Road Rage Accidents and Assaults  

Most people have gotten mad enough behind the wheel to lay into the horn or flash an unsavory hand gesture. Some people cause crashes on purpose, tailgate to the extreme to provoke a wreck, or even outright assault the driver they’re mad at. 

Road rage assaults and accidents lead to fatalities and homicide cases regularly. As the victim of a road rage crash, you probably need more legal help than you would for a normal accident. Where you could have managed your claim before, you may need to contact a personal injury lawyer in Beaumont, TX.

What to Do as the Victim of Road Rage

Initially, you’ll need to file a claim for your crash, but then you’ll have a few other steps too. As part of your claim, you’ll need to include your injury. You may need a Texas car accident attorney to identify if the insurance company will include your bodily damage from any assault in connection with the crash. 

You weren’t the at-fault driver here. However, you’ll likely have to deal with much of the hassle that comes with handling these cases. You may need to prove that the other driver intentionally struck your vehicle, or that they were driving aggressively. At that point, the insurance company may drop that driver, and you may have to put forth even more effort to get any compensation.

You will also need to comply with the police for their investigation. Not only will you have a crash report, but you’ll probably need to go through the criminal charges as well. Threats with deadly weapons and actual assaults will often result in criminal charges for the aggressor, and as the victim, you’ll need to work with them.  

How Can You Avoid Road Rage Assaults?

These situations escalate quickly. Drivers are encouraged to remain in their vehicles after a crash with an aggressive driver. They should contact emergency services immediately and alert the dispatcher that the driver involved was hostile, likely caused the crash purposefully, and anything other details. If the other driver approaches your vehicle with hostility, do not engage them. 

If the aggressor approaches you with a deadly weapon or issues threats with a deadly weapon, then contact the police without hesitation. Stats on road rage assault show that about 6% of road rage incidences result in physical altercations, 6% threw objects from their vehicle, and 5% rammed vehicles on purpose.

Is it an Accident at All?

One recent road rage assault in Texas happened in November of 2019 involving the aggressor in a white SUV, a family in the vehicle initially sideswiped purposefully, and then a motorcycle that the accused hit as well. There were children in both vehicles, and that driver now will stand against charges for child endangerment, and assault with a deadly weapon. It’s important to point out that the deadly weapon, in this case, was the vehicle.  

These aren’t accidents at all, and it was clear from the footage of the wreck, 911 call, and investigation that both crashes were intentional. When you’re dealing with these types of crashes, it’s critical that you use the appropriate language so that the insurance companies have no excuse to devalue your claim. 

This example is only one of many assaults, and often as people drive larger cars or feel that they can intimidate others on the road, it gets worse. 

Filing a Claim and Lawsuit

There may be open criminal charges for the other driver, but that shouldn’t stand in your way of filing your lawsuit. First, you’ll have an open claim for the crash. Then you can consider opening a personal injury lawsuit. Usually, the two will come together, but that depends largely on what exactly happened. 

Get Your Local Texas Personal Injury Attorney Involved Straight Away 

After a road rage attack, you may be suffering from far more than standard car accident injuries. Motorcyclists are more prone to road rage attacks and have little protection. When vehicle or passenger vehicle drivers get in these crashes, they often fear that the person will continue the assault and with good cause. Most road rage assaults involve a firearm or other deadly weapon. 

No matter what injuries you have, you can pursue compensation for the damages from the car crash, as well as the personal injury attack that followed. Contacting Brent Coon and Associates can help you file your claim and explore the options for a lawsuit. In these cases, insurance can be complex as you’re handling an assault, as well as the accident.