Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog

Chicago injury attorney hard at work on pedestrian accident case

March 20, 2012 | By Dave Abels

An Illinois pedestrian accident lawyer at Abels & Annes is representing a woman who was hit by a taxi cab on the North Side of Chicago. The collision which took place on February 12, 2011 at approximately 12:50 a.m. The cab driver fled the scene of the accident.

The plaintiff was on Halsted Street in Chicago, Illinois just north of its intersection with Belmont. She exited a taxi that she was riding in and began walking toward the sidewalk adjacent to Halsted. A second, unknown taxi was driving northbound on Halsted at the same time. The taxi was traveling at a high rate of speed and struck the pedestrian, who was walking toward the Halsted sidewalk. The force of the impact was so great that it threw her airborne and caused her to land on the pavement. The unknown taxi continued northbound on Halsted and fled the scene.

The Chicago Police Department responded to the scene of the collision. Three witnesses confirmed that the hit-and-run taxi was at fault and that it fled the scene of the collision. The responding officer determined that the taxi caused the incident by failing to reduce his speed to avoid a collision.

Based upon the facts and circumstances surrounding the occurrence at issue, it is clear that the sole proximate cause of the collision was the negligent conduct of the hit-and-run driver. If anyone has any information regarding the identity of the taxi driver, you are encouraged to contact the Chicago Police Department or this office.

This case illustrates the importance of contacting an Illinois injury lawyer after being involved in an accident. So often injured pedestrians, bicycle riders, etc. call our office not really knowing if they have a case, or thinking they have a case for the wrong reasons. When the person calls us, it gives lawyers the opportunity to evaluate the situation and at least get the victim pointed in the right direction.

For example, in this case the pedestrian had no idea she could make a claim on her auto policy. She contacted us for help in trying to track down the taxi driver. We did make an effort in that regard. Requests were made to the City to preserve traffic videos and photos in the area. Unfortunately, the accident was not caught on film. It has been over a year since the accident, so it is highly unlikely that the driver will be brought to justice.

Due to the fact that the defendant fled the scene of the occurrence, our law office is pursuing an Illinois uninsured, hit-and-run motorist claim on behalf of our client with her own auto insurance carrier, State Farm. If the plaintiff didn’t contact our office, she never would have known that she had a claim and she would’ve lost out on collecting thousands and thousands of dollars.

Following the collision, the plaintiff had an immediate onset of face, back and left leg pain. She was placed in a cervical collar and on a backboard by paramedics at the scene. She was transported to Illinois Masonic Hospital’s Emergency Department, where she complained of severe body pain, especially in her left leg, left side of her face, and her back. A history was taken, she was examined, and diagnostic tests were performed. She was dizzy with even the slightest movement and had numerous abrasions. The left side of her face was visibly swollen from the collision and she was nauseated. On exam, she had pain and tenderness to her left leg and her paraspinal muscles as well as the left side of her face. She also had tachycardia.

Chicago car crash lawyer settles case for $36,500

March 19, 2012 | By Dave Abels

Illinois auto accident attorney Gary Annes has resolved a case for a Chicagoan injured by a hit-and-run driver.

This claim arises out of a collision which took place on May 4, 2011, at approximately 8:00 p.m. The plaintiff was injured when the automobile he was driving was rear-ended by a 2001 Chevy pickup.

Our client was driving southbound on Clark Street in Chicago, Illinois. The at fault driver was also driving southbound on Clark Street, behind the plaintiff. He stopped for a red light at Clark’s intersection with Jackson Boulevard. The defendant failed to stop and/or reduce the speed of the vehicle he was driving, and struck our client’s 1997 Acura RL. The front-end of the Chevy hit the rear-end of the Acura.

After the collision the defendant fled the scene of the accident and drove westbound down Jackson, a one-way street with eastbound-only traffic. He was caught by police soon after.

The Chicago Police Department responded to the scene of the collision. After speaking to parties and witnesses, the investigating officer placed the hit and run driver at fault for the collision. The responding officer determined that the Chevy driver operated his vehicle in an erratic, reckless, careless, negligent or aggressive manner and was exceeding the authorized speed limit.

The defendant failed to keep a proper lookout, failed to stop and/or reduce his speed to avoid a collision, was driving at an excessive rate of speed, and failed to exercise due care for the safety of those in the area.

Surprisingly, the defendant was insured with the Hartford. In my experience as an injury lawyer, nine out of ten drivers that flee the scene of the accident are uninsured. Here, not only did the defendant have insurance, he had a policy with a highly rated company. Why he left the scene is unknown, and drugs and/or alcohol did not play a role.

Following the collision, our client had an immediate onset of neck, back, and shoulder pain. Shortly thereafter, he sought treatment at Provident Hospital of Cook County’s Emergency Department. Upon arrival at the Emergency Department, a history was taken, he was examined, and diagnostic tests were performed, including x-rays of his lumbosacral spine and a CT scan of his cervical spine. He complained of back, shoulder and neck pain, made worse with turning his head from side to side. He was diagnosed with neck sprain/strain and contusion. He was prescribed pain medication and instructed to seek follow up treatment.

Due to ongoing pain, the plaintiff sought treatment with a physician in downtown Chicago on May 10, 2011. There he complained of pain in his neck, shoulder, right elbow, and lower back. A history was taken and a physical exam was performed, which found pain on palpation of both supraspinatus muscles, pain in the right elbow and forearm, and tenderness on palpation of the lower back. He was diagnosed with a sprain/strain of the cervical and lumbar spine and contusion of the right elbow. His doctor prescribed pain medication, physical therapy, and ordered an x-ray of his right elbow.

Risks for Car Accidents in Chicago Skyrocket through St. Patrick’s Day

March 16, 2012 | By Dave Abels

According to Market Watch, Chicago has been ranked as the number one most popular destination in the U.S. for St. Patrick’s Day. Unfortunately, risks for drunk driving car accidents in Chicago are some of the highest during this Irish holiday, too.In Chicago, we’ve got everything from the green Chicago River and parties from River West to Wrigleyville. Whatever is on your St. Patrick’s Day agenda, just make sure it’s not drinking and driving.

Our Chicago injury lawyers understand that finding alternative transportation is getting easier and easier by the day. Now we have smartphones that can help us to stay safe on St. Patrick’s Day. As a matter of fact, the Orbitz Hotels smartphone app is working with Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) to make it easier than ever to snag a hotel room at a cheap price to help to avoid drunk driving accidents this St. Patrick’s Day weekend. For every iPad or iPhone download of the app over the weekend, Orbitz will donate $1 to MADD.

“Why risk getting on the road when you have such a safe and easy option right at your fingertips?” said Jeanenne Tornatore, Orbitz.com Senior Travel Editor.

Jan Withers, the National President of MADD, says that the organization encourages people to plan ahead for the big holiday. She recommends that those celebrating the holiday choose to stay home or to stay the night somewhere whenever alcohol is involved. Getting behind the wheel after consuming alcohol should never be a part of your party plans.

According to the Illinois State Police (ISP), there are hundreds of people who die every year in the state because of drinking and drugged driving. There are hundreds more that are severely injured or permanently disabled because of these needless accidents. These accidents cost millions in property damage, too. What’s worse is that these kinds of accidents are completely preventable!

Troopers with the ISP would like to remind you that they practice a Zero Tolerance Law. This not only means that they’re going to be tough on of-age drivers, but they’re also going to be targeting influenced drivers who aren’t 21 yet. This means that minors can have their driving privileges suspended even if they’re not intoxicated at the .08 level, but if their blood alcohol level (BAC) comes back anywhere between .01 and .07.

Drivers are asked not to rely on the luck of the Irish during this year’s St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. Remember to designate a sober driver before you head out and start consuming green beer, or any color beer for that matter. You should also keep an eye on your friends and family members, too. Whatever you do, make sure that neither you nor anyone else gets behind the wheel of a motor vehicle after drinking. It could wind up to be a bad decision that ends your life.
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Car accident lawyers file lawsuit stemming from Chicago collision

March 14, 2012 | By Dave Abels

An Illinois auto accident lawyer at our firm, working with co-counsel, recently filed a lawsuit on behalf of two Chicago residents who were injured in December, 2010.

The plaintiffs, a driver and a passenger, were rear-ended by a vehicle driven by a negligent driver. The clients were traveling in a 2005 Range Rover southbound on I-90. The at fault driver was operating his 2002 Chevy Impala southbound on I-90, behind the plaintiff’s vehicle.

The plaintiff’s automobile stopped for traffic ahead of it. The defendant failed to stop and/or reduce the speed of his vehicle he was driving, and struck the Range Rover from the rear. The force of the initial impact propelled the plaintiff’s vehicle to the right off of the roadway, striking a concrete wall, which was adjacent to the right lane of traffic.

The Illinois State Police responded to the scene of the accident. Their investigation placed the defendant at fault for the accident.

Our lawsuit alleges the defendant failed to keep a proper lookout, failed to stop and/or reduce the speed of his vehicle to avoid a collision, was driving at an excessive rate of speed, and failed to exercise due care for the safety of those in the area, including our clients.

Following the collision, the plaintiff who was a passenger had an immediate onset of neck pain, back pain and left shoulder pain. Shortly after the collision, she sought medical treatment at Our Lady of the Resurrection Hospital’s Emergency Department. There, she initially complained of neck pain, back pain, and left shoulder pain. A history was taken and a physical examination was performed. She was diagnosed with musculoskeletal pain and a muscle strain. She was prescribed pain medication and instructed to follow up with a physician.

Over the next couple weeks, the plaintiff’s pain increased significantly. She sought follow up medical treatment from a medical doctor. She complained of neck pain, and back pain. A history was taken and an examination was performed. The physical examination revealed tenderness in the paracervical muscles and left trapezius muscle, as well as pain and muscle spasm on palpation of the lumbar area. The physician diagnosed her with a cervical spine sprain/strain and lumbar spine sprain/strain. The doctor ordered x-rays of her cervical spine and lumbar spine, prescribed pain medication and recommended that she begin additional physical therapy.

Per the doctor’s recommendation, she began an additional course of physical therapy on December 21, 2010. She attended twenty (20) sessions of physical therapy which ended on March 11, 2011.

She obtained x-rays of her cervical spine and lumbar spine. The cervical spine x-ray revealed straightening of the normal lordotic curvature.

On January 4, 2011, the plaintiff returned to her docotr for follow up treatment. A physical examination revealed pain on palpation of the paracervical muscles, right trapezius muscles, and back muscles. At that time, her physician instructed her to continue physical therapy and pain medication.

Chicago car accident lawyer settles claim for insurance policy limits

March 11, 2012 | By Dave Abels

An Illinois personal injury attorney at Abels & Annes has resolved a case for a $25,000. The claim arises out of an automobile collision which took place on September 13, 2011 at approximately 12:02 p.m. at or near 2701 South Harlem in Berwyn, Illinois. Our client was injured when the automobile she was driving was hit by a vehicle driven by the defendant.

The plaintiff was driving northbound on South Harlem at approximately 25 miles per hour. The defendant was driving behind our client on northbound South Harlem. At that time defendant, who was traveling too fast, rear-ended the plaintiff.

The Berwyn Police Department responded to the scene of the collision. After speaking to both parties, the responding officer determined the defendant was at fault for the collision and issued him a citation for driving too fast for conditions.

Based upon the facts and circumstances surrounding the occurrence at issue, we argued to the defendant’s insurance carrier that it was clear that the sole proximate cause of the collision was the negligent conduct of their insured.

Our client sought treatment from Rush Oak Park Hospital‘s Emergency Department immediately after the collision. A history was taken, she was examined, and diagnostic tests were performed. She complained of pain in her lower back that was worse with bending as well as bilateral knee pain. On exam, she had tenderness on palpation of her right lumbar paraspinal area. She was diagnosed with lumbar spine sprain/strain, pain in her lower legs, muscle spasms in her back, and trapezius strain. She received prescriptions for pain medications and muscle relaxants and was ordered off work.

Due to ongoing and increasing pain, the plaintiff sought follow up treatment with a medical doctor on September 15, 2011. At that time, she continued to complain of lower back pain that radiated to both of her legs. Her pain was constant and severe and it ranged from sharp to stabbing to aching. Her pain interfered with her sleeping, often waking her in the middle of the night. The pain prevented her from engaging in activities of daily life and severely limited those activities she could engaged in. Additionally, her pain was worse with pushing and lifting heavy objects, walking, sitting, or standing for long periods of time, and bending forward.

The physician took a history and examined her. She had tenderness and spasms from L2-L5 bilaterally as well as difficulty squatting and while walking heel to toe. She had limited range of motion in her thoracholumbar spine because of the extreme pain she experienced. The doctor diagnosed our client with lower back pain with a radicular component at L5-S1, myofacial pain syndrome, and lumbar strain and sprain.

The physician noted that she had an underlying degenerative condition in her back that was asymptomatic before her injury. In his medical opinion, the automobile collision aggravated her underlying condition and necessitated treatment. He instructed the plaintiff to continue taking her medications, undergo a lumbar MRI, refrain from lifting and/or pushing objects heavier than 15 pounds, and remain off work.

Pursuant to the doctor’s orders, our client underwent an MRI of her lumbar spine on September 16, 2011. The MRI revealed low back injuries.

Surprising Risks for Teen Drunk Driving Car Accidents in Illinois

March 10, 2012 | By Dave Abels

Too often Chicago auto accident attorneys at Abels & Annes receive phone calls about collisions with DUI drivers. Sometimes those intoxicated motorists are teens.

Getting your hands on a six pack may be cool, if you’re a teenager. But the consequences of drinking and driving aren’t the least bit cool. That’s the message we need to share with the teens in our lives to help reduce the risks of drunk driving car accidents in Chicago and elsewhere.According to the Mayo Clinic, nearly $760 billion was spent on hospitalizations as a result of underage drinking incidents across the U.S. in 2008 alone. The billions were used to cover the near 36,620 underage drinkers who were admitted into a hospital for alcohol dependence, abuse, withdrawal, intoxication and other alcohol-related problems.

With Spring Break quickly approaching, the risks for these types of accidents are expected to increase drastically, especially among teenagers. As a matter of fact, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that nearly 35 percent of drivers age 15- to 20-years-old who were killed in a traffic accidents in 2009 had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .01 or higher, meaning that their accidents were alcohol-related. Nearly 30 percent had a BAC of .08, meaning that these underage drivers were drunk behind the wheel.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the estimate from the Mayo Clinic of nearly $760 billion spent on these underage drinkers may be a little low because not all cases of alcohol-related hospital visits are reported. This figure should also include the short hospital visits and emergency room visits that didn’t result in a hospital admission. Other times, cases were not recorded when the young patient was discharged. All in all, officials believe that this annual cost was actually much higher and underage drinking is a bigger problem than we may think.

Of the recorded 36,620 admissions, nearly 80 percent of them included acute intoxication, meaning that the underage patient was highly intoxicated when they arrived at the hospital. Nearly a quarter of all admissions involved some type of an injury, which was usually traffic accident-related. The injury cases accounted for nearly $510 million of the total.

If it isn’t apparent already, underage drinking is a problem here in Chicago and elsewhere throughout the country. According to an Illinois State Police study, about 28 percent of residents aged 12- to 20-years-old admitted that they had consumed alcohol at least once in the last month. This accounts for about 462,000 of the 1,647,000 residents of the state in this age group.

Before your teen grabs the keys and heads out at night, for the prom, to a friend’s house or anywhere else for that matter, make sure that you know where they’re going, who they’re going with and when they’ll be home. Don’t be afraid to reiterate the importance of safe and sober driving. Your talk could help to save their life.
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Driver of Hit-and-Run Car Accident in Illinois Confesses after NASCAR Assistance

March 9, 2012 | By Dave Abels

Kevin Conway, a popular NASCAR driver, was in Florida for this year’s Daytona 500 when he received an e-mail that said officers had finally made an arrest for the hit-and-run car accident in Naperville that killed a woman back in 2008. He was notified that the driver had finally turned himself in. He turned himself in with help from Conway.

“To get that e-mail this morning was an awesome way to start the racing season,” said Conway.Our Chicago car accident attorneys understand that the hit-and-run driver showed up at the victim’s sister’s house in Joliet and admitted to being the man they had been looking for since the 2008 accident. The hit-and-run driver admitted to seeing reports about the young girl’s death on TV and in newspapers across the state. He even said that he saw Conway’s car in the nationally televised race at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet and saw the featured photo of the girl he hit and killed years before. The message on Conway’s car pleaded for info regarding the hit-and-run driver.

According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Conway, the driver of the Nemco Motorsports racing team featured a missing persons ad on the back of his vehicle back in 2011. The ad was used to connect local communities supporting the event with NASCAR fans nationwide.

Conway says that there are so many fans across the nation, there are millions watching on television and thousands at the track. He felt that his car was an effective medium to help form a bond between NASCAR and the community and help to find this driver. That bond was successful. Just months after the race, he received the e-mail. The hit-and-run driver had finally turned himself in, four years after the accident.

After four years, the man involved in this hit-and-run accident has been charged and is currently sitting in jail with a $1 million bond.

What’s odd is that the hit-and-run driver didn’t turn himself into the police, but he showed up at the victim’s family’s house. Once he arrived, he rang the doorbell and said he had to speak with the victim’s sister. They invited him inside their home. They sat around the kitchen table and listened to the man’s confession.

He has now been charged in Will County with leaving the scene of an accident involving death.

According to AAA, drivers leave the scene of an accident for a number of reasons. They typically leave because they aren’t properly licensed, they’re drunk behind the wheel, they’re fighting immigration issues, they don’t have the proper insurance to cover the damages, they’re wanted for another crime, etc.

Whatever the cause, attorneys at our office are very aware of the ongoing problem, as we receive phone calls about hit-and-run accidents on a regular basis. When this type of accident occurs the offending driver is usually not located. In this situation, car crash attorneys from our office will pursue an uninsured motorist claim against our client’s own auto insurance policy.

Case resolved by Illinois motorcycle accident lawyer

March 6, 2012 | By Dave Abels

A Chicago motorcycle crash attorney at Abels & Annes has settled a case on behalf of a Skokie resident.

This claim stems from a car vs. motorcycle accident that occurred on July 2, 2010 in Northfield Township, Illinois. Our client was driving a motorcycle westbound on Euclid Avenue approximately .25 miles East of River Road. At that time the defendant, who was driving a 2008 Jeep grand Cherokee, rear-ended the plaintiff’s motorcycle. The biker was knocked off his bike and onto the pavement, landing on his left side and back. The negligent motorist fled the scene of the accident but was tracked down by witnesses a short time later.

Cook County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to the scene of the accident. The driver admitted to police that he rear-ended the plaintiff, and that he left the scene of the accident. The Sheriff’s Department ticketed the defendant with three separate counts of leaving the scene of an accident, and failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident.

On the date of the crash, the plaintiff was treated at Glenbrook Hospital due to road rash abrasions on his back. He was instructed to ice the affected areas over the next 48 hours, take pain medication as needed, and follow-up with a physician for further evaluation.

Shortly after the accident, the motorcyclist started to experience neck and back pain. On July 7, 2010 he followed up with a doctor’s office. He rated his back pain as 9/10, stating that the pain was constant and he was having difficulty sitting and difficulty at work. His neck pain was rated as 4-5/10. He was also experiencing significant pain in both his right and left big toes. He was diagnosed with cervical sprain, lumbosacral sprain with a possible bulging disc, and bilateral first digit toe injuries. At that time diagnostic tests were ordered, and he was to be reevaluated for physical therapy after test results.

On July 8, 2000 he underwent an MRI. The scan revealed no significant injuries. X-rays were negative for fractures.

The plaintiff then started a course of physical therapy consisted of electric stimulation, heat treatment, manual therapy, neuromuscular reeducation, mechanical traction, chiropractic manipulation, and therapeutic exercises. He attended physical therapy on 12 occasions that lasted through August 10, 2010.

On July 20, 2010 my client was examined by a medical doctor. The physician diagnosed our client with a lumbar disc injury, cervical and lumbar sprain/strain, big toe injury/contusion, and stress/anxiety due to the accident.

On August 10, 2010 he was again examined by the doctor. At that time the client was still having intermittent neck pain and low back pain that would increase with prolonged sitting, and decrease with rest and therapy. The doctor gave a diagnosis of lumbar sprain/strain that had improved, cervical sprain/strain that had improved, and bilateral toe injuries that had resolved. He was discharged from treatment at that time.

Study: Illinois Car Accident Deaths Often Teens

March 3, 2012 | By Dave Abels

On our Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog we recently discussed the dangers that teenage drivers face during their first few years of driving. We’ve talked about the influence that parental supervision and teenage passengers had on their driving habits. Teens often underestimate the risks on our roadways. What a new study from the Governors Highway Safety Administration (GHSA) recently found is that some of our state’s teen driving education techniques may be working. Other states were not as fortunate.After concluding the study, Dr. Allan Williams, former chief scientist at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, determined that fatal teen car accidents nationwide increased during the first six months of 2011 by more than 10 percent. Dr. Williams looked at the teen car accident fatality rates for each state during this time and concluded that fatalities among 16-year-old drivers increased from 80 to 93, while the number of driver fatalities among those who were 17-years-old went from 110 to 118. That’s a combined increase of more than 10 percent. Luckily, there were 19 states that saw decreases in these numbers and eight states that stayed the same. But some states saw overwhelming increases.

Chicago car accident attorneys understand the risks that teens face behind the wheel. As with learning any new activity, it takes time. Parents need to be there for their newly-licensed drivers to help to push the state’s graduated driver’s licensing (GDL) rules. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), drivers who are 15-years-old can’t move to the next stage of licensing until they’re at least 16-years-old. During this time, they’re required to complete 50 hours of supervised driving time, 10 which must be completed at night. Parents are urged to ride along with teen drivers for more than the recommended 50 hours. Parental supervision may be one of the best ways to help prepare our young drivers for the dangers lurking on our roadways.

Illinois was singled out in this report. The GHSA report states that “one of the most successful examples of this collaboration has been in Illinois. The state developed Operation Teen Safe Driving with support from the Allstate Foundation and the Ford Driving Skills for Life program. Operation Teen Safe Driving addresses the major reasons teens are killed in crashes, including speeding, distracted driving and lack of seat belt use. The program provides materials and seed funding to schools across the state to develop peer-led activities that are thought to have contributed to the subsequent reductions in teen fatalities in Illinois.”

When a driver gets their restricted or intermediate license (when they’re at least 16), they are not allowed to drive after 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. They are allowed back on the road starting at 6 a.m. They are also not allowed to have more than one passenger with them in the car under the age of 20 during the first year of this licensing.

Dr. Williams says there are a couple factors that can be credited with this nationwide increase. The first, he said, is that the benefits seen by some GDL programs may be leveling off because the laws have been in place for some time now. Secondly, he says that the improving economy may be calling more teen drivers to the roadways, increasing their risks.

“While it is not a surprise that these numbers are stabilizing or slightly increasing, states should not accept these deaths as something that can’t be prevented. More work can and should be done to save teen lives.” said Dr. Williams.
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Anger Triggers Chicago Car Accidents

March 1, 2012 | By Dave Abels

Our Chicago car accident attorneys sometimes just wonder how some people got their driver’s licenses. This is especially true when you an encounter a driver who allows their emotions get the best of them behind the wheel. We’re talking about road rage. It’s a factor in many car accidents in Chicago and elsewhere.Take the case of the recent accident in Madison County. Six people were injured — all because of road rage. According to the Illinois State Police, two people in an SUV were arguing with one another at approximately 3 a.m. As they were heading down Interstate 55/70 by Illinois 111, one of the passengers decided that she wanted to fight the driver on the side of the road. The passenger jerked her wheel to the right. When her vehicle left the roadway the driver over-corrected. That’s when the SUV slammed into a passenger vehicle and another SUV. It started a chain reaction. A pickup truck then slammed into the passenger car, according to BND.

Two of the passengers in the first SUV were transported to St. Louis University Hospital. That initial aggression resulted in injury to innocent motorists. The two people in the passenger car were unconscious when they were taken to the hospital. After the accident happened, the driver of the first SUV was arrested on charges of driving under the influence of alcohol.

We usually report about road rage incidents in which the driver is the culprit. But as this incident clearly shows, passengers can play a role in these scenarios as well. According to RoadRagers.com, road rage is when someone participates in deliberately dangerous and violent behavior while operating a motor vehicle. Road rage can happen when someone is hit, whether by hand, another object or by motor vehicle, or when a weapon is fired from the vehicle. Road rage can be seen as a violation of property rights and an endangerment of personal security. When someone engages in road rage and it involves personal or property damage, it becomes a criminal offense.

Road rage can mean leaving your vehicle to kick, hit, knock or yell insults to another person. It can be caused by a number of events or environmental factors. Often, it’s caused by territorial defensiveness.

Drivers need to check their tempers behind the wheel. There may not be much you can do to control other drivers, but luckily, there are tips that can help you to avoid becoming the victim of road rage.

Avoid an Enraged Driver:

-Avoid making eye contact.

-Don’t switch to aggressive driving habits. Continue normally and avoid sudden accelerations, braking, swerving, etc.

-If you think you’re being followed, drive to the closest police station or busy place to get help.

-Lock your doors and roll up your windows.

-When forced to stop in traffic, leave enough space between you and the vehicle in front of you so that you can escape if needed.

-If someone you don’t know gets into your car, honk your horn or personal alarm to attract attention.

-Never fight back.

-Never respond to hand gestures, etc.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), road rage “involves a criminal act of violence, whereas aggressive driving can range from tailgating to speeding to running red lights.”
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