Aggressive Driving Accidents in New Haven
New Haven sees its fair share of aggressive drivers who treat traffic laws as mere suggestions. If you’ve been hurt because another driver couldn’t control their temper or their vehicle, Connecticut law allows you to hold them accountable through an insurance claim or civil lawsuit. Aggressive driving accidents differ from typical crashes in important ways, so it is important to work with a New Haven car accident lawyer who knows how to handle these cases. Schedule your free consultation to discuss your legal options today.
What Is Considered Aggressive Driving in New Haven?
Aggressive driving goes beyond simple mistakes or momentary lapses in judgment. It involves intentional, dangerous behaviors that show a blatant disregard for the safety of others on the road. You might recognize aggressive driving when you see someone:
- Speeding excessively
- Confrontational or explicit gestures
- Tailgating to intimidate the car ahead
- Weaving through traffic lanes without signaling
- Brake checking, or slamming on the brakes to provoke a rear-end collision
- Cutting other vehicles off with little to no clearance
- Passing illegally in no-passing zones
- Driving on shoulders or medians to bypass traffic
- Using high beams aggressively to pressure slower drivers
What separates aggressive driving from careless driving is intent. Careless driving stems from negligence or inattention, like failing to check a blind spot. Aggressive driving, on the other hand, involves deliberate actions meant to intimidate, retaliate, or simply show that the driver doesn’t care about anyone else’s safety.
How to Prove That Aggressive Driving Caused Your Accident
Establishing that aggressive driving led to your crash requires solid evidence. In simple terms, you must show that the driver owed you a duty to drive safely and follow traffic laws, breached that duty by engaging in aggressive or reckless behavior, and that this breach directly caused your accident.
Police reports often serve as a foundation, especially if the responding officer noted reckless behavior or cited the at-fault driver for traffic violations at the scene. Statements from witnesses can provide additional evidence of the driver’s dangerous actions, and dash cam or surveillance footage can capture the aggressive behavior as it happened in real time.
Available Compensation After a New Haven Aggressive Driving Accident
When someone else’s road rage or dangerous driving leads to an accident, you deserve justice and fair compensation. The damages you can pursue should reflect the full impact this crash has had on your life. By filing an aggressive driving accident claim in New Haven, you can recover a settlement to help pay for:
- Medical expenses covering emergency treatment, hospital stays, surgeries, medications, physical therapy, and future medical care
- Lost wages for time missed from work during your recovery
- Loss of earning capacity if your injuries prevent you from returning to your previous job or working at all
- Property damage to repair or replace your vehicle and personal belongings
- Pain and suffering for the physical discomfort and emotional distress you’ve endured
- Punitive damages to punish the aggressive driver for malicious or reckless conduct
Don’t Wait—Get Legal Representation for Your Aggressive Driving Case
After an aggressive driving accident, you shouldn’t have to navigate the legal system alone. At Lynch, Traub, Keefe & Errante, we’ve seen firsthand how aggressive driving can devastate lives. Our New Haven car accident attorneys know how to build a compelling case that holds reckless drivers accountable and fights for the full compensation you need to move forward.
If an aggressive driver has caused you harm in New Haven, let’s talk about how we can help you reclaim control. Contact us at (203) 333-3333 today for a free consultation.