle in a sudden attempt to intimidate or assault the accident victim.

Road rage can cause accidents in many ways.

Aggressive acts, ranging from hostile communication to attempted assault, pose an immediate and inherent risk of physical injury to victims. And, if statistics are to be believed, some types of road rage are on the rise.

Road rage, no matter how it is expressed, can drastically increase the risk of collision.

Unfortunately, nobody knows exactly how often road rage causes accidents. This is because few states have written or codified a legal definition for the term “road rage.” If and when road rage incidents result in injury or death, they are typically reported as criminal acts of assault or homicide, not road rage or aggressive driving.

However, a series of recent reports and surveys indicate that acts of road rage are on the rise.

In a recent review of trends in dangerous driving and in road rage, the Pew Research Center found the following:

1. The overall rate of nationwide motor vehicle fatalities has increased over the pre-coronavirus pandemic years;
2. A significant percentage of all crashes, up to or over 25% involve speeding and other acts of recklessness; and
3. Since 2020, road rage-related acts of gun violence have increased substantially.

Although defining and quantifying instances of road rage is difficult, accident victims do not have to take chances with their rights. If you or a loved one has been injured in a road rage-related collision that was not your fault, you could be entitled to compensation for your losses.

New York, like most other states, does not recognize “road rage” as a criminal offense or a traffic safety violation. Instead, other legal terms are used to describe and penalize drivers whose road rage leads them to break the law and endanger the lives and property of others.

Some of the most common violations of New York law involved in road rage incidents include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Assault;
2. Vehicular assault;
3. Reckless driving;
4. Reckless endangerment;
5. Speeding;
6. Prohibited use of a weapon, including brandishing or pointing a firearm at another motorist; and
7. Vehicular manslaughter.

You do not have to wait for an aggressive driver to be charged with or convicted of a crime to take legal action. In fact, criminal courts are not always empowered to authorize the repayment of an accident victim’s losses. Although a judge and jury could order a convicted criminal to pay restitution, you will not likely receive compensation for most of your economic and non-economic losses.

Anyone who suffers serious physical injuries in a New York car accident that was not their fault could be entitled to file a personal injury lawsuit against the person or party who caused the collision.

The Dietrich Law Firm P.C., recognized as a U.S. News & World Report Best Law Firm, could help you file, fight, and win a road rage lawsuit by taking steps, including, but not limited to, the following:

1. Investigating the causes of your accident;
2. Interviewing eyewitnessesand obtaining surveillance camera footage;
3. Subpoenaing the at-fault driver’s communication records, “black box” data, and dashcam recordings;
4. Consulting expert witnessesto reconstruct the accident scene;
5. Protecting you from predatory insurance adjusters;
6. Negotiating a settlement on your behalf; and
7. Preparing to take your case to trial.

Since our founding in 2005, our experienced road rage accident lawyers have helped our clients in Syracuse and across the state obtain more than $250 million in damages. We could help you, too. Please send us a message online or call us at 1-866-529-5334 to speak to an attorney and schedule your 100% free, no-obligation consultation as soon as possible.

Call the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. immediately at 1-866-529-5334 so that our aggressive, tenacious, and hardworking personal injury lawyers can fight to obtain the best result for your personal injury claim in Syracuse, New York. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and there is never a fee until we WIN for you!