Mississippi Drivers in Danger of Being Involved in Auto Collisions Because of Rental Car Defects

When you are making plans to get away for the summer, rental car reservations are merely one of the many tasks that must be handled.  Although you may give a fair amount of thought to issues like how much to spend, size of your vehicle and type of vehicle, you probably will not spend a lot of time worrying about if the vehicle is actually safe.  Unfortunately, major rental car agencies currently can and do rent cars, SUVs and vans that have been recalled without remedying the problem.

The notion of renting a car while traveling that has a leaky fuel system, faulty brakes or tires prone to a blowout is frightening.  However, there is no legal requirement that a rental car agency repair a defective motor vehicle before it is again re-rented to another patron.  Federal law does protect consumers from defective motor vehicles by issues vehicle recalls.  Sadly, the requirement that unsafe component parts or systems be corrected prior to a vehicle being made available to a consumer applies to new vehicle sales but not rental cars.

Given the substantial danger posed by renting a car with a safety defect, the House of Representatives announced a proposed bill this week that would force rental car agencies to eliminate product defects that are the subject of a recall before the vehicle can be rented to a new customer.  While the four largest car rental companies in the U.S. claim that they do not rent cars subject to recall until the problem has been addressed, three of these car rental companies have refused to sign a voluntary agreement assuring consumers that they would not do so in the future.

The reluctance of rental car companies to take appropriate steps to prevent consumer from being exposed to defective motor vehicles has prompted the federal government to take action.  The Safe Rental Car Act of 2012 would impose a mandatory requirement that rental car companies comply with any defective vehicle recalls before a motor vehicle can again be made available for rental by patrons.  Because the legislation has not yet been passed, consumers should specifically ask whether the rental car that they are being offered is the subject of any pending recall.

While some might believe it unlikely that a defective rental car would be involved in a Mississippi car accident, the mother of two daughters that died in a fatal collision involving a defective rental car created the motivation for this legislation.  Two sisters in their early twenties died in a head-on collision with a commercial truck after their vehicle rented from Enterprise ignited because of a defective fuel system that had previously been recalled.  If you or a loved one has been injured or you have lost a loved one in a Mississippi car accident, our experienced Mississippi car accident lawyers at Barrett Law represent clients throughout Mississippi so call us today for a free no obligation initial case evaluation at (662) 834-2376.  Our law firm has roots that reach back over 75 years helping car accident victims in Mississippi just like you.

 

 

 

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Will Spending More for Vehicles with Crash Avoidance Systems Put You at Greater Risk?

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There are an increasing number of technological safety innovations that are intended to reduce the probability that drivers will be involved in auto collisions in Mississippi.  Many of these safety improvements involve crash avoidance systems designed to warn distracted drivers who are not paying attention to the road that they are at-risk of being involved in a collision.  Distracted driving is a growing epidemic that threatens to surpass DUI as the most significant auto accident safety risk.  Unfortunately, there is new evidence that crash warning systems designed to prevent serious injuries and wrongful deaths in car accidents may do more harm than good.

A recent study revealed that high-tech lane departure systems that are intended to prevent distracted drivers from drifting into adjacent lanes may be causing more auto accidents.  The lane departure systems, which are currently only available in high-end models, promote car accidents rather than prevent them.  The study conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) reached the surprising conclusion that lane departure warning systems increase the risk of being involved in a collision by ten percent.

The researchers advanced a number of theories to explain the unexpected results of the study.  The primary theory was that drivers annoyed by the warning alarms or the irritated by the over-sensitivity of the system in responding to minor side-to-side movement within a lane may simply disable the systems.  A similar explanation is that drivers simply grow indifferent to the constant warnings and disregard the alarms.  While this seems like a plausible response from drivers that are frustrated or annoyed by these early warning systems, it seems lacking as an explanation for the higher risk of collision.  It would seem that disabling the crash avoidance warning would put drivers in the same position as drivers who had vehicles that were not equipped with this technology.  This type of explanation would suggest that the car accident risk should be the same for cars equipped with lane departure technology rather than ten percent higher.

The unexpected results of the study are being dismissed as a result of the small sample size.  Even the IIHS has indicated that if all cars were equipped with lane departure systems that were used correctly (i.e. not disabled or ignored), the result would be over 7,500 fewer fatal auto accidents annually.  Despite the poor showing for lane departure warning systems, crash avoidance systems that warn drivers that they are about to collide with the vehicle immediately in front of them and apply the brakes to avoid such a collision performed much better.

While this technology may still need tweaking, technology that relies on cameras, sensors, radar and computer technology potentially represents a new era in traffic safety.   Most existing vehicle safety technology, such as airbags, lap belts and shoulder harnesses focus entirely on reducing the severity of injuries when Mississippi car accidents occur.  This new paradigm in traffic safety is intended to not only reduce injury severity and fatalities, but prevent collisions from even occurring.  If someone you love is injured or a loved one dies in a Mississippi car accident, our experienced Mississippi auto accident attorneys may be able to help you seek compensation for your injuries or loss of a loved one.  At Barrett Law, our experienced Mississippi personal injury lawyers represent injury victims throughout Mississippi.  Our law firm has roots that reach back 75 years so contact us today for your free initial consultation at (662) 834-2376 to see how we can help.

 

 

 

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Mississippi Auto Accident Litigation Strategy: Identifying a Viable Defendant

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Serious auto accidents occur daily in Mississippi involving drivers that disregard safe driving practices and violate the speed limit, text and drive, drive while intoxicated and otherwise engage in dangerous driving behavior.  While you may have a legal right to pursue compensation in a Mississippi auto accident claim, sometimes identifying a viable defendant in a position to satisfy a judgment or settlement.  Even when a Mississippi auto accident results in devastating permanent injuries that involve enormous medical expenses or permanent disability from employment, it may not be feasible to pursue a personal injury lawsuit if there is not source of funds to satisfy a Mississippi auto accident settlement or verdict.  Our experienced Mississippi auto accident attorneys carefully investigate our clients’ cases to identify potential defendants and employ creative litigation strategies to obtain a fair financial recovery for our personal injury clients.

Many times there is a third-party that may also have contributed to your Mississippi auto accident.  Depending on the facts and circumstances of your case, a wide range of third parties may be liable for your injuries. If the person who was at fault in your auto accident was performing a work-related function, the company that employs the driver may be responsible for your injuries. These cases can be complex because many times the employer will dispute whether the particular tasks that the driver was engaged in were within the scope of employment.  It is not necessarily dispositive that the task occurred after hours or even that the employee voluntarily decided to undertake the errand.

Even if the driver of a vehicle does not have insurance, the owner of the vehicle who entrusted the driver with the vehicle may be liable for your injuries. When someone entrusts their vehicle to someone who lacks the maturity, competence or responsibility to drive safely, he or she may be liable for negligently entrusting a vehicle to a third-party.  For example, someone who lends one’s vehicle to a friend that he or she knows has a history of driving under the influence of alcohol or a pattern of past traffic accidents may be liable for your injuries.

Other parties that may be liable for your injuries include public entities, which may have designed or maintained a defective roadway and vehicle manufacturers that may have produced a defective automobile.  Our experienced Mississippi auto accident attorneys always explore the possibility of liability of a public entity or vehicle manufacturer, but this is especially important when the at-fault driver is not a viable defendant.  Public entities that know or should know of dangerous roadway conditions may be liable for failure to make a roadway safe or failure to provide adequate warnings of potential hazards.  An automaker that produces a defective automobile may also be liable for your injuries if the defective component contributed to your Mississippi auto accident.

If there is no other viable party against whom you may recover for your injuries, our Mississippi auto accident attorneys may be able to help you file a claim against your own uninsured motorist UM or underinsured motorist UIM coverage.  Uninsured motorist coverage is optional supplemental insurance coverage that may provide compensation for the same types of damages you might recover from a negligent driver if you are involved in a hit-and-run accident or an accident with an uninsured driver.  Uninsured motorist coverage is typically available for a relatively modest additional premium and can be invaluable if you find yourself involved in a serious car accident in Mississippi with no viable defendant to compensate your for your injuries.

Underinsured motorist coverage is slightly different in that it provides additional compensation when there may be a viable defendant in your case, but the defendant does not carry enough insurance coverage to compensate you for all of your loss. If you are faced with this situation, underinsured motorist coverage can provide additional compensation on top of the insurance coverage of a negligent driver.

Anytime you are involved in an auto accident in Mississippi you may face challenges in identifying a viable defendant with sufficient insurance to compensate you for all of your loss.  The Mississippi auto accident law firm of Barrett Law carefully investigates the circumstances of our clients’ Mississippi auto accidents so that we can identify all potential defendants and assess the best possible litigation strategy.  At Barrett Law, our experienced Mississippi personal injury lawyers represent injury victims throughout Mississippi.  Our law firm has roots that reach back 75 years so contact us today for your free initial consultation at (662) 834-2376 to see how we can help.

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Good News Bad News Week for Traffic Safety

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It has been a good news and bad news in terms of future traffic safety for those driving the roads of Mississippi.  The good news is that the feds have embarked on an ambitious campaign to combat the dangers posed by distracted driving in the wake of the criminal conviction of a driver who was alleged to have been texting and driving when he was involved in a fatal collision.  The bad news is that an offsetting proposed change in the maximum speed limit in Texas may prove more dangerous than drivers using cell phones.

The feds have embarked on a national program to discourage distracted driving which involves a multi-faceted approach to combating this dangerous cause of Mississippi auto accidents.  Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood is pushing the remaining states that do not have laws restricting cell phone use while driving to enact legislation to prevent this serious hazard.  He is also calling on Congress to consider enacting legislation at the federal level restricting cell phone use while driving though the exact framework of the proposed restrictions have not yet been made clear.

The most interesting part of the safety campaign involves implementing a program at a statewide level in California and Delaware that involves aggressive enforcement of cell phone driving laws and other measures that proved effective in Syracuse, N.Y. and Hartford, Conn. when tested on a citywide basis.  The program generated a 72 percent reduction in texting while driving in Hartford and a 32 percent reduction in Syracuse.  California and Delaware will be receiving $2.4 million in federal funds to implement the measures intended to reduce texting while driving.

The unveiling of a campaign to curtail texting and driving should be cause for excitement but develops in Texas may this mute excitement.  Texas is considering becoming the first state in the nation to allow drivers to legally drive 85 mph on stretches of roadway in the state.  Because most drivers exceed the speed limit by approximately five mph with immunity on a regular basis, this would mean that Texas drivers could soon be flying down a toll road between Austin and San Antonio at 90 mph.  While only Texas and Utah currently have posted speed limits of 80 mph, the upward trend in maximum speed limits could be mirrored by other states.

The bottom line is that at higher rates of speed there would be more Mississippi auto accidents.  Further, a collision at 90 mph creates a high risk of catastrophic injuries and fatalities.  The force imposed on the bodies of vehicle occupants increases exponentially in direct relationship to increased speed.  If the state decides to follow through on this proposal, it would have the second highest posted speed limit in the world.  There are a certain roads in Poland that have posted speed limits of 86 mph.

Because we are firm advocates of driver safety, our experienced team of Mississippi car accident attorneys at Barrett Law embraces the current attempts to reduce distracted driving but hope they will not be accompanied with a movement toward increased speed limits.  If you or someone you love has been injured in a Mississippi car accident or a loved one has died in a collision caused by a speeding driver, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries and loss.  At Barrett Law, our experienced Mississippi personal injury lawyers represent injury victims throughout Mississippi.  Our law firm has roots that reach back 75 years so contact us today for your free initial consultation at (662) 834-2376 to see how we can help.

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New Strategies to Prevent Distracted Driving Accidents Involving Drivers Engaged in Text Messaging

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Despite the fact that 35 states have passed laws prohibiting text messaging while driving, many drivers continue to engage in this extremely risky behavior.  A study conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) revealed that sixty (60) percent of drivers admit to texting while driving.  The majority of those that indicated they engaged in such activity indicated that they did so even though they recognized the danger of such activity.  This blog has previously discussed how laws prohibiting texting while driving may be ineffective because of rather mild penalties and serious enforcement issues that are caused by the inability of police officers to determine how a mobile phone is being used.

However, there are a growing number of suggestions as to how to keep people from engaging in text messaging while driving from a variety of sources.  These suggestions include a recommendation last year by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) prohibiting the use of all electronic devices while driving.  While this proposed ban goes further than current laws in the states that ban texting while driving by prohibiting ALL use of ALL electronic devices, it may still have limited effectiveness unless the penalties that accompany violations are substantial.  A universal ban on the use of all electronic devices would certainly make enforcement easier for police officer.  This would remove the difficulty of having to determine if a driver is using their cell phone for hands free talking, GPS navigation, text messaging or any other function.

While the NTSB proposal would make enforcement of cell phone texting violations more effective, it still might not deter this dangerous activity.  Most state cell phone bans impose minimal consequences for violations so the deterrent impact of the laws is limited.  There is evidence that incarceration, substantial fines or driver’s license suspensions combined with a comprehensive ban on all use of electronic devices might be an effective way of preventing distracted driving accidents caused by texting drivers.  A survey conducted by the Ad Council found that 96 percent of those asked indicated that the imposition of jail time, significant fines, increased insurance rates and other financial and legal consequences would discourage them from texting and driving.  An example of such an approach exists with commercial drivers who must pay a fine of $2,700 if they violate a ban on text messaging while operating a tractor-trailer (trucking companies must pay an $11,000 fine for violations by its truck drivers).

Another strategy to prevent driving while text messaging is to impose civil liability not only on the driver but anyone that knowingly engages in a conversation with a driver by sending text messages to a person operating a motor vehicle.  There are many occasions when someone carrying on a text messaging conversation with a driver knows that the recipient of the text messages is operating a motor vehicle.  A pending lawsuit in New Jersey that has named the person who was texting with a driver before the driver caused a serious accident resulting in catastrophic injuries to a married couple riding a motorcycle may provide insight into whether courts are willing to take this step.

While states have imposed strict enforcement methods and tough penalties on drunk drivers, the laws prohibiting text messaging while driving are extremely lax.  Further, enforcement problems will remain an issue as long as drivers are permitted to use cell phones for other purposes.  At Barrett Law, our experienced Mississippi personal injury lawyers represent injury victims throughout Mississippi.  Our law firm has roots that reach back 75 years so contact us today for your free initial consultation at (662) 834-2376 to see how we can help.

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Passengers Can Recover Against a Driver for Mississippi Single Vehicle Road Departure Accidents

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A tragic single vehicle crash that resulted in the death of two passengers in George County provides an example of how accidents involving single vehicle road departure collisions can create a claim against the driver by passengers of a motor vehicle.  Media reports indicate that the vehicle ran off the road and rolled over several times.  Two passengers in the vehicle died at the scene of the accident while two more were injured.  While the cause of the single car accident was unclear the families of the two passengers that died may have a claim for wrongful death against the driver.  The passengers that were injured may also have a personal injury claim against the driver.

When passengers in a vehicle are injured by the negligence of the driver of the vehicle in which they are traveling, the driver may be liable if the vehicle left the roadway because of negligent driving.  While roadway departure accidents are commonly caused by driver negligence, defective tires and poorly designed roadways can also contribute to Mississippi road departure accidents.  Forms of driver negligence that may cause dangerous road departure collisions include:

  • Driver inattention which results in the vehicle drifting out of the roadway
  • Tired drivers that fall asleep at the wheel
  • Alcohol or drug impaired drivers that lack the coordination or perception to keep the vehicle on the roadway
  • Driving too fast to negotiate turns or curves
  • Failing to adjust ones driving to wet or icy roadways

Road departure accidents are among the most deadly types of crashes.  As in the George County collision, vehicles that leave the roadway and end up on uneven terrain frequently rollover.  Once a vehicle rolls over, the risk of catastrophic injury and wrongful death is extremely high because vehicle occupants are often ejected from the vehicle or crushed when the roof of the vehicle collapses.  Road departure accidents also are extremely dangerous because they may result in the vehicle falling off of the side of elevations.

Many Mississippi drivers do not realize that roadway departure accidents are extremely common.  These fatal forms of vehicle collisions account for over half all motor vehicle accidents.  In a recent year, roadway departure accidents accounted for more than 16,000 collisions and in excess of 18,000 car accident fatalities.  Despite this high number of road departure fatalities, there are counter-measures that public entities can install to reduce the risk of such collisions, including but not limited to the following:

  • Concrete barriers and guardrails
  • Road surfaces with a high degree of road friction
  • Rumble strips to warn drivers that they are at risk of departing the roadway
  • Safety edges on the roadway that mitigate steep drop-offs

If you or a close family member is injured of a loved one dies in a single vehicle road departure accident in Mississippi, our compassionate and dedicated team of attorneys at Barrett Law may be able to assist you in obtaining financial compensation.  At Barrett Law, our experienced Mississippi personal injury lawyers represent injury victims throughout Mississippi.  Our law firm has roots that reach back 75 years so contact us today for your free initial consultation at (662) 834-2376 to see how we can help.

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AAA Study Reveals that Teen Passengers Substantially Increase the Risk of Teen Car Accidents

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We have previously addressed the value of graduated licensing programs that grant driving privileges in stages to new teenage drivers.  There has been widespread speculation that such programs reduce the risk of accidents caused by teen drivers and prevent many potential car accident victims from suffering catastrophic injuries or fatalities.  While graduated driver’s license programs have been successful in reducing teen accident rates and the volume of teen accident fatalities, fatal auto accidents remain the leading cause of death for teenagers between the ages of 13 and 19.  However, a new study suggests that programs that gradually implement driving privileges to inexperienced teenage drivers do prevent car accidents.  The study conducted by the American Automobile Association (AAA) reveals that prohibiting new teenage drivers from carrying teenage passengers substantially reduces teen fatality rates associated with car accidents.

The AAA study revealed that teenage drivers are more likely to die in a car accident when operating a motor vehicle with other teenagers in the car.  Moreover, the data also indicated that the probability that a teenage driver will be involved in a fatal accident increases as the number of teenage passengers in the vehicle increases.  The specific finding of the AAA study were as follows:

  • One teen passenger increased the risk of the driver dying in a fatal accident by 44%.
  • If a teen driver has two teenage passengers, the driver fatality rate jumps to 66%.
  • When a teen driver transports three teenage passengers, the driver fatality rate triples.

There are presumably several reasons for this significant increase in car accident fatalities for teen drivers.  The most likely factor is that passengers in the vehicle increase the distractions to a teen driver.  The driver may be carrying on conversations with multiple vehicle occupants so that the driver’s concentration is diverted from driving.  It is also likely that there may be other types of distractions present because other teens may attempt to show the driver text messages on their cell phones.  The final factor that may be relevant in explaining the fatality rate is the increased probability that the car will end up with a pack of intoxicated teenagers, including the driver.

Unfortunately, Mississippi’s graduated driver’s license program does not restrict the ability of new teen drivers to have teenage passengers.  Given the enormous danger of having multiple teenagers in the car, parents should consider prohibiting their kids from transporting teenage passengers.  It also may be advisable to refuse to allow your teenagers to ride as a passenger when their peers are driving.  At Barrett Law, our experienced Mississippi personal injury lawyers represent injury victims throughout Mississippi.  Our law firm has roots that reach back 75 years so contact us today for your free initial consultation at (662) 834-2376 to see how we can help.

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Mississippi Construction Zones Filled with Car Accident Hazards

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While drivers can typically tell that they are entering a construction zone by the orange warning signs and heavy equipment, most people presume that the slower speed limits, higher fines and warning signs are primarily designed to protect those performing work at Mississippi construction sites.  Although preventing injury or wrongful death to those performing road work in construction zones is one function of such safety measures, these safeguards are also designed to prevent motor vehicle collisions and pedestrian accidents.  Because of the many types of risks present in construction zones and the high number of distractions, these hazard filled areas account for almost 1,000 fatalities and 40,000 injuries each year.  At the Mississippi law firm of Barrett Law, we understand the unique hazards posed by unsafe drivers as well as poorly designed detours and diligently advocate for construction zone accident victims.

Because there is so much going on in construction zones, including driver detours, the presence of heavy machinery, workers in the roadway, barriers or other items obstructing traffic and more, construction zones can be extremely distracting.  The constant activity and enormous number of distractions can easily confuse a driver.  Oddly, there are no national safety standards that govern work zones, and state regulations and laws vary dramatically between states.  This lack of uniformity between states means that many times best practices are not implemented.

Since there are many parties who may exercise a lack of care causing a construction zone accident, there are many parties that may be a viable defendant depending on your Mississippi construction zone accident case.  Some parties that may share liability in a Mississippi construction zone crash may include general contractors, sub-contractors, architects, other motorists, public entities, and sign companies.  Our Mississippi construction zone accident attorneys at Barrett Law have the expertise to carefully investigate construction accidents on Mississippi streets and highways to identify all potentially viable defendants.

Based on the specific type of construction zone, there may be a variety of hazards that contribute to collisions, including the following:

  • Debris or refuse in the roadway
  • Heavy machinery obstructing traffic
  • Signs that are not updated
  • Signage that is confusing, poorly placed or missing entirely
  • Drivers that are distracted or confused
  • Poorly marked or designed detours

If you are involved in a car accident in a Mississippi construction zone, it is important to seek immediate legal advice because construction sites can change quickly and critical evidence can disappear.  Many times the negligence of public entities will contribute to a construction zone accident.  There are special procedures and timing requirements that apply in such cases so time is of the essence in seeking legal advice.  At Barrett Law, our experienced Mississippi personal injury lawyers represent injury victims throughout Mississippi.  Our law firm has roots that reach back 75 years so contact us today for your free initial consultation at (662) 834-2376 to see how we can help.

 

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Feds Propose Mandatory Brake Override System to Prevent Sudden Acceleration Accidents

Federal regulators are proposing a new rule designed to reduce the risk of potentially deadly sudden unintended acceleration accidents.  The regulation would make installation of a brake throttle override mandatory in all new vehicles.  The goal of the proposed safety regulation is to provide a safe way to slow a vehicle where the brake pedal becomes stuck or depressed by a faulty floor mat.  Toyota has recalled millions of cars in the wake of complaints of sudden unintended acceleration accidents.  The automaker also settled a lawsuit for $3.8 million in a fatal unintended acceleration collision in San Diego, CA.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) officials have suggested that the proposed change could prevent sudden acceleration accidents caused by sticky gas pedals and defective floor mats based on the results of studies conducted by NASA and the NHTSA.  The vehicle’s onboard computer would automatically disengage the throttle when the vehicle’s brake pedal is depressed.

The impetus for the new regulation is in part a fatal collision in 2009 in which a floor mat trapped the gas pedal of a Lexus ES350 and caused the vehicle to accelerate to over a hundred miles per hour before crashing and igniting into a fireball of flames.  The crash resulted in the tragic death of an off duty CHP officer and three family members.  Witness reports indicated that at the time the vehicle was accelerating out of control, a vehicle occupant was on the phone with 911 reporting that the vehicle would not slow down despite the driver repeatedly depressing the brake peddle.

Lexis cars and other vehicles manufactured by Toyota suffered severe sales declines in the wake of repeated recalls related to unintended acceleration defects.  Although some vehicle manufacturers already employ brake override systems, they are not yet standard many vehicle makes and models.

Sudden acceleration accidents present a terrifying situation because the uncontrolled acceleration makes the vehicle harder to maneuver and impossible to stop.  While any vehicle that accelerates on its own to high rates of speed poses an extremely high risk of causing an accident, this type of collision is also likely to cause catastrophic injuries and fatalities because of the force of impact.

If you or someone you love has been involved in a sudden unanticipated acceleration accident in Mississippi, our experienced Mississippi sudden acceleration car accident attorneys may be able to represent you in seeking the financial compensation your deserve.  At the Barrett Law Offices PLLC, our experienced Mississippi personal injury lawyers represent injury victims throughout Mississippi.  Our law firm has roots that reach back 75 years so contact us today for your free initial consultation at (662) 834-2376 to see how we can help.

 

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Provocation of Aggressive Drivers Can Turn into Road Rage Incidents

Most Mississippi drivers have had the experience of traveling down the road or highway and encountering an extremely rude or aggressive motorist.  Aggressive drivers may tailgate while flashing their bright, speed, weave through traffic, drive on the shoulder or otherwise engage in multiple traffic violations simultaneously.  As upsetting and stressful as it can be to deal with a driver engaged in such conduct, the safest option usually is to simply to stay clear of such a driver.  Aggressive drivers may become easily agitated or angry if you retaliate.  Retaliation may result in an aggressive driving situation escalating into a road rage incident.

While many times people use the terms “aggressive driving” and “road rage” simultaneously, they are very different concepts and pose unique types of injury risks.  Aggressive driving refers to drivers that consciously engage in multiple acts of unsafe driving or motor vehicle violations at the same time.  An example might include a driver that is speeding and swerves onto the shoulder to pass you.  While aggressive drivers pose a substantial risk of causing a serious car accident, there conduct may exhibit a high degree of negligence and even rise to the level of recklessness, but there is no intentional goal to cause harm to others.

The motivations of drivers engaged in road rage are far more malevolent.  Road rage involves drivers that engage in acts intended to cause injury to another.  While some of the better publicized examples involve shooting firearms into the passenger compartment of other vehicles, an automobile can just as easily be used as a weapon.  A driver who attempts to run down a pedestrian or force another vehicle off the road in a fit of anger is another type of conduct that may constitute road rage.  Road rage that results in injury to another does not just expose a driver to civil liability for money damages but may also result in serious criminal charges.

Many people make the mistake of responding to aggressive drivers by making gestures, yelling, or otherwise antagonizing aggressive drivers on Mississippi roadways.  There is little value in this form of provocation and an extreme risk of escalating the situation.  If you or someone you love has suffered serious injuries or a loved one has died because of the negligent driving of an aggressive driver or an act of road rage, the experienced Mississippi aggressive driving attorneys at Barrett Law may be able to represent you in a personal injury action. At the Barrett Law Offices PLLC, our experienced Mississippi personal injury lawyers represent injury victims throughout Mississippi.  Our law firm has roots that reach back 75 years so contact us today for your free initial consultation at (662) 834-2376 to see how we can help.

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