Various types of driving behaviors may lead to car accidents and may be considered negligent driving. Police throughout Pennsylvania are cracking down on aggressive driving behaviors in an attempt to reduce car accidents, injuries from car accidents and fatal car accidents. Police are targeting driving behaviors such as failing to stop at stop lights, failing to stop at stop signs, tailgating and speeding. Last year, 45,000 citations for aggressive driving were issued. Citations for failing to stop at a red light or stop sign accounted for 2,800 of them.
In one area, authorities report that speeding and distracted driving are the two biggest problems they see. The police chief in one Pennsylvania town reports that the aggressive driving initiative, lasting throughout the month, has been around for several years and reports a reduction in car accidents. In circumstances when a negligent driver has harmed a car accident victim, a legal citation or criminal charge may be used as evidence that the driver was negligent in a civil claim for damages brought by the victim or, depending on the circumstances, the victim’s family.
Victims and their families may be able to recover compensation for damages including medical expenses, lost wages and pain and suffering damages through a personal injury claim for damages against a negligent driver. In addition, following a fatal car accident, surviving family members may be able to bring a claim for the physical, financial and emotional damages they have suffered through a wrongful death claim for damages against the negligent driver.
It is important that roadways are kept safe and that when they are not, negligent or careless drivers are held accountable for the harm they cause. Personal injury legal protections are one option available to help ensure victims are protected when they suffer needless car accident injuries or the wrongful loss of a loved one in a car accident.
Source: Wearecentralpa.com, “Police crack down on aggressive driving across state,” Hannah Smith, July 27, 2017