Virginia Road Rage Accidents Lawyer
There is simply no excuse for road rage. Road rage is not only dangerous – it is also illegal. But criminal penalties for the perpetrator may be of little comfort to the road rage accident victim and his or her family.
If you or a loved one has been the victim of a road rage incident, our firm’s experienced Virginia car accident lawyers are here to help you pursue the compensation you deserve.
Road Rage in Virginia
Aggressive driving and road rage are not interchangeable offenses. While aggressive driving puts everyone on the road at risk and is a very serious traffic violation, road rage is always a crime because it involves an assault.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration – a U.S. Department of Transportation agency – has developed a definition for road rage, which is “[a]n assault with a motor vehicle or other dangerous weapon by the operator or passenger(s) of one motor vehicle on the operator or passenger(s) of another motor vehicle or is caused by an incident that occurred on a roadway.”
In other words, a road rage incident stems from what took place on the road, but it can conclude off the roadways. Some road rage altercations involve a driver following another motorist home in order to commit an assault. Others involve a firearm, knife, or simply a fist-fight. In some cases, the raging motorist may attack another driver with the vehicle itself, either on or off the road.
Because an assault does not require actual physical contact – rather, only a reasonable fear that a harmful contact is imminent – a road rage assault could potential involve only threats and gesticulation.
Whatever the circumstances, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety reports that there are as many as 1800 road rage accidents each year in the U.S., and the numbers are on the rise. If you have been involved in a road rage accident, you will need the assistance of a road rage accident lawyer in Virginia.
Road Rage Damages
As the victim of a road rage incident, you may be entitled to compensation for your medical bills, rehabilitation costs, lost wages, property damage and other costs incurred as the result of the dangerous driver’s behavior. The court may even find that the raging driver owes punitive damages, which are meant to deter the driver and others from such harmful conduct. Having a Virginia road rage accident attorney by your side who can help you clarify your situation will make things more clear.
If the other driver was operating a commercial vehicle at the time of the accident and you were hurt, the company responsible for employing the dangerous driver could also be liable, especially if the driver had a known history of aggressive driving behavior, drunk driving or substance abuse.
Consult an Experienced Virginia Road Rage Attorney
Your road rage incident attorney in Virginia will have experience handling aggressive driving and road rage cases, which can be complex, since they can involve dealing with police investigators, insurance agents, witnesses, multiple victims, staggering medical costs, concurrent criminal and civil cases and even wrongful death actions.
While the legal process can be intimidating, do not let that prevent you from seeking the compensation to which you are entitled. Your Virginia personal injury lawyer who handles with road rage cases can be by your side throughout the case to represent your best interests.