Syracuse, New York, Aggressive Driving Accidents

Aggressive Driving is Never Justified. Jed Dietrich, Esq., Recognized as a Super Lawyer and an American Institute of Trial Lawyers Litigator of the Year, is Committed to Protecting the Rights of Car Crash Victims Across Central New York. Our Team of Highly Experienced Attorneys Could Help You Secure the Compensation You Need to Reclaim Your Independence After an Aggressive Driving Car Crash or Tragic Road Rage Incident.

Syracuse can sometimes feel like a small town. However, Syracuse, the largest urban area in Central New York, still faces more than its fair share of big-city problems. These problems are diverse, both in character and complexity, ranging from regular rush-hour congestion to crumbling interstate infrastructure.

For most Salt City denizens, these issues pose little threat beyond irritation and inconvenience. Unfortunately, even otherwise level-headed drivers can lose their cool in traffic. Aggressive driving and road rage are leading causes of accident-related injuries, both in Syracuse and across the country. The American Automobile Association, for instance, believes that aggressive driving is a contributing factor in up to 56% of all fatal crashes.

Even when accidents do not end in tragedy, the consequences can often be life-altering. In one recent incident, a Salina, New York, man was assaulted by a half-dozen adults outside a New Court Avenue restaurant. In another, a middle-aged motorist was shot in the stomach in a suspected road rage-related attack outside of Cicero.

For survivors, the costs of recovery—from a burn, a broken bone, or even a gunshot wound—can accumulate quickly and with little warning, leaving victims reeling from intense physical pain and immense financial strain. However, you do not have to accept uncertainty in place of a fair and reasonable recovery.

A recognized U.S. News & World Report Best Law Firm, the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. has spent decades helping New York families assert their rights in the aftermath of unexpected accidents. Our experienced team of Syracuse aggressive driving attorneys could help you, or a loved one, collect the evidence needed to make a compelling case for recovery. Please send us a message online or call us at 1-866-529-5334 to schedule your 100% free, no-obligation consultation as soon as possible.

Aggressive driving has long been identified as a critical threat to public safety and well-being. Even as traffic fatality rates declined through the 1990s and early 2000s, federal regulators became increasingly concerned that road rage could pose a significant risk to the otherwise prudent American motorist.

However, unlike other drunk driving and other serious moving offenses, a surprising percentage of people readily admit to suffering from regular road rage. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, for instance, has found the following:

1. An estimated 60% of all drivers believe that aggression endangered them, or their passengers, in the past year;
2. Nearly 1 out of every 3 motorists believe that aggressive driving has become increasingly more common; and
3. Despite overall negative perceptions of aggressive driving and aggressive drivers, many motorists reported frequently flouting common-sense traffic laws for their benefit.

Although aggressive driving is a widespread problem in Syracuse, and other cities across the country, defining what actions constitute aggressive driving can be difficult, with different organizations using their terminologies.

The American Automobile Association, for example, employs an intentionally broad definition of aggressive driving. This definition encompasses any unsafe driving behavior, performed deliberately and with disregard to safety, that endangers other people or property.

Examples of aggressive driving could include any of the following:

1. Weaving between traffic;
2. Lane-splitting on a motorcycle; and
3. Tailgating slower-moving vehicles.

Aggressive driving is typically distinguished from road rage, a more extreme type of aggressive driving that is typically targeted. Examples of road rage could include the following:

1. Throwing objects out a car window;
2. Ramming or intentionally sideswiping another vehicle; and
3. Trying to instigate a physical fight.

According to the American Automobile Association’s recent Foundation for Traffic Safety Report, nearly 80% of drivers said that they had engaged in road rage-related behaviors in the 30 days preceding the survey. Even with the New York State Police staging intermittent campaigns against reckless drivers, curbing unfounded and unreasonable aggression can be a herculean and nigh-achievable task.

Aggressive driving and road rage can have catastrophic consequences for instigators and victims alike, with the severity of crash-related injuries dependent on a confluence of factors. These factors could include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. The Speed of Involved Vehicles: The Federal Highway Administration admits that analyzing the exact relationship between vehicle speed and crash severity is difficult. However, there is a clear correlation between higher rates of speed and more serious injuries.
2. The Angle of Impact: Certain types of car crashes are more likely to result in death or serious injuries than others. Angle collisions and head-on collisions, for instance, are common byproducts of aggressive driving and road rage incidents; they also account for nearly 75% of all reported traffic fatalities.
3. The At-Fault Motorist’s Response: Road rage and aggressive driving are factors in a significant percentage of serious traffic accidents. However, the severity of a survivor’s injuries—and their chances of recovery—could be at least partially dependent on the at-fault motorist’s response. In some cases, drivers who intentionally violate the law may flee the scene of an ensuing crash to avoid any later legal complications. This can make it more difficult for victims to receive immediate medical care.

Although the severity of aggressive driving accidents is typically dependent on a combination of individual risk factors, serious injuries are fairly common. These injuries could include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Bruises and contusions;
2. Cuts and lacerations;
3. Road rash;
4. Broken or fractured bones;
5. Face and dental injuries;
6. Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs);
7. Soft tissue damage;
8. Internal organ injuries;
9. Disfigurement; and
10. Death.

Even for victims with high-quality health insurance, the costs of recovery often seem insurmountable. However, you may have options beyond financial hardship.

New York is a no-fault insurance state. After an accident, survivors are typically expected to file a claim for compensation through their own insurance company. If their policy limits preclude a comprehensive recovery, or they have suffered certain serious injuries, they may be entitled to file a personal injury lawsuit against the at-fault motorist.

However, taking an aggressive driver to court is rarely a straightforward or simple undertaking. You must be able to establish the following:

1. The at-fault driver owed you a duty of care;
2. The at-fault driver breached their duty of care by violating state law and driving aggressively;
3. The at-fault driver’s negligence was the proximate cause of your injuries; and
4. The accident resulted in cognizable damages that can be compensated by an Empire State court.

Even if you have a seemingly open-and-close case for recovery, establishing that the at-fault motorist was aggressive or otherwise willfully negligent can be difficult—especially if they are unwilling to own up to their misconduct and admit their wrongdoing.

The Dietrich Law Firm P.C. could take the following steps to protect your rights to a fair recovery:

1. Investigate the crash site;
2. Collect, preserve, and analyze any relevant evidence;
3. Consult expert witnesses, including crash reconstruction specialists, to determine causation;
4. Assess your injuries and calculate your damages; and
5. Negotiate a settlement with the at-fault driver’s insurance company, or take them to court.

Since our founding in 2005, the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. has helped our clients in Syracuse and across the region obtain more than $175 million in damages. We could help you, too. Please send us a message online or call us at 1-866-529-5334 to speak to an aggressive driving lawyer in Syracuse and schedule your free consultation.

Call the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. immediately at 1-866-529-5334 so that our aggressive, tenacious, and hardworking personal injury lawyers can fight to obtain the best result for your personal injury claim in Syracuse, New York. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and there is never a fee until we WIN for you!