When a negligent motorist engages in aggressive driving, the consequences can be devastating. At Rhoads & Rhoads, our experienced attorney team understands that victims of aggressive driving accidents face catastrophic injuries, mounting medical expenses, and the challenge of dealing with insurance companies while recovering. As dedicated personal injury attorneys serving Owensboro and surrounding communities, we help injury victims pursue fair compensation for harm caused by reckless drivers.
Aggressive driving behaviors create dangerous conditions on Kentucky roadways, leading to severe injuries and even wrongful death cases. Our Owensboro car accident lawyer team has represented countless accident victims who have suffered life-changing injuries due to others’ negligence. We understand Kentucky car accident laws and know how to hold the at-fault party accountable in motor vehicle accidents.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a car or truck accident caused by aggressive driving, our law firm is here to help. We offer a free consultation to discuss your legal options and explain how our personal injury lawyers can assist you in seeking justice. Our legal team handles everything from collecting evidence and witness statements at the accident scene to negotiating with insurance companies for your personal injury claim. Call (888) 709-9329 now to get a personal representative to evaluate your case.
Types of Aggressive Driving
Aggressive driving encompasses various forms of negligent behavior that put other motorists at risk. Our car accident lawyers have handled numerous cases involving different types of aggressive driving and know how to prove that reckless driving caused your injuries.
Speeding
Excessive speed is one of the most common forms of aggressive driving, leading to catastrophic accidents. When drivers exceed posted speed limits, they have less time to react and cannot stop their motor vehicle in time to avoid a collision.
Speeding significantly increases the severity of injuries in any car crash. Our attorneys have represented many clients who suffered serious injuries because another driver was traveling at excessive speeds, and we fight to ensure victims receive fair compensation for medical attention and lost wages.
Tailgating
Following too closely is a dangerous form of aggressive driving that often results in rear-end collisions. When a driver fails to maintain a safe distance from the car ahead, they cannot brake in time if traffic suddenly stops. These accidents can cause severe injuries, including whiplash, back injuries, and head trauma. Our car accident attorneys work to ensure victims receive compensation for their medical costs and property damage.
Unsafe Lane Changes
Weaving between lanes, changing lanes without signaling, or cutting off other vehicles creates hazardous conditions. Unsafe lane changes frequently cause sideswipe accidents and multi-vehicle pileups.
Our experienced attorney team has handled complex cases involving unsafe lane changes, working with expert witnesses to reconstruct the accident scene and prove the other driver’s negligence.
Failure To Stop
Running red lights, stop signs, or failing to yield right-of-way represent some of the most reckless forms of aggressive driving. These violations often lead to devastating T-bone collisions that cause catastrophic injuries or even wrongful death. Our personal injury lawyers collect evidence, including traffic camera footage and witness statements, to demonstrate the at-fault party’s responsibility.
How Aggressive Driving and Road Rage Are Different
While aggressive driving and road rage are related, they represent distinct legal concepts. Aggressive driving involves traffic violations such as speeding, tailgating, or unsafe lane changes that demonstrate negligent behavior.
Road rage escalates to intentional acts meant to intimidate or harm another driver, such as forcing another car off the road or using a motor vehicle as a weapon. This distinction matters because road rage may support claims for punitive damages in your personal injury lawsuit.
Our law offices have handled both aggressive driving and road rage cases. Defense attorneys may try to minimize the other driver’s actions, but our personal injury attorneys work to ensure the full extent of their behavior is revealed. Whether your accident involved standard aggressive driving or escalated to road rage, our Owensboro car accident lawyer team will fight to help you seek compensation for your damages.
Facial Injuries From an Aggressive Driving Accident
Aggressive driving accidents often result in severe facial injuries that have lasting impacts on accident victims. When a high-speed collision or motor vehicle accident occurs suddenly due to reckless driving, occupants may strike the dashboard or steering wheel with significant force. These injuries cause immediate pain and can result in permanent scarring and psychological trauma affecting a person’s well-being.
Cuts and Lacerations
Facial cuts commonly occur in car or truck accidents when broken glass or debris strikes a victim’s face. Even minor lacerations can leave permanent scars, while deeper cuts may damage nerves or muscles. Our car accident attorneys ensure that medical records document the full extent of injuries and account for future procedures when calculating compensation.
Fractures
Facial bone fractures, including broken noses, cheekbones, and jaw injuries, frequently result from aggressive driving accidents. These fractures often require surgical intervention and may result in permanent changes to facial structure. Our experienced lawyers work with medical professionals to document these serious injuries and ensure your personal injury claim accounts for all medical bills.
Eye
Eye injuries from car crashes can range from minor irritation to permanent vision loss. Flying debris or direct trauma can damage the delicate structures of the eye, requiring specialized treatment and potentially affecting a victim’s ability to work. Our personal injury attorneys recognize that eye injuries represent devastating consequences and work to help victims receive just compensation reflecting the life-altering nature of vision impairment.
Dental
Dental injuries, including knocked-out teeth and broken teeth, are common in auto accidents. These injuries require immediate medical assistance followed by extensive dental work. The medical costs associated with dental injuries accumulate quickly, and insurance companies attempt to minimize these claims. Our car accident lawyers fight to ensure dental injuries are properly valued in your car accident claim.
Liable Parties When the Aggressive Driver is a Truck Driver
When truck accidents involve aggressive driving, liability becomes more complex. Truck wrecks caused by aggressive driving can result in catastrophic injuries or wrongful death due to the massive size difference between commercial trucks and passenger vehicles. Our law firm has extensive experience handling these complicated cases and understands Kentucky laws governing the trucking industry.
Driver
The truck driver who engaged in aggressive driving bears direct responsibility for the accident and resulting injuries. Our team investigates whether driver fatigue, drunk driving, or other factors contributed to aggressive driving behavior. We collect and evaluate evidence to demonstrate their negligence and hold them accountable.
Trucking Company
The truck company may also be held responsible under various legal theories. Companies can be liable for negligent hiring, training, or supervision. If the company pressured drivers to meet unrealistic delivery schedules that encouraged speeding, they may share liability for resulting truck accidents.
Our legal team conducts thorough investigations into trucking company practices, examining maintenance records and company policies. By pursuing compensation from both the driver and truck company, we maximize the recovery available.
In wrongful death cases resulting from a truck accident, we fight to ensure the surviving spouse and family members receive maximum compensation for their devastating loss.
Our experienced team knows how to navigate the complexities of truck accident litigation and hold all responsible parties accountable. We’re committed to pursuing every available avenue of recovery in these tragic truck accident cases.
Punitive Damages After an Aggressive Driving Accident
In cases involving particularly egregious aggressive driving, accident victims may be entitled to punitive damages in addition to compensation for actual losses. Our personal injury attorneys have successfully pursued punitive damages in wrongful death lawsuits and auto accident cases where egregious negligence was involved.
Difference From Compensatory Damages
Compensatory damages reimburse victims for actual losses such as medical bills, lost wages, and property damage. Punitive damages are not tied to the victim’s actual losses but rather to the defendant’s conduct.
Kentucky law allows punitive damages when the at-fault party acted with gross negligence or malice. Our car accident attorneys evaluate each case to determine whether facts support punitive damages claims.
Punitive Damages Cap in Kentucky
State law places limits on punitive damages. Currently, they are capped at the greater of $500,000 or twice the compensatory damages awarded. Our team structures personal injury cases to maximize recovery.
Our legal team has successfully recovered significant punitive damages for clients who suffered life-changing injuries due to aggressive driving.
Kentucky Penalties for Aggressive Driving
Beyond civil liability faced in personal injury lawsuits, drivers engaging in aggressive driving face criminal penalties under the law in Kentucky. Understanding these penalties is important because criminal convictions can strengthen your car accident claim.
Kentucky statutes impose escalating penalties based on offense severity. When aggressive driving results in catastrophic injuries or wrongful death, criminal charges may include vehicular assault or homicide.
Our personal injury lawyers work with law enforcement in cases where criminal charges are filed. While criminal and civil personal injury claims operate separately through the legal process, a criminal conviction can strengthen your case.
You can pursue a personal injury claim regardless of whether criminal charges are filed. Insurance companies sometimes argue that the absence of criminal charges means their insured wasn’t at fault, but our car accident attorneys counter these arguments with accident reconstruction, witness testimony, and medical records demonstrating how someone else’s negligence caused your injuries.
We fight to ensure victims receive fair settlement offers accounting for all medical expenses, lost wages, and future care needs. Whether you’re dealing with serious injuries, pursuing a wrongful death lawsuit for a surviving spouse as personal representative, or need help with a wrongful death claim, we’re here to help.
Free Consultation From a Car Accident Lawyer
Aggressive driving accidents cause devastating injuries that forever change victims’ lives. If you’ve been injured in a car crash caused by a reckless driver, you need experienced representation to protect your rights and pursue the recovery you deserve. At Rhoads & Rhoads, our personal injury attorneys have decades of experience representing victims throughout Owensboro and Kentucky. We understand the toll that serious injuries take on individuals and families, and we’re committed to fighting for justice on your behalf.
Our law firm handles all types of personal injury cases, including car accidents, truck accidents, wrongful death claims, premises liability, workers’ compensation, and other accidents caused by reckless behavior. We work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you pay no fees unless we settle. From investigating the accident scene to negotiating insurance claims and litigating in court, our team handles every aspect of the legal process so you can focus on recovery and well-being.
Don’t let insurance companies minimize your claim or pressure you into inadequate damages. Contact our law offices today for a free consultation with an experienced lawyer who will explain your legal options. Call Rhoads & Rhoads at (888) 709-9329 now to speak with dedicated injury lawyers who will take legal action and fight tirelessly to help you seek compensation and hold the at-fault party accountable.