Aggressive driving puts lives in danger and can have devastating consequences.  The AAA Foundation found that aggressive driving was a factor in up to 56% of fatal crashes.  Victims or their families are often faced with severe injuries, costly medical bills, and lost wages following aggressive driving accidents.  If you were involved in a car accident in Tennessee, consider speaking with an aggressive driving accident lawyer at Labrum Law Firm at (615) 338-9500 to understand your legal rights and how we might be able to help you with your case.

Legal Options For Aggressive Driving Accidents

Many people experience frustration while driving.  Aggressive driving goes beyond frustration and endangers the lives of others on and near the roadway.  If you were involved in a car accident and you suspect aggressive driving was a factor, you might have the legal right to seek compensation for your injuries and losses through a settlement agreement with an insurance company or a personal injury claim in court.  A knowledgeable aggressive driving accident lawyer can help you understand your options and fight for your right to seek fair and just compensation.

Examples of Aggressive Driving

Aggressive driving includes many different types of actions that can all have harmful or fatal consequences.  Some examples include:

• Speeding
• Actively pursuing another vehicle
• Following another vehicle too closely
• Frequent or careless changing of lanes or passing of other vehicles
• Failure to yield the right of way to other drivers, bicyclists, or pedestrians
• Threatening others verbally or by brandishing weapons
• Intentionally hitting another vehicle, motorcycle, bicycle, or pedestrian
• Making obscene gestures
• Excessive horn-honking
• Intentionally cutting off another driver in traffic
• Sudden braking or acceleration
• Intentionally blocking traffic
• Purposely running another driver, bicycle, motorcycle, or pedestrian off of the road
• Stopping and exiting the vehicle to pursue a physical altercation with another person

While these are only a few examples, all aggressive actions behind the wheel are potentially dangerous and can lead to serious aggressive driving accidents.  Aggressive driving is unsafe, and it is often illegal as well.  Under Tennessee law, it is a criminal offense to drive a vehicle in a manner that displays a willful and wanton disregard for the safety of people or property.  If you were involved in a car accident due to another driver's reckless or negligent actions, aggressive driving might have been one cause of the accident.

Types of Compensation in Aggressive Driving Accidents

Compensation for victims of car accidents frequently goes beyond the cost to repair or replace the victim's damaged vehicle.  Victims might be able to receive compensation for:

• Medical bills related to the car accident
• The anticipated cost of future medical treatments for injuries caused by the car accident
• Property damage caused by the car accident
• Lost wages due to time away from work following the car accident
• Loss of future income due to inability to work caused by the car accident
• Noneconomic losses due to pain and suffering as a result of the car accident

Compensation varies from case to case, and insurance companies use complex formulas to determine the amount of compensation they might offer a victim.  An aggressive driving accident lawyer at Labrum Law Firm might be able to help ensure you receive fair and just compensation under the law for your injuries and losses.

Insurance Companies and Aggressive Driving Accidents

After aggressive driving accidents, victims often begin the process by speaking with the negligent driver's insurance company.  Insurance companies might be eager to settle car accident claims quickly, but victims should be aware of the tactics and practices insurance adjusters could use to reduce the amount of the victim's compensation, or use the victim's own words against them in settling a claim. 

Insurance Adjuster Tactics

Insurance adjusters might use tactics such as these to reduce the amount of compensation paid to victims:

• Speaking with a victim while the victim is still hospitalized, sedated, or on pain medications
• Attempting to obtain a full medical history in search of pre-existing conditions that could explain the victim's injuries
• Recording conversations with the victim and using the victim's own words against them in the future
• Using simple conversational phrases to minimize or invalidate the victim's claims, such as asking how the victim is doing - for example, if a victim states, “I'm doing good,” it could be used later to demonstrate that the victim's injuries were not severe
• Attempting to elicit a confession, admission of negligence, or other statements of guilt from the victim regarding the car accident
• Making a low settlement offer in hopes that the victim will quickly accept
• Intentionally stalling or delaying the settlement process to frustrate the victim, or cause the victim to miss a statute of limitations for filing a civil lawsuit
• Making a verbal offer of partial payment and sending the victim a check, but stating in fine print that cashing the check will settle the insurance claim completely

Insurance settlement negotiations are often complex and difficult.  A knowledgeable lawyer will work to ensure you receive fair and just compensation under the law.

Filing a Lawsuit for an Aggressive Driving Accident

If an aggressive driving accident victim is not able to reach a settlement agreement with an insurance company, the victim has the right to file a personal injury claim in civil court.  Tennessee law generally limits the time victims have to file a personal injury claim to one year from the date of the accident.  Victims should act promptly following an aggressive driving accident to preserve their right to seek fair and just compensation for their injuries and losses under the law.

Learn How a Tennessee Aggressive Driving Accident Lawyer Can Help You

Sadly, aggressive driving accidents occur regularly.  They often leave victims with life-changing injuries, mounting medical bills, lost wages, and property damage, which can all cause immense pain and suffering.  Insurance companies frequently work against victims to minimize settlement amounts and ensure they do not receive fair and just compensation under the law.  Seeking justice through a court case can be intimidating and overwhelming for victims to navigate alone.  Learn how a compassionate, knowledgeable aggressive driving accident lawyer at Labrum Law Firm at (615) 338-9500 can help you navigate negotiations with an insurance company or pursue your right to seek fair compensation through a personal injury claim.