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Dealing with an aggressive driver in Greenville, South Carolina, is always scary and can be very dangerous. Aggressive drivers tailgate, speed, and change lanes at the wrong time, but road rage drivers take it one step further and may even try to hurt you intentionally due to their out-of-control anger about some incident on the road.
If you’ve been injured in a road rage or aggressive driving accident, you need a Greenville road rage accident lawyer who can help you pursue total compensation for the injuries you’ve suffered.
The Melonakos Law Firm serves Greenville and surrounding areas of South Carolina. We help car accident victims seek compensation after they’ve been hurt in crashes that were someone else’s fault.
Contact The Melonakos Law Firm today to set up a free consultation with our Greenville car accident lawyers.
At The Melonakos Law Firm, our attorneys help people hurt in aggressive driving crashes and road rage incidents. You shouldn’t have to bear the consequences of another driver’s aggressive and dangerous behavior.
Our founding attorney, Michael Melonakos, used to represent big insurance companies defending against personal injury claims. He knows the tricks and tactics the insurance companies use and is prepared to counter them.
We have succeeded in obtaining many settlements and favorable verdicts in personal injury cases, including a $650,000 settlement in a rear-end accident case in Greenville that caused abdominal injuries requiring surgery. We are looking forward to helping you pursue the compensation you need.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, aggressive driving and road rage should not be confused. To understand aggressive driving versus road rage, remember that aggressive driving consists of actions that endanger other drivers, such as:
While these aggressive actions are dangerous, they are different from road rage, which consists of intentional assault by one driver against another. The road rage driver may use their vehicle as a weapon, or they may pull over and assault the other driver in some other way. Aggressive driving often escalates to road rage, but road rage is an act of assault, while aggressive driving is not.
South Carolina doesn’t have a specific aggressive driving or road rage law, but both can be prosecuted criminally under other statutes.
Depending on the circumstances, either aggressive driving or road rage could constitute reckless driving under South Carolina law, which defines reckless driving as driving with willful or wanton disregard for other people’s safety or property. Penalties for reckless driving include a fine of up to $200 and imprisonment for up to 30 days, with license suspension for a second or subsequent offense. Road rage could also be prosecuted as assault and battery with a deadly weapon or as reckless homicide in the event of a fatality.
You can file a claim with the other driver’s insurance company if you’re injured in an aggressive driving accident or a road rage incident. South Carolina requires all owners of registered vehicles to carry liability insurance for bodily injury. If the driver has too little insurance coverage or none at all, you might be able to pursue compensation under your auto policy’s uninsured motorist coverage (UM) or underinsured motorist coverage (UIM).
Road rage and aggressive driving can both increase the risk of a serious accident in various ways. For example:
According to Psychology Today, key risk factors for aggressive driving behavior and road rage include:
The National Safety Council defines road rage as any aggressive behavior by a driver, including yelling or making obscene gestures at another driver, as well as criminal behaviors such as assault. However, it’s easy to see how these aggressive behaviors can escalate a tense situation and lead to someone getting hurt.
Considering that anger is one of the leading risk factors for aggressive driving and road rage, don’t do anything to provoke the anger of the other driver, even if they are behaving in a frustrating way. It’s best to disengage and de-escalate instead of adding to an already fraught situation with an angry driver. Call 911 if you believe your safety is threatened, and drive to a public area if you are being pursued.
Don’t react to the other driver’s provocative behavior with rude gestures, avoid eye contact, keep your cool, and drive defensively. That’s the safe way to handle a road rage situation.
The lawyers at The Melonakos Law Firm help people who’ve been hurt by aggressive driving and road rage in Greenville car accidents. When you hire us to represent you in your personal injury case, you can expect compassion, personal attention, and clear communication.
Here’s what our car accident attorneys can do for you:
Aggressive driving car accident lawyer Michael Melonakos has successfully tried between 30 and 40 bench trials and over 20 jury trials. Our willingness to go to court gives us the edge when we negotiate with the insurance companies.
Check out testimonials from our previous clients to find out more about their experiences with our law firm. For example, Ellis wrote, “They were great at communicating with me about my case and the result was better than expected. Thank you JP, Mike, Ryan, and Kayla.”
If you’ve been injured by an aggressive driver or in a road rage incident, contact The Melonakos Law Firm to schedule a free consultation with an aggressive driving accident lawyer. There is never a fee unless you win.
