Aggressive Driving Car Crash Lawyer
Beaumont Car Crash Injury Attorney for Victims of Aggressive Driver Wrecks
We’ve all seen it: A car on the roadway darting between lanes of traffic, trying to pass on the shoulder, speeding to beat the red light, etc. Maybe they engage in tailgating or other dangerous conduct just because they are frustrated. They are in a hurry, and they are putting everyone else on the road in danger just to get where they are going a few minutes earlier. Aggressive driving leads to unnecessary crashes and serious injuries and death.
Beaumont personal injury lawyer Gilbert Adams pursues justice for victims of aggressive driving crashes through the civil justice system by holding aggressive drivers accountable to their victims. Our aggressive driving car crash legal team fights for the maximum compensation available for victims to help them pay their medical bills, recover lost wages, and obtain all other damages to which they are entitled.
What Is Aggressive Driving?
Aggressive driving refers to reckless conduct that violates traffic safety laws while putting others on the road in danger. These actions are “aggressive” because they are often performed by someone who believes themselves to be in a special hurry, treating their own time constraints as an excuse to put everyone else on the road in danger of serious injury or worse.
Aggressive driving often goes beyond mere negligence because the driver knows they are doing something wrong, something that is both illegal and dangerous, yet they choose to act that way regardless. Common aggressive driving maneuvers include the following:
- Speeding, especially driving faster than 10% or more above the speed limit
- Driving too fast under inclement weather or road conditions
- Tailgating or closely and maliciously following another driver
- Passing on the right
- Passing on the shoulder
- Passing into oncoming traffic across a double-yellow line or otherwise without sufficient space
- Abrupt braking
- Street racing
- Splitting lanes and otherwise ignoring divided lane lines
Sometimes, driving while intoxicated or driving while distracted contributes to aggressive driving.
A driver whose actions are especially reckless might even face criminal liability. Section 545.401 of the Texas Transportation Code states that a driver can be charged with “reckless driving” if they operate a vehicle with “willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property.” If a person drives so aggressively that they are intentionally disregarding the safety of other drivers, pedestrians, and others on the road, they are acting recklessly and may be liable for punitive damages, as discussed below.
What Can You Recover After an Aggressive Driving Crash?
If you’ve been hurt in an aggressive driving wreck, you can collect compensation for the harm you’ve endured. At the Gilbert Adams Law Offices, we fight to maximize your monetary recovery, seeking both economic and non-economic damages including:
- Medical expenses
- Future anticipated medical costs
- Lost wages
- Loss of income and earning capacity due to long-term limitations or pain
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress and other mental or psychiatric harms
- Wrongful death
Punitive Damages After an Aggressive Driver Crash
After a crash caused by an aggressive driver, it may be appropriate for punitive damages to be assessed against the aggressive driver, recoverable by his or her victims. Punitive damages are awarded on top of your other “compensatory” damages and are meant to deter similar behavior and punish the defendant for their wrongful conduct.
If the at-fault driver was especially reckless in their conduct – if they deliberately disregarded the risk that their behavior could cause you or other people serious harm – then you might be able to recover as much as double the compensation. A savvy aggressive driving crash lawyer can evaluate your case to determine whether punitive damages are on the table.
Call a Zealous Personal Injury Lawyer After a Texas Aggressive Driving Traffic Crash
If you or a loved one has been injured or worse in a car crash caused by an aggressive driver in Texas, contact the Gilbert Adams Law Offices in Beaumont at 409-835-3000 for a free consultation with a dedicated and successful Texas aggressive driving crash attorney.
