Tampa has some of the highest rates of accidents caused by aggressive drivers. In fact, in studies conducted by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, they discovered that aggressive driving is the biggest cause of increased commute time on Tampa roads. This was conducted in a study of six years of data and showed some shocking statistics.
Aggressive driving accidents can result in serious injury and even death of pedestrians and other road users and are the cause of thousands of accidents in Tampa alone every single year. If you or a loved one has been injured in a pedestrian accident in Tampa, our experienced team of pedestrian accident lawyers in Tampa is here to help you seek the compensation you deserve.
Florida State is already known for being one of the most dangerous places to be a driver and a pedestrian in the entire country. Every single year the state sees over 400,000 accidents, leading to over 3,000 deaths, according to Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FHSMV). As a result of these horrifically high statistics, Tampa has made it a lot harder to get away with aggressive driving crimes without being found liable for the victim’s pain and suffering, injuries, and damages.
If you have been involved in an accident caused by a reckless driver, don’t suffer in silence. Get in touch with The Law Place today on (941) 444-4444 for a free consultation with a personal injury lawyer. Our phones are manned 24/7, and our team has a vast wealth of knowledge, having dealt with thousands of cases over our combined 75 years of experience.
Why Do People Drive Aggressively?
Many people misunderstand what aggressive driving actually is. Aggressive driving is different from road rage and is defined by driving in a manner that is intentionally risky. Common aggressive driving charges come from running red lights, refusing to let someone merge when they have the right of way, and excessive speeding and weaving in and out of traffic. This behavior isn’t just dangerous for the driver and their passengers but can also change the lives of innocent bystanders forever if an accident happens.
There are lots of reasons and excuses people use when it comes to defending their reckless actions. Usually, the biggest causes of dangerous driving are:
- Being under the influence – Every day, thousands of Americans get behind the wheel while under the influence of substances that might make them make poor judgment calls. Driving Under the Influence (DUI) is often due to alcohol or drugs, but often it can be as simple as side effects of medication that the driver did not know about.
- Being late – Perhaps the most common excuse is when drivers try and the reason that their reckless speeding was due to being late to something important like work or to see an ill relative.
- Road rage – Another very common reason for aggressive driving is road rage. When one road user feels like another has done something wrong, they might react in bad judgment by undertaking or beeping. This can quickly escalate and lead to an accident.
How to Spot Aggressive Driving in Tampa
Aggressive drivers are usually easy to spot, which gives you the chance to hold back and lower your risk of an accident with them. Some of the common risk behaviors that you might notice include:
- Illegally passing cars.
- Tailgating drivers.
- Cutting off drivers.
- Failing to signal lane changes.
- Weaving back and forth between lanes.
- Running red lights and stop signs.
- Speeding.
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Most Common Accidents Caused by Aggressive Driving in Tampa, Florida
Aggressive driving can lead to a huge variety of different types of car accidents. Every personal injury and car accident lawyer has seen at least one of the following types of accident:
- Head-on collisions.
- Side impact collisions.
- Rear-end collisions.
- Rollover accidents.
- Multi-vehicle accidents.
Due to the anger and road rage involved in aggressive driving accidents, when they happen, they can be severe. Getting help from a personal injury lawyer at The Law Place could be the best chance you have at seeking compensation that is fair and reasonable, and the sooner you call us, the better your chances of a higher settlement figure.
We’re Florida’s top litigation team with over 75 years of combined experience
The Duty of Care in Tampa, FL
As soon as you get into a vehicle in Tampa and across the state of Florida, you automatically assume a duty of care to all other road users. This duty of care demands that you drive in a safe manner that will allow you to keep yourself and everyone else on the road safe.
By driving aggressively, you instantly breach this duty of care, this means the culprit will most likely be found liable and may have to pay the following damages:
- Medical bills – Medical expenses include any expenses incurred while treating the injuries caused by the accident. including medical bills, transport, and any past, present, and future expenses
- Loss of earnings – If this accident has caused you to be unable to attend work, you could be compensated for the loss of earnings, present past and future.
- Property damage – Property damage includes damage to your vehicle.
- Pain and Suffering – Pain and suffering is a difficult thing to quantify. It can include anything from mental anguish to loss of enjoyment. For example: if you are left unable to pursue a hobby due to the accident.
- Loss of a loved one – Financial costs due to the loss of a loved one can be quite substantial, including funeral expenses and loss of consortium. (Loss of income to a family household)
To seek these damages, you and your personal injury accident lawyer will have to be able to prove that:
- You were owed a duty of care – When someone drives, they automatically owe you a duty of care.
- The duty of care was breached – When someone drives aggressively, they breach their duty of care.
- The breach caused your injuries – Your lawyer will help you to prove that your injuries were a result of the motor vehicle accident.
- Your injuries led to damages – The injuries that result from your accident will lead to damages, and if a correlation can be proved, then you can claim for them.
From the initial call to updates on your case status, we are here to get you answers.
Insurance Companies
One of the biggest reasons we always suggest hiring a good personal injury lawyer as soon as your car accident happens is so that they can defend you against the insurance companies involved.
Florida is a no-fault state, and this means that you are going to have to deal with your own insurance company as well as the other parties. Your attorney can do this for you, so the sooner you call one, the better.
Insurance companies are businesses at the end of the day, and they will always be looking out for themselves as much as they pretend to care. They will have a skilled legal team ready to investigate and to help lower liability wherever possible. They may also try underhanded tactics like offering a low-ball offer to get you to accept early. They might use a polite and convincing staff member to contact you over the phone and get you to unwillingly shift liability.
After your accident, you must inform your insurance company. Your policy will tell you how long you have to do this, but it could be within 24 hours. However, be careful what you say as anything you say could be used against you. The best way to avoid being tripped up here is to contact your attorney first and get them to speak to your insurance company. All it takes is a quick free consultation phone call to the Law Place early on so they can advise you before you have to speak to your insurance company.
What a Car Accident Lawyer in Tampa FL Can Do for You
Over 90% of cases that involve a personal injury car accident lawyer result in a payout for the victim, and on average, these payouts are around 60% more than those who seek compensation without an attorney according to research. It is important to note that these are averages, and the level of success for your claim entirely depends on your case.
So firstly, a quick free consultation with a skilled Tampa car accident attorney can give you the best chance of winning your claim and seeking the maximum compensation you deserve.
Besides that, we conduct the investigation and begin to collect evidence on your behalf. We will liaise with the Tampa car insurance companies, speak to witnesses, find police reports, and speak to first responders. We will build a case that gives you a position of power to negotiate with the insurance companies with. This means they can’t low ball you because your attorney will have a rough idea of what your claim is worth.
We will use this case to negotiate with the insurance companies and will hopefully succeed in getting you a settlement sum out of court that you are happy with. If not, then we use that strong case to take them to court and convince the court you deserve your compensation.
Most insurance companies will surrender at this point and offer a higher settlement, especially if you have an attorney with a good record at fighting court cases like yours in Tampa. This is another good reason to hire a skilled personal injury lawyer from The Law Place.
Finally, in most personal injury cases, we work on a contingency fee basis. This means it costs you nothing to hire us. We simply take a percentage of your compensation that we win for you. With the average contingency fees being around 25-33% and the average payout using an attorney being 60% higher on average, you can do the maths. We can explain this to you in your free consultation.
The Law Place
Contact The Law Place today on (941) 444-4444 for your free consultation. If you have been involved in an incident with an aggressive driver, and they have behaved negligently and caused you injury, you deserve compensation for your damages.
Don’t try to navigate the Florida legal system alone; get help from experienced lawyers who are dedicated to justice and making the roads a safer place to drive.
