Are Damages Caused by Road Rage Covered by Insurance?
Road rage puts drivers in incredibly dangerous situations and increases their chances of being in an auto accident. While the thought of road rage may often conjure just images of a driver using foul language or hand gestures, it can be far more dangerous and malicious. By most standards, road rage is considered to be a driver’s intentional decision to try to harm or intimidate another motorist through reckless driving or vehicular assault. Every year, hundreds of people, if not more, are injured in a car accident in which road rage was the primary cause.
The prevalence of road rage incidents and the damage they can cause leads to the question, “Does car insurance cover road rage damages?” You might understandably assume you should be entitled to recoveries after another driver intentionally causes you to crash. Even if you have personal injury protection (PIP) insurance, such as what Florida and nine other states use, you might expect your policy coverage to kick in and give you coverage up to your policy limit.
However, you may be shocked to find that insurance companies usually try to avoid any insurance payout to policyholders hurt in a road rage incident. They argue that they are providing coverage for car accidents, and road rage is not an accident. As discussed, road rage is an intentional act by definition. Insurance companies will jump on the straightforwardness of the definition in order to save themselves money, potentially leaving a driver with no help whatsoever after being in a serious crash caused by a road-raging driver.
You Have Legal Options After Road Rage Injuries
Were you hurt by the road rage of another driver? Has an insurance company tried to shut down your claim by saying you deserve no coverage since road rage is not technically an accident? You are not entirely out of luck.
With The Pittman Firm, P.A., led by Florida personal injury Attorney Wes Pittman, you can determine if there are ways you can still pursue fair compensation for your damages. You may be able to challenge your insurance company in court, file a civil injury claim directly against the road rage driver, and so on. Explore your options with the law firm today by calling (850) 764-0383 and requesting a free initial consultation. You can also use an online contact form, if preferred.