My injury occurred Within the last 30 days month ago month ago 6 month - 1 year ago More than 1 year ago Other. Every year, more than 1. Millions more suffer serious, often life-altering injuries. Many of these injuries and deaths occur due to reckless driving accidents. Unfortunately, all too many people continue to engage in reckless driving behaviors despite knowing they significantly increase their risk of causing a serious accident.
If you or a loved one has already experienced a traumatic accident with a reckless driver contact a skilled auto accident attorney to discuss your legal options. Reckless driving fails to take the rules of the road or basic safety precautions into account. Generally, police officers classify reckless driving as a more serious offense than careless driving: reckless driving deliberately ignores safety protocols, while careless driving generally involves a general lack of attention to the road.
Reckless driving carries with it a substantially increased accident risk. Traveling at excessive speeds requires a much faster response time and can lead to significantly greater injuries if you do have an accident. Not only that, reckless driving can carry other severe penalties. As a driver, you bear responsibility to everyone else on the roads to help keep the roads as safe as possible. Each time you get behind the wheel, you help determine the safety of every driver or passenger around you.
Are you struggling to avoid reckless driving behaviors? Try some of these strategies. While you may control your own driving behaviors, you cannot control how someone else behaves behind the wheel. You can, however, decrease the impact reckless drivers may have on you and your passengers. Try these strategies to help keep you safe from reckless drivers. Most people do not deliberately get in the car with a driver known for reckless behaviors. If you do know someone has a reputation for driving recklessly, try to avoid riding with them—and after one reckless ride, try to avoid going with them again in the future.
When you find yourself stuck in the car with a reckless driver, try these strategies. Seeing a reckless driver on the road makes many people tense up, prepared for the driver to do anything. Reckless driving can increase the risk of an accident and cause more serious injuries during an accident.
As a driver, it can lead to more serious penalties after an accident, including higher fines or loss of your license. Contact a car crash lawyer as soon as possible after your accident. The sooner you contact Boohoff Law , the sooner they can start working on your behalf, from collecting evidence to negotiating for the compensation you deserve for your injuries.
Skip to content Let Us Come To You Our trusted injury attorneys are more than happy to meet you at your home or in the hospital. Set up an appointment. Get Your Free Consultation We offer a free case evaluation so that you are fully informed of your options before you commit to anything. Begin today! They hope efforts spent to understand the causes of aggressive driving reduce the problem and prevent accidents and bodily harm.
After all the time and money spent on learning about aggressive driving, the NHTSA cannot provide specific causes. Yet, they have strong research that supports the factors which often contribute to reckless driving. After studying data collected by law enforcement officers across the nation, the NHTSA has identified four scenarios which are often associated with reckless driving citations. Keep in mind that a driver might experience one or more of these factors simultaneously:.
Unlike some other states, most reckless driving convictions are not criminal offenses. Yet, repeat offenses and other specific scenarios result in harsher penalties.
Penalties and fines for a variety of these situations include:. Each traffic violation has a point value assigned. As a person accumulates points, they might face legal consequences, including suspensions and fines, plus fees for reinstatement. Many reckless driver behaviors are recognizable after a crash. To ensure you have the best outcome with insurance companies and a potential lawsuit, you need to take a number of steps after you have an accident with a reckless driver.
They include:. If you or any other driver or passenger involved in an accident with a reckless driver has been injured, you need to call as soon as possible to dispatch emergency response teams and law enforcement to the scene of an accident. If the accident is not severe enough to warrant an ambulance ride, make sure to head to the nearest emergency room or your doctor as soon as possible to get checked out.
A case without one is often much weaker. Your insurance claim may also be denied under some policies if there is no police report. Next, you should exchange contact information with whoever else was involved in the accident.
Make sure that you obtain their insurance information and basic personal information from their driver license. After an accident, gathering whatever evidence you can will help your future claim. For example, take pictures of the accident scene. Take pictures of their vehicle and your vehicle. You should also take pictures of your injuries and the surrounding area. Gather the contact information of anyone who witnessed the accident and encourage them to stay at the scene to speak with the investigating police officers when they arrive.
An independent witness statement on the police report can make a big difference in your case. After gathering as much information as you can, you should then seek medical attention. Adrenaline will often mask even serious injuries. A delay in medical treatment may look suspicious to the insurance company, so make sure you get checked out right away.
Tell any treating physician that you are there because of a motor vehicle accident. Before you file a claim with your insurance company, you should contact a car accident attorney. Insurance companies often try to offer quick cash in exchange for a statement or a signed waiver.
An attorney can help you avoid making any mistakes that could damage your case. Abels and Annes is available 24 hours a day online or by calling our office. We have the experience and resources to handle any size accident claim while still putting a high degree of emphasis on personal communication. Some victims never fully recover from their injuries and instead, need a lifetime of medical and personal care.
Other types of injuries may require home modifications to accommodate power chairs, expensive medications, and extensive therapy. The lifetime costs of a spinal cord injury can reach into the millions of dollars each year. It is emotionally draining and stressful when you or your loved one can no longer enjoy favorite activities or return to a rewarding career. No one should suffer physically, emotionally, and financially due to the careless actions of a reckless driver.
Their failure to share the road responsibly demands accountability for their selfish and reckless actions. You can receive compensation for your damages in two different categories: economic and non-economic.
Economic damages cover costs for monetary damages, like your medical bills and lost wages. Avoid road rage. Many drivers behave erratically on the road due to road rage.
Rising tension and anger often cause drivers to behave in ways they would not ordinarily consider. When you find yourself annoyed or irritated on the road, take steps to calm yourself down before you start raging. Ultimately, staying calm can help you reach your destination more safely. Slow down. Make sure you keep an eye on the posted speed limit, especially if you must drive on an unfamiliar road.
On familiar roads, you may grow more tempted to raise your speed due to increased comfort. If needed, set your cruise control or use your GPS to notify you about the posted speed limit. Keep your vehicle at the speed limit, rather than rushing ahead to your destination. Remember, speeding will not substantially decrease the time it takes to reach your destination during most short trips, but it can significantly raise accident risk.
Signal your intentions clearly. Other drivers rely on your turn signals to let them know where you plan to move, whether you need to change lanes or plan to make a turn. Use your turn signals. If you do not signal, other drivers may struggle more to avoid your vehicle, which can greatly increase your odds of causing an accident.
Leave your cell phone where you will not answer it. Cell phones pose one of the most potent distractions for many drivers. In that time, your vehicle can travel the length of a football field or more, depending on your rate of speed. If you cannot keep your eyes off your phone when you drive, put it somewhere that you cannot answer it: in the back seat, under your seat, or even in the trunk of the vehicle.
Your dedication to removing distractions from your vehicle should also extend to your smartwatch or connected devices that might display your text messages or calls. Wait until you reach your destination to engage in distracting activities. Most drivers have, at one point or another, given in to temptation and munched on a fry. When it comes to severely distracting activities behind the wheel, however, you should wait until you reach your destination if at all possible. Wait to eat until you arrive at home.
Save sips on your coffee or smoothie until you reach your destination. If you must engage in an intense conversation, pull off the road. All of these little steps can go a long way toward decreasing reckless and distracted driving behaviors.
Take care of your vehicle before you start driving. Before you put your car in drive, make sure you took care of everything you need.
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