If you were injured in a car crash due to another driver tailgating or otherwise acting aggressively at the wheel, contact Mann Law immediately. You might be entitled to financial compensation for your medical care and other expenses. The at-fault motorist should be held liable for their wrongdoings.
Aggressive driving is prevalent in the United States. According to statistics, 54% of fatal accidents involve some type of aggressive behavior. Tailgating is one of the most common types. If someone doesn’t leave enough space between your vehicle and their own, they likely can’t avoid a crash if you need to slow down or stop suddenly.
The legal team at Mann Law is ready to advocate for your rights and pursue the maximum compensation you deserve. We can handle every step of your auto insurance claim and bring your case to court if necessary. You can depend on us to remain in your corner until the end. Contact us today for a free consultation and learn more about how we can help.
The most common types of aggressive driving behaviors include:
Speeding
Weaving in and out of traffic
Running a red light or stop sign
Failure to yield the right of way
Driving too fast for dangerous weather or road conditions
Unsafe lane changes
Taking a turn too fast
Tailgating
If an aggressive driver caused an accident and you sustained an injury, you should contact Mann Law right now to discuss your available legal options.
Tailgating occurs when a motorist doesn’t leave enough space between their car and the car ahead. You likely encountered someone following your vehicle too closely at some point in your life. It’s an unsettling and scary experience, particularly when there’s heavy traffic. Stopping in time to prevent an accident becomes a challenge when there isn’t an adequate stopping distance.
An overall stopping distance is the total time it takes a driver to react and brake to bring the car to a complete stop. A formula calculates how much space there should be between two vehicles traveling at certain speeds. For example, a motorist driving 70 miles per hour will need an overall stopping distance of 315 feet.
Someone engaging in aggressive driving isn’t focusing on operating their vehicle safely. Instead, they’re speeding to get to work on time or looking away from the road ahead to gesture to a driver who cut them off. Paying attention to something other than the task of driving is reckless and puts other people at risk of harm.
Strong emotions often push a person to behave aggressively. You may have found yourself in a road rage incident before. Maybe you almost sideswiped someone while merging into their lane. That prompted the driver to swerve into your lane or cut in front of your vehicle, forcing you to slam on your brakes.
Whenever someone exceeds the speed limit, tailgates another motorist, or changes lanes without checking for other cars, it increases the risk of a crash. Traffic laws are in place for a reason. Violating them by being aggressive puts everyone in danger. It’s harder to control one’s own vehicle if their primary focus isn’t on safety.
Accidents caused by aggressive drivers can lead to severe injuries. Some collisions result in fatalities, especially if speeding is a factor. The most common injuries include:
Concussion, traumatic brain injury, and other head injuries
Broken bones
Spinal cord damage, back injuries, and neck injuries
Whiplash
Paralysis
Internal bleeding
Cuts, bruises, and burns
Soft tissue injuries
Some accident victims make a full recovery after an accident. Others end up suffering permanent physical harm and face the long-term effects of a disability. The negligent driver should be held accountable for the harm they caused.
If another driver were at fault for the crash, you could file a claim with their auto insurance carrier. State law requires coverage with minimum liability limits. The compensation you receive should cover the losses you suffered, such as:
Medical bills
Loss of enjoyment of life
Pain and suffering
Permanent scarring
Lost wages
Lost earning capacity
Emotional distress
You could also seek compensation for these losses in a lawsuit. You must file within the statute of limitations, the strict timeframe for pursuing legal action against another person. Maine has a six-year statute of limitations. That means you have six years from the date of the accident to file your lawsuit if you want to recover compensation.
Aggressive driving in Maine includes tailgating, weaving between lanes without signaling, cutting off other drivers, running red lights or stop signs, passing in no-passing zones, excessive speeding, and road rage behavior such as threatening gestures or deliberate vehicle contact. Any of these behaviors that lead to an accident can support a negligence claim against the aggressive driver.
Aggressive driving demonstrates a heightened disregard for the safety of others and may rise to the level of recklessness or gross negligence. In especially egregious cases such as road rage incidents or deliberate acts, victims may also be entitled to seek punitive damages, which are intended to punish and deter particularly dangerous conduct beyond ordinary compensation. Mann Law evaluates whether punitive damages may be available in your case.
Stay calm and do not engage with the other driver. Call 911 to report the accident and describe the aggressive behavior to police. Document as much as you can including the other vehicle, driver description, and any witnesses who saw the behavior. Take photos of the scene and your vehicle. Seek medical attention promptly. Reporting aggressive driving to police is important both for your safety and for establishing a record of the other driver’s behavior.
Yes. While a police report is valuable evidence, you can still pursue a personal injury claim without one. Witness accounts, traffic camera footage, dashcam video, and your own account of the events can all support your case. The absence of a police report does not prevent you from recovering compensation if there is sufficient evidence to establish the other driver’s negligence.
We document all evidence of the aggressive behavior and its connection to your injuries, work with witnesses and experts to build a compelling case, and aggressively pursue the maximum compensation available to you. Because aggressive driving reflects deliberate disregard for safety, we approach these cases with particular determination to hold the responsible driver fully accountable.
If you sustained injuries in a car accident involving an aggressive driver in Maine, do not hesitate to contact the attorneys at Mann Law, LLC for a free consultation and let us help you get on the road to recovery.
