What Compensation is Available after Amputation

A severe car wreck may cause injuries serious enough that a limb must be amputated.  There are some injuries that will heal, but when it comes to amputation, your life will be changed forever.

How do you cope with the loss of a limb or a digit?  How do you recover from that and move on with your life?  How do you know what the future will bring, and are you prepared to fight with an insurance company that is offering a settlement that will just barely cover medical bills?

Long before you are put in this position, have Herbert Law Group on speed dial.  Then, you can focus on recovering instead of fighting with an insurance company.

Traumatic Amputation and Non-Traumatic Amputation

In the world of medicine, there are two types of amputation.  Not that the procedure is done differently, the end result is the removal of a limb.  The difference is the cause that required a limb to be amputated.

Traumatic amputation occurs when the limb has suffered so much trauma, that there is no hope for it to heal on its own.  If your leg was crushed in a motorcycle wreck, to the point where it’s just mangled, traumatic amputation would remove it so the rest of your body can heal.  Sometimes limbs are “amputated” during the wreck, and unless great care is taken, they usually cannot be re-attached.

Non-traumatic amputation occurs when the limb is not healing properly.  This is usually seen in patients with poor blood flow.  The limb has no chance to survive, and it’s best to remove it.  After an accident, non-traumatic amputation can occur weeks, or even months, after the wreck.  Infections, poor blood flow, limbs that aren’t healing, and more can necessitate removal.

The Long Road to Recovery after the Loss of a Limb

If you have a limb amputated, it’s no secret to say that your life will be turned upside down for quite a while.  And it’s no secret to say that things will be different for the rest of your life.

But just how different will they be?

The initial healing process is naturally going to be the hardest.  Learning to use a prosthetic will take months, or even years, to master.  Simple daily tasks have to be adjusted, and coping skills learned when things don’t go as planned.

But consider the even longer lasting effects.  Will your relationships suffer?  Will you need therapy as a result of a failed marriage due to the loss of a limb?  How much will prosthetics cost?  How much will it cost to remodel your home to accommodate your new way of living?

These are all things that the insurance companies are hoping you don’t take into account.  Then, they can woo you in with a settlement that looks like it will suffice… but won’t meet all of your needs.

Contact Herbert Law Group to Receive Compensation that lets You Heal

In order to recover the amount you need to survive, heal, and fully get back to living your life, you need a car wreck attorney in Dallas that will go to bat for you.  You need Herbert Law Group.

With hundreds of cases behind us, we know just how to get the settlements that allow you to get your life back on track.  With the stress of dealing with insurance companies gone, you can focus all your energy on healing and living.

If you have been in a wreck and you have been injured (even if you didn’t lose a limb), we should talk!  Give us a call at 214-414-3808, or fill out the contact form on our site and we’ll be in touch with you.

The Witnesses can Help Your Car Accident Lawsuit

Ideally every vehicle would be equipped with a bunch of cameras that can be reviewed to determine exactly what happened.  We’re getting there, but the technology isn’t included in all vehicles yet.

For the time being, we rely on witnesses to give an account of what they saw happen, and how it all went down.

These car accident witnesses, however, often don’t know which information is important.  So we should ask probing questions to get the right information from them.

Ask Your Car Accident Witness What they Saw

Everyone’s account of the wreck will vary slightly; it’s just how we as humans analyze information.  Just ask the witnesses to describe, in their own words, what they saw.

Try not to lead them with sentences such as, “What did you see happen before that vehicle hit mine?” or “What’s your account of me being the victim of this wreck?”

If possible, ask their permission to voice record their account.  If not, ask them to write down what happened.

Ask Your Car Accident Witness if they Saw the Entire Wreck

It’s very important to know how much of the accident was witnessed.  Their account will be very different if they saw the entire thing, or if they turned their head to look when they heard the sound.

Likewise, make sure to note if they saw the collision, or if their view was partially obstructed.

Ask Your Car Accident Witness Where they Were

This is important to go in conjunction with the previous question.

Knowing what angle the witness saw the wreck from can tell an entirely different story.  Even to the point where the at-fault driver might look like the victim and the victim could look like the at-fault driver.

Ask Your Car Accident Witness if they Noticed other Witnesses

Because everyone will have a slightly different account of what happened in the wreck, and different angles and obstructions can lead to better or worse views, it’s important to get many different witnesses to provide their account of what happened.

Often people won’t want to stick around at the scene of an accident.  So make sure that you ask this question quickly enough so you can track down the other witnesses before they leave.

Get Help from Herbert Law Group for your Car Accident Claim

Before your questions to the witnesses are done, make sure they know they should give a statement with the police as well.  You have their account, but the police can put that into their official report.

And remember, before you start dealing with the insurance companies; talk with a Dallas, Texas car accident lawyer.  The insurance company will often try to settle for far less than you need to fully recover from the accident.

Give us a call at 214-414-3808, or fill out the contact form on our website, and we’ll be in touch.  Don’t worry, it’s a free call to get to know you and understand exactly how we can help you in this troubling time.

Know the Signs of this Common Injury if You’ve been in a Wreck

There are a lot of injuries that can happen after a wreck, from minor to serious.  In almost any wreck there are going to be bumps and bruises, but the most common that will require medical attention are in the neck and back.

Our spine supports the body, allows a passage for the spinal cord, and is why we can bend, twist, move, and shake.  When it’s injured, you want to make sure it’s “fixed.”

Whiplash the Most Common Neck Injury

When you’re hit from behind, your car and body lurch forward.  This sudden movement causes your head to get thrown backward.  When the car suddenly stops your head gets thrown forward; there’s a really good video on the Spine-Health website that shows what happens.

In the neck, your muscles, bones, discs, and tendons are all affected.  Depending on the severity of the whiplash, the results can range from mild discomfort, to severe pain and brain issues.

Symptoms of Whiplash:

• Neck pain and stiffness
• Loss of range of motion
• Headaches
• Fatigue
• Blurred vision
• Sleep disturbances
• Memory problems

It’s important to see a doctor right away if you have any discomfort in your neck after a car accident.  This common injury often does not appear severe immediately, but the pain and symptoms can worsen as your adrenaline levels come down and your body “realizes” that it is injured.

Long term maintenance with a chiropractor may be necessary.

Back Pain: The Most Common Injury

The back and neck usually go hand-in-hand because both are part of the spine.

From twisting, tweaking, stretching, and pulling, there are a lot of ways the back can be injured in a car accident.  Each one can have different levels of severity.

• Pulled muscles can result from the sudden and unexpected movement a car accident can put you through.
• Dislocated or misaligned vertebrae are common as the back stretches beyond what it is used to.
• Herniated discs are the result of severe compression, and often require surgery to fix.
• Bulging discs, like herniated discs, are less severe, but still painful result of compression.

Common back injuries take time to heal.  And often require ongoing maintenance from a chiropractor to ensure that the bones are healing properly.

Get Help from a Car Accident Lawyer

If you have been in a car accident, and you experience what you think are minor injuries, it can be tempting to accept the settlement from the insurance company.  You might think that you’ve been checked out by the doctor, and there are no major issues to be seen.

But then, a few weeks down the road, you start to experience more back pain.  It turns out that you have some alignment issues that will need further medical attention.  You can read Ashley’s Story to see how this all happens.

If you have accepted the settlement already, you won’t be able to go back and re-negotiate.

Instead, let Herbert Law Group help you from the start.  We’ll do all the heavy lifting, so you don’t have to worry about your back injury.  We know what to expect, and we’ll get a settlement that fully provides for your needs.

Give us a call at 214-414-3808, or fill out the contact form on our site, and we’ll be in touch.

The 5 Driving Apps You Should be Using

Driving in a metro area can get a little cumbersome.  There’s a lot of traffic, patterns can change quickly, and if you’re not familiar with the area you can miss turns or important stopping points (like where to get some gas).

Fortunately, we don’t have to rely on old directions or paper maps any more.  With our handy smart phones we can tap into the power of the internet to get us where we’re going.  And hopefully get us there without getting into a car accident.

We’ve put together a list of the top 5 driving apps you should have on your phone to help navigate tricky roads.

Waze for Best Traffic Navigation

There has been a long standing war between Apple Maps and Google Maps.  A battle that doesn’t even matter when you opt for the crowd sourced Waze app.

Waze guides you to where you need to go, gives you alerts for traffic, accidents, and police activity, and overall functions much better than any other map software out there.

It will even redirect you to the fastest route if there’s an accident or traffic is otherwise slowed up ahead.

GasBuddy for Best Rates on Filling Up

If you grew up in a small town or even a little city, there’s not much difference in gas prices.  You might save a penny or two by heading down the road.

But when you are in a bigger metro area, that’s all different.  Prices can be substantially different if you fill up at the beginning, or at the end, of your commute.

That’s where GasBuddy comes into play.  With an easy to read, easy to use, map that shows you exactly where to get gas so you’re not overspending at the pump, they have your back.  There are a lot more features, but finding a great rate on gas is the most used.

Plugshare for Best Places to Recharge

With the increase in electric vehicles comes the increase in places to recharge them.  Relying on just those listed in search engines can be a recipe for letting your battery get a bit too low.

As GasBuddy directs you to the best places to refill the gas tank, Plugshare directs you to the best places to plug in and recharge.  Some are free, some have a small fee, and some are Tesla only and marked as such.

Parkopedia for the Best Places to Park Your Rig

Parking can be a nightmare when it comes to traveling.  Especially when you’re in a city and everywhere is demanding hundreds of dollars a day just to leave your vehicle in one place!

Parkopedia has your back on this one.  Listing parking garages nearby, their rates, and whether it’s open to the public or only those visiting that facility, this app can help you get your vehicle stashed safely for the night.

MileIQ for the Best Mileage Tracker

If you are self employed, or have to drive a lot for work, you know the benefit of writing off your miles driven.  But keeping track of them can be a hassle!  Half the time you forget to write down the miles, and then you’re racking your brain to remember where you went and when.

With an app like MileIQ, you don’t have to worry about that.  It runs in the background and tallies up your miles for you.  No guessing on how many miles, or trying to remember what you drove for.

This is the only app we listed that isn’t free.  It’s $60/year after the trial period.

Come to Herbert Law Group if You’ve Been in an Accident

Whether you’re driving for work, for pleasure, or driving because you have to do that last minute Christmas shopping because nobody told you that you drew Aunt Ruth’s name in the gift exchange this year, there’s always the chance of getting in an accident; even when using the best driving apps.

If that happens to you, then you need a personal injury lawyer on your side.  We help you get the most out of your settlement, so you can heal without the stress of finances weighing you down.

Give us a call at 214-414-3808, or fill out the contact page and we’ll be in touch for your free initial consultation.

Understanding Fault in a Multi-Car Accident

Often a car accident is pretty easy to determine fault.  One driver fails to obey the laws of the road, and crashes into another causing property damage and personal injury.

But what if the car that hits you wasn’t the car that’s at fault?

Suppose you’re rear ended, but only because the vehicle behind you was also rear ended?  Or there was another situation where a vehicle (or another object) was pushed into your vehicle?  Let’s see what we should do in order to make your insurance claim, and potential case, go more smoothly.

5 Steps to Take after a Multi-Car Accident

As with all accidents, there are a few “rules” to follow so you can ensure that you remain safe, but also information is collected that can help move your settlement or case in the right direction.

1 – Call 911.  In a multi-car pileup, there will likely be numerous calls for emergency personnel.  Go ahead and call as well, especially if there is a serious injury in your vehicle.

2 – Stay in the car.  When there are a bunch of vehicles involved, it’s often due to weather.  Icy roads or low visibility means that there’s a strong chance that another vehicle is going to collide with the pileup.  The safest place you can be is in your vehicle.

3 – Take pictures and video.  The more time that passes after an accident, the less you will remember.  Make a video that shows as much of the scene as possible from your vehicle.  Narrate what you experienced so that when your car accident lawyer, the police, or a judge, has to review later they know just what happened to you.

4 – Gather information.  When it is safe (usually after emergency crews are on scene), continue to take video, get contact information from witnesses, and make sure that you seek medical attention right away.  Even if you “feel fine” your adrenaline may be coursing through your body and when it wears off you will end up hurting.

5 – Call us.  Notify your favorite multi-car accident lawyer so they are prepared.  In this case that would be Herbert Law Group, of course.

How Long with a Multi-Car Accident Claim Take?

Motor vehicle accident claims can take a while.  When there is a complex case, it can take quite a bit longer.  Sometimes there is investigative work needed to determine who is at fault for the accident.

The best way to keep things moving along and to ensure you receive a settlement quickly, is to make sure there is a lot of evidence that shows what happened.  The faster it can be determined who was at fault, the faster settlements can come in.

Herbert Law Group Helps with Multi-Car Accidents

Whether you were involved in a three car pileup, or a 300 car pileup, we are here to help.

To get started, just fill out the contact form on our site, or give us a call at 214-414-3808 and we can have a no obligation conversation to see how we can help.

The Right Coverage Should Protect You

It’s illegal to drive without auto insurance.  But there are studies that show that between 8% and 14% of drivers in Texas are cruising around without insurance on their vehicles.

If you’re in an accident with someone that doesn’t have insurance, you can sue them for damages.  Of course if they’re going the cheap route and driving without coverage, they likely don’t have any assets that they can use to reimburse you for the loss.

When you do everything right, you can still end up being the victim because someone else is doing it wrong.  That’s why we need to make sure to maintain the right insurance coverage before we hit the road.

Liability Insurance Coverage

Everyone needs to maintain at least liability insurance coverage.  This is what protects you in case you mess up and damage someone else’s property.  Essentially, it shifts the liability from you, to the insurance company.

State minimums insist on $30,000 coverage for injuries, and $25,000 for property damage.  But if you total someone’s brand new luxury automobile, you’re going to exceed that $25k really quickly; so you might want to talk to your agent about increasing that amount.

Collision and Comprehensive Coverage

Collision and Comprehensive are added on to create “full coverage.”  Collision coverage fixes or replaces your vehicle if you’re in a wreck and you’re at fault (that wreck could be colliding with a tree, a wall, or really anything other than an animal).

Comprehensive covers most things that are “other than collision.”  These include theft, a fire, vandalism, or collisions with animals.

You will have a deductible for this aspect of your insurance, so a savings account that can pay at least the deductible is essential.

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage

Because as many as 14% of drivers are out there without proper coverage, insurance have to add on uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage.  The only way to get around this is if you inform them, in writing, that you don’t want it.  But it’s a relatively small line item on your insurance, so you might as well keep it.

The UIM coverage makes sure that your hospital bills are paid if you’re hit by a driver that doesn’t have insurance or doesn’t have enough insurance to cover everything.  What it often does not pay is to fix your vehicle (it varies by insurers, so check with your agent).

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Property Damage Coverage

To make sure that your vehicle is repaired or replaced after someone else wrecks into you (and if they take off, or they straight up don’t have insurance), you want to look into an uninsured or underinsured motorist property damage rider on your policy.

This specific coverage is just to pay for the property damage you otherwise would be stuck paying for out of pocket.  It’s not an option with every insurer, and it’s rarely discussed in that insurance meeting.  Depending on the cost, it might be an easy and cheap way to protect your personal property.

Other Coverages Included in Most Plans

Most plans will add on other little benefits for really cheap.  They’re things like towing, rental car reimbursement, roadside assistance, and the like.  Often they’re just a dollar or two per month, and can be a great benefit if you need them.

Herbert Law Group is here to Help You Heal

What if you have the right coverage and your insurance company is denying your claim?

What if you are injured and the other driver had insurance, but you aren’t sure if the settlement offer is adequate?

What if you can’t be bothered to deal with insurance companies after a major wreck, and all you want to do is focus on healing from your injuries?

Then you need Herbert Law Group.  We are here to take away the stress after an accident, so that you can focus your energy on getting better.

Give us a call at 214-414-3808, or fill out the contact form on our site to get started with your free conversation to see how we can help you heal.

Why it’s not Enough to Visit your Primary Care Physician

When you’re injured in a wreck, what doctor do you go see?

We have cardiac physicians to ensure our hearts are in good condition.  We have neurologists for the brain.  We have Obstetricians for pregnancy.  But there isn’t really a “Car Wreck” doctor.

If you’re injured in a car wreck and your injuries are severe, you end up in the emergency room, and then perhaps you are released or transferred to a hospital room to heal.  After that, most people follow up with their primary care physician (PCP).

An essential part of your overall health and wellness, your PCP may not be enough to ensure you heal fully after a car wreck.

Why You Should See Your Primary Care Physician after a Car Wreck

Your PCP helps you maintain your health.  Generally you visit them for an annual checkup that ensures preventative care, treating minor or common illnesses; this doc monitors your body for dangerous diseases or conditions, and makes referrals to specialists.

You absolutely should talk about your wreck and injuries with your PCP, and make sure that you tell him or her about all the issues you’re facing.  Don’t be tough; now isn’t the time to “walk it off” so you’re not a bother.  Talk about:

1 – Minor aches and pains; they can indicate complications coming later on.

2 – Rashes, cuts, and lacerations; infection may exacerbate the problem.

3 – Difficulty in motor skills; these can indicate neurological issues.

4 – Numbness, tingling, or other sensations; neck and back problems often manifest this way.

5 – Regular doctor visit “stuff”; don’t stop seeing your PCP on account of the wreck.

Insurance companies try to pay out the bare minimum after a wreck.  If you don’t discuss all of your pains with your PCP, there may not be enough of a record to indicate that you were actually injured in the wreck.  If too much time passes, and suddenly you are making a claim that your injuries are worse than they were, it can be argued that they didn’t occur in the accident itself.

Why You Should See a Specialist after a Car Wreck

Your PCP is the first line of defense.  They know how your body should be functioning, and can spot when something isn’t right.  From there, you can visit a specialist that understands the issue and can help to fix it.

These specialists have often seen a number of car wreck victims.  And they know the legal jargon, they know how to treat victims, and importantly they know how to create the notes that will help show that your injuries were severe.

If your claim goes to court, the specialist is the one that will testify on your behalf.

Why You Should Contact Herbert Law Group after a Car Wreck

From the time the car wreck happens, throughout the process, and usually long afterward, you are going to be going through a healing process.

When you’re healing, you need to focus on getting better.  The mental stress of dealing with insurance companies, as well as everything else that life throws at you, can slow, or even prevent, that healing.

Let’s take that stress off your plate.  After a car wreck, get in touch with Herbert Law Group.  Let us deal with insurance and legal issues, help get you a settlement that covers your needs, all while you get better.

Call us at 214-414-3808, or fill out the contact form on our website to get started with your free consultation.

 

How Data Helps in Your Settlement Offer

After a plane crash we hear a lot about the black box.  This “indestructible” unit holds vital information on what happened just before the crash, and can help investigators determine what exactly happened.

But did you know that your vehicle likely contains its own black box?

Depending on when your vehicle was made, different data is recorded; the technology has changed over the years.  For vehicles made after the year 2000, it’s likely there is an Event Data Recorder (or EDR) installed in the vehicle that keeps track of vital data that can help to prove fault (or lack thereof) in your car accident settlement (you can see if your vehicle is supported on this PDF).

How the Black Box Data Helps You

Most black box recording start about 20 seconds before the accident.  They are actually constantly recording, but unless there is an event, the data is overwritten right away.

After a crash, the data stored may include:

• Speed at time of impact
• Airbag deployment time
• Tilt of the vehicle
• Brake usage
• Seatbelt usage
• Steering events

In some cases, such as with newer vehicles, the onboard cameras may be recorded as well.  Vehicles like the Tesla include 8 cameras that give a full 360 view around the car and are extremely helpful to determine what exactly happened.

Keep in mind that without court orders, owner consent, or a few other circumstances, nobody is allowed to access this data.  That is to say, unless you say you want to have it, it’s not going to automatically be saved for you.

Act Before it Erases to Protect Your Car Accident Settlement

There’s a time limit on accessing this data though.  Often around 30 days until the data is deleted or marked to be overwritten.

If your crash wasn’t severe enough to total out the vehicle, it will likely head to an auto body shop.  At the shop it can sit for weeks before parts arrive, or until it gets to the front of the line to be worked on.

Even if your vehicle is fixed before that 30 day mark, sensors and data is often reset before the vehicle is returned to you.  Your car accident settlement may be hurt if you don’t extract the data soon enough.

Your Dallas Area Car Accident Settlement Attorney

Here at Herbert Law Group we are all about helping you get back on the road to recovery.

Studies show that our bodies will heal from physical injuries much more slowly if we are suffering from high levels of stress.  Accidents can tend to cause stress, then dealing with insurance companies, settlements, and still paying the bills while  you may be laid up with injuries… well that makes life even more stressful.

If you have been in a wreck where you’re injured, you need a personal injury lawyer to get rid of some of that stress.  You focus on healing; we focus on getting you the settlement you need.

Give us a call at 214-414-3808 or fill out our contact form and we can get started with your free initial consultation to see how Herbert Law Group can help you heal.

After a Wreck, What Damages do you Incur?

Every wreck is going to be different.  But there’s a common thread that we see go through the majority of them: most people don’t take into account the actual costs associated.  Car accident damages add up quickly; if you’re not on top of it, you may end up footing the bill for someone else’s negligence.

Here at Herbert Law Group our goal is to make sure that you’re fully compensated so you can focus on the only thing that matters: getting better.  So if you’ve been in a car accident here in Texas, this is what you need to pay attention to in order to recover what you deserve.

Damages to your Personal Property

These types of car accident damages include anything that you own.  Here in the US we generally refer to property as real estate, but it goes beyond that.  Most of the time your vehicle is going to be banged up after a car accident, but there can be a little more.  If your laptop was in the vehicle and it was damaged, make sure the police report makes note of that.

In smaller wrecks the damage to the vehicle can be resolved by taking it to an auto body repair shop.  But bigger ones will likely total the vehicle.

Lost Wages Damage Your Finances

Lost wages isn’t just about missing a couple of days of work.  That’s easy to calculate.  Lost wages includes those missed days, and a whole lot more.

What if you can’t fully perform your job duties?  How many promotions are you going to miss out on?  What if you find that a year from now you can’t work more than 4 or 5 hours per day?  How will you determine what your lost wages are in the future?  A good attorney can figure all these into your car accident damages so that you’re compensated for lost wages now, and in the future.

Immediate and Ongoing Medical Expenses

After a wreck, you may be hurt or injured.  The most important thing to do after an injury is to get checked out at a hospital as soon as possible!  If we need to fight the insurance company to pay for the medical bills, then you want great documentation that you didn’t wait for treatment.

But there’s more than just stitching up cuts and setting broken bones.  Medical expenses can include:

• Physical therapy
• Mental therapy
• Disability
• Ongoing treatment
• Medical supplies
• Personal Care Services

Depending on the severity of your injuries, you may not be able to be treated once and then move on.  Treatment could last the rest of your life; treatment that can get expensive over the years.

Emotional Pain and Suffering

Suppose you’re driving, and another driver runs a red light smashing into your vehicle.  Now suppose you had a young child in the back of the vehicle, safely secured, who didn’t survive the wreck.

Can you imagine the mental anguish you will go through?  What if you had been going a little slower?  What if you had taken a different route?  What if you had put him or her on the other side of the vehicle?

Pain and suffering is hard to calculate because it’s different for everyone.  Your life could be forever turned upside down, something that easing the financial burden after a wreck can help you cope with.

Other Expenses that Pop up

Wrecks are expensive.  You have to have the vehicle towed, you have to shop for a new vehicle, you have to get a rental car while you find a replacement car… and that’s not to mention the cost of going to the store to buy over-the-counter meds to stave off the aches and pains.

There are a ton of little expenses that will add up.  All of these should be accounted for so that you’re not stuck footing the bill for someone else’s negligence.

Let Herbert Law Group Help You Collect the Car Accident Damages You Deserve

Here at Herbert Law Group, we focus on helping the victims of vehicle accidents.  We know that the insurance companies are going to try to offer as little as possible.  And they have ways of making it look like you’re getting compensated for the car accident damages that you’ve incurred.

But most of the time, you’re not getting a fair deal.  If you’ve been in a car accident, and you or a loved one was injured or killed, then we should talk about it to make sure you’re going to be able to heal completely.

Simply fill out the contact form on our site, or give us a call at 214-414-3808 for your free consultation.

How to Handle Road Rage Drivers

There are a lot of people that drive in the Dallas area.  With that traffic comes frustrations and often road rage.  Regardless of what time of day, tempers can flare, and road rage accidents become fatal.

Some of the deadliest roads in Texas intersect in the DFW area.  And as populations continue to climb, traffic will increase, and tensions will run high.

Road Rage Accidents Occur Most Often at Rush Hour

At the end of a long day, most people just want to get home and relax.  They’re probably hungry, stressed, and need to put their feet up for a bit.

But when you’re stuck in rush hour traffic, it takes a whole lot of patience to wait for what seems like FOR-EV-ER to get home.  That irritation can quickly change to anger if another motorist, in just as much of a hurry, cuts you off.

Now imagine you’re the other driver. You’re cool, calm, and collected.  You see a small gap in traffic so you squeeze your way in.  Now, Mr. I’m-on-the-verge-of-snapping finally snaps.  He’s right on your bumper, you see some interesting hand gestures, and you can see that he’s screaming at you.

Aggressive driving is actually a punishable offense, and according to the Texas Department of Transportation, drivers can be fined $200 and could end up in jail if they commit moving violations with aggressive driving.

But we don’t want it to get there.  If a road rage accident happens, you could end up hurt, or dead.  Unfortunately stories of road rage ending in shootings have become more and more common; including this one from July 2021 in Irving.

How to Deal with a Road Raging Driver

Obviously, we don’t want things to get to that point.  Some people are just angry people, but most of the time, you can de-escalate a situation before a car accident occurs, or before someone gets mad enough to start shooting at you.

The Texas Department of Transportation has listed a few tips on how you can avoid, minimize, or de-escalate when road rage happens:

• Stay calm. Keep your emotions in check.
• Plan ahead and anticipate delays.
• Focus on your own driving. Be cautious and considerate.
• Avoid creating a situation that may cause provocation.
• Give angry drivers plenty of room.
• Avoid eye contact.
• Use the left lane only when passing.
• Use your horn sparingly.
• Don’t tailgate or flash your lights behind someone.
• Don’t yell obscenities or make inappropriate hand gestures, and don’t respond to drivers who do.
• If you’re concerned for your safety, call 911.

After a Road Rage Accident you Need a Car Crash Attorney in Dallas

Road rage leads to a lot of accidents every year.  The Zebra compiled some stats that show there are over 12,000 injuries and over 200 murders each year that are the result of road rage.

If you are involved in one of them, you need to know your rights!

With the help of a car crash attorney, like Herbert Law Group, you can receive the compensation that you deserve, in order to help you fully heal from your injuries.

Involved in a road rage accident?  Call us at 214-414-3808 or simply fill out the contact form and we will be in touch.