Road Rage Accidents in San Diego

You know road rage in San Diego, California, when you see it - a driver making obscene gestures, directing foul language at other motorists, and engaging in aggressive maneuvers at the wheel. Unfortunately, these aggressive driving behaviors are a leading cause of car accidents every year.

In fact, research determined that road rage contributed to over 12,610 injuries and 218 deaths in a seven-year period across the nation. According to the NHTSA, two-thirds of all traffic accident fatalities are caused by road rage and aggressive driving.

Road rage appears to be on the rise in cities like San Diego. State and local police departments are responding to auto accidents and shootings that involve aggressive drivers.

What Causes Road Rage?

Road rage is violent, aggressive behavior that arises when a driver becomes frustrated because of traffic conditions.

Common signs of road rage include:

• Cutting off other vehicles and slamming on the brakes
• Brake checks
• Following too closely
• Swerving between lanes
• Weaving in and out of traffic
• Honking the horn or flashing the headlights repeatedly
• Trying to run other vehicles off the road

Motorists are likely to experience road rage when they’re stuck in traffic, late, experience unexpected road closures, or get offended by another driver on the road. However, road rage doesn’t just usually manifest because of environmental conditions.

Road rage is often a symptom of psychological factors, too. A person who struggles with anger issues, anxiety, depression, or grief is more likely to experience road rage. High-stress lifestyles can also contribute to road rage and aggressive driving.

Is a Driver Who Experiences Road Rage Negligent?

Not necessarily. Road rage, in and of itself, does not mean a driver is negligent. Negligence involves a deviation from safe driving practices that causes another person’s injury or wrongful death.

However, that can change when a driver experiencing road rage begins to drive recklessly and causes a car accident. When road rage causes a driver to engage in dangerous behaviors at the wheel - swerving, unsafe lane changes, tailgating - they can be considered negligent and, by extension, liable for resulting wrecks.

When you file a legal claim for damages after a road rage accident in San Diego, you’ll have to prove four things:

• The driver owed you a duty of care
• The driver breached this duty of care by engaging in reckless or aggressive conduct at the wheel
• The driver’s road rage and aggressive behaviors caused an accident in which you were injured
• You’ve suffered damages

Ultimately, you have the burden of proving that you would not have gotten hurt but for the driver’s road rage and aggressive driving.

Explore Your Legal Rights After a Road Rage Accident in San Diego

If you’ve been injured in a road rage accident in San Diego, you deserve justice. The aggressive driver has to be held accountable for your resulting medical bills, loss of income, and suffering. Fortunately, you don’t have to navigate a complex personal injury claim on your own.

Choose Singleton Schreiber, and trust our San Diego car accident lawyers to help you fight for the accountability you need and deserve.

We’ve helped our clients win billions of dollars in life-changing awards. Now, our local lawyers are ready to invest our firm’s national resources into your fight for compensation, too.

You have a limited time to take action, so contact our San Diego law office to get started with a free consultation with one of our experienced injury lawyers in San Diego.