Road rage is a term used to describe a driver’s anger, irritability, and aggression at the wheel. Most people know road rage when they see it – someone making rude gestures and threatening other motorists, attempting to drive a car off the road, or engaging in especially dangerous maneuvers for no apparent reason. One survey found that 96 percent of participants had witnessed an act of road rage at some point during the past six months.
One-third of survey participants for a different study admitted that they’d suffered from road rage, themselves.
Alabama, in particular, is known for its rage-fueled drivers. According to a Forbes survey, Alabama ranked sixth in the nation for confrontational drivers.
When road rage leads to aggressive driving, it can cause serious accidents, injuries, and deaths. If you’ve been involved in a road rage accident in Birmingham, Alabama, now’s the time to consider your legal rights and options by calling the Birmingham personal injury attorneys at Singleton Schreiber.
You may be entitled to compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, property damage, and suffering. Our experienced Birmingham car accident lawyers can help you fight to maximize your financial recovery. We offer a free consultation, so reach out to our Birmingham law office to discuss your road rage accident today.
What Are the Most Common Consequences of Road Rage?
Road rage can cause motorists to forget about the task at hand: driving safely.
Drivers who experience road rage can become preoccupied by trying to show up or intimidate other drivers, distracting them from sudden changes in traffic patterns or movement.
Other times, road rage can manifest in aggressive and careless behavior at the wheel, including:
- Unsafe and illegal lane changes
- Tailgating
- Running stop signs and red lights
- Speeding
- Overtaking by driving against traffic or on shoulders
- Failing to yield the right of way
- Refusing to let other vehicles merge
- Brake checking other vehicles
- Flashing lights or high beams at other drivers
Road rage can also cause drivers to intentionally attempt to cause other motorists to crash or drive off the road.
How Common Are Road Rage Accidents?
It’s not necessarily road rage that causes car accidents – it's the aggressive driving behaviors that the rage elicits.
Aggressive driving is one of the main causes of serious car accidents and traffic accident fatalities. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), about two-thirds of all motor vehicle deaths involve an aggressive driver. Many aggressive drivers suffer from road rage. So, road rage is likely at the core of many tragic accidents.
In Alabama, aggressive driving behaviors that are often related to road rage are known to cause a high percentage of auto accidents in the state.
In 2024:
- Tailgating contributed to 17,508 car accidents
- Improper lane changes/use contributed to 15,712 accidents
- Failing to yield the right of way contributed to 23,825 accidents
Speeding contributed to 6,008 accidents, including 124 fatal collisions, which was the single leading cause of traffic accident fatalities that year.
What Types of Car Accidents Can Road Rage Cause?
Road rage can cause drivers to engage in violent and dangerous behaviors at the wheel that lead to:
- Rear-end collisions
- Head-on collisions
- Vehicle rollovers
- T-Bone accidents
- Sideswipes
- Angle crashes
Road rage accidents aren’t limited to motor vehicles. Drivers who experience road rage can also cause serious and fatal accidents when they hit pedestrians or bicyclists in the roadway.
What Are My Rights If I’m Injured in a Road Rage Accident in Birmingham, AL?
Whenever you get hurt because of another person’s harmful or negligent actions, you’ll have the opportunity to pursue compensation from them (or their insurance company) in a personal injury claim.
Legal claims arising from road rage car accidents are typically based on the tort of negligence. You’ll have the burden of proving that the other driver’s road rage caused them to be negligent and cause your injuries.
Specifically, you’ll need to prove:
- The other driver owed you a duty of care (e.g., to drive as a reasonably prudent person and in accordance with local traffic laws)
- The other driver breached this duty of care (e.g., they were so enraged that they drove at unsafe speeds, cut you off in traffic, or tailgated you)
- The road rage driver’s behavior was a direct cause of the car accident in which you were injured, and (e.g., the driver cut you off and slammed on the brakes, which caused you to run into the back of their vehicle)
- You’ve suffered damages (e.g., medical bills, lost wages)
You need to prove your claim by a preponderance of the evidence - meaning that your story is more likely true than not.
What Evidence Can Help Me Win a Road Rage Accident Case?
You’ll need facts and evidence on your side to help you win your road rage accident case.
Helpful evidence in road rage cases often include:
- Footage of the driver yelling at other drivers, making flagrant gestures, or engaging in violent behavior at the wheel from dash cams, residential cameras, and local security cameras
- Statements from eyewitnesses and other parties
- Forensic reports
- Property damage
- Photographs of the scene of the accident
- Reports from accident reconstruction specialists
- Expert testimony
- Accident reports
- Social media posts
It can be difficult to know what evidence can help your case and how to get it. That’s one of the reasons it’s important to enlist the help of an experienced and skilled personal injury attorney in Birmingham after your crash with a road rage driver. Hiring an attorney allows you to benefit from resources, knowledge, and strategies that can lead to a successful claim and a meaningful financial recovery.
Call Singleton Schreiber’s Birmingham Car Accident Attorneys After a Road Rage Crash
Don’t hesitate to call Singleton Schreiber after a road rage accident in Birmingham, AL. You’ll only have a limited time to pursue compensation, and the sooner we can begin to investigate your accident and construct a legal claim on your behalf, the better.
Our Birmingham car accident attorneys are award-winning litigators with decades of combined experience fighting for the injured. As fierce advocates for justice, we don’t rest until our clients are made whole. When someone’s road rage has turned your life upside-down, we’ll be there to help you demand just compensation.
There’s no charge for your initial case review. Contact our Alabama law office in Birmingham to begin today.
