At the Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers, our Boston car accident lawyers have seen far too many serious and sometimes fatal motor vehicle accidents that were the fault of an overly aggressive driver. While we often hear the term road rage in news articles that involve extreme examples where one driver pulls out a weapon, there are many more cases that occur each and every day that result in serious car accidents that, while they may never make the headlines, have devastating consequences for car accident victims and their families. Our lawyers fight for the rights of those victims and their families and help them obtain the financial compensation to which they are lawfully entitled.
What is Aggressive Driving, and is it Common in Boston?According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a variety of different driving behaviors frequently seen in Boston car accidents can be classified as risky or aggressive driving. Some of these are as follows:
While these are driving-specific behaviors, they can lead to more violent and aggressive actions, such as screaming at other drivers, flashing headlights, unnecessarily honking a car horn and, in some cases, even engaging in physical violence.
Road rage and aggressive driving, in general, was first studied in the 1990s and has been continually researched since that time. The findings of these studies, particularly those conducted by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, have shown us a majority of American families believe aggressive drivers are a threat to themselves and their family members.
Despite this, 50 percent of people report having tailgated another vehicle at least once in the last year. Yes, following too closely is a form of aggression. Further, 47 percent reported having yelled at another driver, 45 percent reported honking to show anger or annoyance and 33 percent made an angry gesture.
Aggressive Drivers Who Harm Others May Have to Compensate VictimsWhile it is very difficult to fully understand the total devastation an aggressive driver who causes an accident can cost a family, our experienced aggressive driving injury lawyers have worked with many families in this situation. Our attorneys have worked to get families their deserved financial compensation while they can concentrate on healing and getting through this difficult time.
In Massachusetts, we use the term “damages” to mean the amount of money that a defendant must pay a plaintiff due to negligence resulting in a serious car accident. There are various types of damages, and in a typical case, damages can include compensation for pain and suffering, lost wages, past medical bills, future medical expenses, the cost of rehabilitation and physical therapy and what we refer to as “special damages.” In the case of a fatal car accident in Boston, the defendant can also be held liable for funeral expenses and what is known as loss of consortium damages. Loss of consortium is when an accident that results in death or serious personal injury causes damage to the marital relationship between spouses. In some cases, we are dealing with accidents caused by a drunk driver, as this is also a typical cause of aggressive driving.
Things to do if You are an Aggressive Driving Accident VictimIf you have been in an accident caused by an aggressive driver, it can be a very traumatic experience. This is especially true if you have suffered from serious personal injury. However, it is helpful to do certain things that will increase your chances of obtaining a full and appropriate financial recovery.
The first thing you should do is make sure you call the police. Sometimes people are tempted to just exchange insurance information and go their separate ways and file claims. However, it is often very helpful to your experienced car accident lawyer if you have a police report that shows the other driver was at fault. If there is no question as to liability, this is called a clear liability case. While this does not mean there is nothing for the at-fault driver’s insurance company to fight about, it does mean that they are less likely to deny a claim outright. The fight will likely be over the number of damages. This is not to say you do not have a case if we do not have clear liability. In fact, our Boston aggressive accident lawyers have settled various cases where the client did not even think they had a valid claim. In some of these cases, they went to other Boston law firms first and were rejected, because those lawyers didn’t think they had a good case. Here a couple of examples:
$250,000 – for injured pedestrian whereby the police report indicated our client walked out into the front of a moving vehicle intentionally. After months of extensive investigation, the facts as reported were inaccurate. The case was rejected by 2 lawyers before the client came to our firm.
$100,000 – for an injured person in an auto accident whereby police report indicated client was at fault. After substantial research and investigation, it was determined the police report was incorrect.
Another important thing to keep in mind is that you should never refuse medical attention. If the paramedics offer you a ride to the hospital, you should go to the hospital. This will allow you to get the proper medical attention you deserve, and it will create a record that may be helpful in obtaining a full and appropriate settlement letter. If your case should go to trial, this could be used as evidence to support your claim.
Again, this does not mean if you did not accept to the ride to the hospital that you do not have a valid claim, but it does make things go smoother the sooner you go to the hospital. If you didn’t ride to the hospital with the paramedics, you should go to an emergency room or urgent care center as soon possible if you are experiencing any pain and suffering. One of the reasons this is important is because often times following a serious car accident, you are in a state of shock. You may not realize the full extent of your injuries until hours or even days later. We have all experienced an injury at one time or another where the bruising or pain is much worse the following day than it was in the first few hours following the accident. Car accidents can cause injuries that work the same. The issue is that if you wait too long, the defendant’s insurance company will often argue that your injury was unrelated to the car accident. This is not something that will definitely harm your case, but it is better to avoid this if at all possible.
Contact Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers today for a free and confidential consultation.
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