CALL/TXT JAKE GUNTER ABOUT YOUR ROAD RAGE ACCIDENT INJURIES (801) 373-6345
Aggressive Driving Car Accidents in Utah have special aspects that a skilled and seasoned car accident lawyer is best suited to handle. Utah car accident injury attorney Jake Gunter has been in the courtroom for 20 years. Let his experience work for you when you are seriously injured.
What are Aggressive Driving Accidents in Utah?
Common aggressive, road rage driving accident are:
Sudden acceleration from a sopped position.
Excessive speeding and stopping causing or nearly causing multiple accidents.
Tailgating.
Cutting off other drivers illegally and aggressively.
Failure to yield to stop signs and on-coming traffic.
Weaving in and out of lanes aggressively.
Blocking other driving from changing lanes.
Intentionally running red lights and stop signs.
Accelerating to beat a yellow light causing an accident.
Changing lanes illegally and aggressively, following you around the roadway.
Break checking someone behind you. Repeatedly hitting the brakes for no reason.
Street racing/exhibition of Speed Contests.
Who Gets Injured from Aggressive Driving in Utah?
Pedestrians. Pedestrians unaware of erratic driving are common victims of aggressive drivers.
Bicyclists. Bicyclists on the roadway or on near the side of the road are victims of erratic aggressive road rage driving.
Multi-Car Pileups. Highway speed road rage often will hit multiple cars and cause damage to multiple vehicles not even involved in the road rage parties.
Car Accidents. Common side-swiping and rear-ending occurs with aggressive driving accidents.
Rollovers. One-car rollovers or multiple car rollovers when aggressive driving occurs on interstate 15 or I-80.
Who Determines Fault in Road Rage Car Accidents?
The Utah Comparative Fault Act determines who is at-fault for any car accident in Utah. Aggressive, road rage accidents are no different. Utah is a 49 percent state. Meaning that your fault attributed to the road rage accident can’t be more than 49 percent.
Ultimately the jury or a judge sitting without a jury, makes the ultimate decision on how much at-fault each party was. If the jury decides you were greater than 49 percent at-fault, you lose and you receive nothing. The jury is barred from giving your money damages for your injuries.
It is OK if the jury find you 49% at-fault. Or 37% at-fault for the accident. The jury cannot find you 49.3% at-fault or great than 50% at-fault.
When multiple cars are involved in a road rage or aggressive driving accident the jury will apportion fault against all of them. A special verdict questionnaire will be sent to the jury and look like this:
Defendant Car 1. 60% at-fault.
Plaintiff. Car 2. 20% at-fault.
Car 3. 20% at-fault.
Total $100,000 to Injured Plaintiff.
In this situation you as the inured plaintiff will receive 20% percent less money because you were deemed 20% at-fault for the car accident. If the jury awarded you $100,000, the judge will off-set that award by $20,000, or 20% to reflect the jury’s contribution of fault to the accident.
Punitive Damages in Intentional Road Rage Accidents.
Unlike simple, negligence car accidents. Road rage accidents involve intentional conduct sometimes deserving of punitive damages. Normal general and special damages in vanilla car accident involving simple carelessness are meant to make the person whole.
Punitive damages are to teach a lesson to the offender. Punitive damages in Utah are not a cause of action, but a remedy deserving from the conduct of the at-fault party and must be plead as a remedy. DUIs are examples of car accident where punitive damages are availabe.