Any form of road rage can be dangerous and lead to accidents that cause serious injuries. While it is a phenomenon that can be triggered by very bad driving errors, some people will become angry when driving for the most trivial matters. Importantly, if you’re injured in an accident caused by another driver’s road rage, you could be eligible to make a road rage compensation claim.

If you’ve been the victim of road rage and believe you should be compensated, we could help. Our team offers a free initial consultation so you can explain what happened and ask any questions you might have. You’ll receive free legal advice and could be partnered with one of our personal injury solicitors if a claim appears viable. If they agree to represent you, you won’t need to pay any legal fees unless you receive compensation because of their No Win No Fee service.

To find out if you might be entitled to compensation for road rage, please call our free accident claims line on 0800 6524 881 today. Alternatively, to find out more before getting in touch, please read on.

What Is Road Rage?

Road rage, in itself, is not defined by law. Essentially, it is angry or aggressive behaviour by a vehicle driver that’s been triggered by an event on the road. Some examples of road rage include:

• Sudden braking in front of another vehicle.
• Sounding the horn of the vehicle aggressively.
• Riding too close to a cyclist to intimidate them.
• Aggressive undertaking or overtaking.
• Blocking another vehicle from merging into traffic.
• Driving deliberately slowly to make other drivers suffer.
• Cutting in front of other vehicles at the very last minute.
• Tailgating the car in front to intimidate them.
• Shouting, gesturing and flashing the vehicle’s lights at another driver.
• Weaving through traffic.

All of the above examples of road rage are potentially dangerous and could lead to an accident. We won’t look at the criminal aspect of road rage in this guide but not having full control of a vehicle is an offence under the Road Traffic Act 1988 which could result in prosecution.

Am I Eligible To Make A Road Rage Compensation Claim?

Our personal injury solicitors will always check your claim against several criteria before agreeing to represent you. For road rage compensation claims, they will assess whether:

• The other driver (the defendant) breached their duty of care set out by the Road Traffic Act through an act of road rage; and
• An accident occurred as a result; and
• Injuries were sustained by the claimant in the accident.

Proving the cause of a road rage incident can be tricky but our solicitors have the skills and experience to put together as strong a case as possible.

Common Injuries Caused By Road Rage

The type and extent of injuries road rage victims sustain depend on the angry driver’s actions and the type of incident they get involved in. Being at the receiving end of an abusive tirade can be frightening, especially as there’s no way to know if the episode will escalate and turn physical. The psychological scars following a road rage incident can be just as debilitating as physical injuries.

You could potentially be compensated for any injury resulting from road rage. Some of the most common that can occur include:

• Concussions and other head injuries.
• Fractured jaw and cheekbone injuries (typically from assault).
• Ligament, tendon or muscle damage (including whiplash).
• Cuts and lacerations.
• Broken bones.
• Severe bruising.
• Back injuries.
• PTSD.

If you believe that you should be compensated for injuries resulting from a road rage incident, please contact our team today.

What To Do If You’re The Victim Of Road Rage

You have a legal right to be compensated for any injuries caused by somebody else’s in a road rage incident. This holds good for both physical and psychological injuries.

If you are a victim of road rage, you can protect your legal rights and increase your chances of being compensated by taking a few simple steps:

• Call the police. When you call the police tell the call handler quickly but clearly that you are being harassed by an angry, irrational driver, and tell them your exact location.
• Stay in your vehicle and do not interact with the other driver. No matter what the driver says, don’t take the bait. You cannot win an argument with an irate, unreasonable person. Instead, it may only make a bad situation worse. It’s best to avoid any confrontation and stay in your vehicle until the police arrive.
• Stay where you are even if the driver drives away. If you have already called the police, you should be there when they arrive. Stay put and file a report with the police. Meanwhile, if it’s safe to do so, check yourself and the other occupants of the vehicle for injuries.
• Call for an ambulance if anyone is seriously injured. Getting immediate medical attention for serious injuries is crucial. Serious injuries can cause lifelong problems if not treated on time.
• Seek medical attention for less serious injuries too. Calling an ambulance may be unwarranted for less serious injuries but these should not go unchecked. Make sure to visit a local hospital or minor injuries unit at the earliest to ensure you don’t have any hidden injuries.
• Record the incident while it’s happening if possible. Having a recording of the road rage incident can provide irrefutable proof, which can make it easier to win your road rage compensation claim. However, you should only attempt to do this if it is safe. You do not want to enrage the other driver even more. If you cannot record the incident, get photographs of the scene of the incident when it is safe to do so. Get photographs of everything related to the incident, from the road conditions to any vehicle damage and any visible injuries.
• Check if there are CCTV cameras in the area. These days many establishments, from petrol stations and banks to restaurants and shops, have security cameras installed. Check if any of these cameras captured the road rage and if so request a copy of the footage.
• Ask for contact details of witnesses at the scene. Getting witness statements can lend weight to your road rage injury claim. If any other drivers or pedestrians witnessed the incident, ask for their contact details so you can get in touch with them later if necessary. Even better if they have dashcam footage of the road rage attack that they can provide you as evidence.
• Speak to a personal injury solicitor. Call 0800 6524 881 and a personal injury solicitor could advise you as to what you should do next.

How Much Compensation For Road Rage Could I Claim?

The purpose of making a personal injury claim is to try and get you back to the situation you were in prior to the road rage incident. Therefore, if your claim is successful, it could include damages to cover:

• The pain and suffering you endured (both at the time and moving forwards).
• Any stress, anxiety or other forms of mental harm.
• Damage to your personal items including your clothes, jewellery or phone.
• Any negative impact your road rage injuries have on your usual activities.
• Loss of income and future losses as well.
• Medical costs (e.g. physiotherapy or prescription fees).
• The cost of a carer.
• Travel costs.
• Ramps, handrails, lifts or other home modifications if you’re left disabled by the road rage attack.

Assessing the value of your road rage compensation claim is important as once it’s settled you can’t request more compensation if you’re unhappy with the outcome. If your case is handled by one of our specialist solicitors, they’ll get a full understanding of how you’ve been affected to try and secure the highest amount of compensation possible.

Road Rage Injury Compensation Calculator

It is important to note that compensation for road rage injuries is largely based on the severity of the injuries. Therefore, until your solicitor has reviewed your claim fully, it’s not possible to say the exact amount you could be entitled to. However, our compensation calculator lists some of the common road rage injuries and their compensation ranges:

To ascertain the extent of your injuries, you’ll need a medical assessment as part of your road rage injury claim. This is usually arranged locally with an independent specialist. During your appointment, your injuries will be assessed and you’ll discuss how they’ve affected you since the incident.

Your solicitor will use the medical report to determine exactly how much compensation for road rage you’ll claim.

Hit & Run Road Rage Injury Claims

It is not unheard of for a road rage driver to leave the scene of an accident. This is known as hit and run. You might think this means you can’t be compensated for your injuries especially if you didn’t manage to write down the vehicle’s number plate.

However, the insurance industry has a scheme to fund hit-and-run (and uninsured driver) compensation claims. It’s called the Motor Insurers Bureau and is funded by a levy on all motor insurance policies.

Our solicitors could help you to claim in this situation. To give yourself the best chance of being compensated, you should write down as much as possible about the accident and the other vehicle involved and then contact our team for a free review of your claim.

Please refer to our guide to hit-and-run claims if you’d like more information on this process.

Time Limits For Claiming Road Rage Compensation

A road rage claim must be started within a 3-year limitation period. In most cases, this will begin from the date of the accident. We would suggest that you seek legal representation as soon as possible rather than waiting until the 3 years is up. This will usually make it easier for evidence and medical reports to be collected to support your claim.

If liability for your claim is accepted quite quickly, compensation could be paid within 6 to 9 months. Where more time is needed to get a full understanding of your injuries or to negotiate liability for them, the claims process can sometimes take more than a year.

Starting The Road Rage Compensation Claims Process

Our team is here to help on 0800 6524 881 if you’re ready to take action against a road rage driver. If you get in touch, we could review your claim with you, provide legal advice and explain your options.

Remember, any claim for road rage injuries taken on by our solicitors will be managed on a No Win No Fee basis. Knowing that you won’t need to pay your solicitor unless you’re compensated will certainly make the claims process less stressful.

You can connect with our live chat service at any time if you have any further questions about the road rage compensation claims process.