New York law entitles victims of road rage accidents to recover compensation for their injuries and damages.
It’s easy to get frustrated while driving on New York’s roads. Multiple factors contribute to having an unsettling moment behind the wheel, from heavy traffic to drivers that aren’t paying attention. However, frustration is no excuse to drive aggressively. Road rage is dangerous behavior and is often the cause of serious car accidents.
Drivers who exhibit aggressive, violent behavior on the road and cause an accident must be held accountable. New York law entitles victims of road rage accidents to recover compensation for their injuries and damages.
If you or someone you love is a victim of road rage, you should seek legal help promptly. With more than 45 years of experience, Apicella & Schlesinger Attorneys at Law understand the severe consequences of a road rage accident.
What Qualifies as Road Rage?
We hear the term “road rage” often. You may think of an aggressive person shaking their fist and shouting abusive speech. Any driver that performs unsafe lane changes, follows too closely, runs a red light, or fails to yield the right of way all constitute aggressive, reckless driving. Contributing factors to aggressive driving are traffic delays, running late, and habitual behavior. But road rage goes much further.
Road rage is explosive anger and is typically followed by retaliation. For instance, an enraged driver may think they have been wronged in some way, gets angry, and then takes revenge on the perceived wrongdoer.
The retaliatory action typically endangers persons or property. Examples of actions that qualify as road rage include, but are not limited to:
- Chasing another vehicle
- Tailgating for an extended period of time
- Cutting off another car and breaking suddenly
- Yelling or gesturing obscenities at another driver
- Honking or flashing headlights excessively
- Getting out of their vehicle and threatening another driver
- Assaulting another driver with a gun or other weapon
There is no justification for road rage, even when triggered by a specific incident such as another driver pulling out in front of them. When a person exhibits this aggressive behavior, drives recklessly or aggressively, and causes harm to another person or property, they must be held accountable.
Victim of a Road Rage Accident
If you are a victim of a road rage car accident and were injured, you will need an experienced New York car accident lawyer to gather the necessary proof. Apicella & Schlesinger Attorneys at Law are committed to fighting for accident victims and holding dangerous drivers accountable.
No one expects to be seriously injured due to another person’s driving mistake or other reckless action. When such an accident does occur, most people are unsure what to do. We are passionate about seeking all available compensation to help people deal with medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other damages.