We all get angry sometimes. Often, we cannot control when or where we get angry. When a driver gets angry and directs his or her aggression at others on the roadway, that aggression is known as road rage. Road rage makes it impossible for the driver to think clearly and focus on driving safely, which puts him or her and everybody else on the road in danger of being injured in a car accident. If you are injured in a road rage accident, you could be entitled to recover monetary compensation for your damages through a personal injury claim.
Protect Yourself and Others by Staying Calm Behind the Wheel
You cannot keep angry drivers off the road. But you can keep yourself from becoming one of the angry drivers whose rage causes accidents.
A few ways to reduce your stress behind the wheel and keep your road rage to a minimum are:
- Leave early for your destination and budget time to sit in traffic. Often, drivers who are late are stressed drivers;
- Bring a water bottle with you and keep yourself sufficiently hydrated as you drive;
- Play soothing music while you drive; and
- Remind yourself that road rage serves no purpose. Acting aggressively will not reverse another driver’s actions, it will only put you at risk of being injured in a crash.
How Road Rage Causes Accidents
As explained above, road rage causes accidents by impairing the angry driver’s ability to focus on driving safely. He or she may be so consumed with anger from work, from home, or from another source that he or she instinctively acts in an aggressive manner. Alternatively, the driver might behave aggressively in an effort to “teach another driver a lesson” for an actual or perceived wrong.
Road rage can cause a driver to speed, follow other vehicles too closely, take turns sharply, or simply miss traffic signs like red lights and stop signs. All of these behaviors increase the driver’s likelihood of being involved in a collision.
Pursuing Compensation for Your Damages After an Accident
Through a personal injury claim, you can pursue compensation for the following damages:
- Medical expenses;
- Lost wages; and
- Pain and suffering damages.
To file a personal injury claim after a car accident in New York, your injury must exceed the serious injury threshold. Your lawyer can examine your case and determine whether you have grounds for a personal injury claim. If so, he or she can help you develop your claim and pursue compensation for your damages.
Injured by an Angry Driver? Our Team of Long Island Car Accident Attorneys can Help
You can keep yourself calm behind the wheel, but you can not control others’ behavior on the road. If you are injured in a collision with an angry driver, you could be in a position to pursue compensation for your related damages through a bodily injury claim. To learn more about your rights and how you can move forward with your claim, set up your free legal consultation with one of the Long Island auto accident attorneys on our team at the Law Office of Cohen & Jaffe, LLP.
