What If an 18-Wheeler Driver Had Road Rage and Caused My Accident?

A commercial driver who uses a tractor-trailer to intimidate another motorist can create an extraordinary danger because the passenger vehicle cannot compete with the truck’s size and weight.

If an 18-wheeler driver was angry, threatening, chasing you, tailgating you, blocking you, or making dangerous maneuvers before causing an accident, preserve as much evidence as possible.

What Can Road Rage Look Like?

Potential conduct may include:

• intentional tailgating;
• repeated horn use;
• threatening gestures;
• blocking a vehicle;
• cutting off another driver;
• chasing a motorist;
• repeated unsafe lane changes; or
• deliberately preventing a vehicle from merging.

What Should I Do During the Incident?

Prioritize safety.

Avoid confrontation.

Do not attempt to retaliate against the truck driver.

If possible, move to a safe location and contact law enforcement.

How Can Road Rage Be Proven?

Potential evidence includes:

• dashcam video;
• cellphone video recorded by a passenger;
• witnesses;
• 911 calls;
• police records;
• truck cameras;
• GPS information; and
• other motorists’ recordings.

What If the Truck Never Touched My Vehicle?

Physical contact is not always necessary for a truck driver’s conduct to cause an accident.

If you were forced off the roadway while trying to avoid the truck, evidence can establish what prompted your evasive action.

Could the Trucking Company Be Responsible?

That depends on the circumstances and applicable law.

Investigators may examine the driver’s history, qualification, prior safety complaints, and what the company knew about the driver.

What If the Company Had Received Complaints Before?

Prior complaints do not automatically prove responsibility for the new accident, but they may become relevant to questions about company knowledge and response.

Could Truck Cameras Show What Happened?

Possibly.

Some fleets use forward-facing and driver-facing cameras.

Preservation can be important.

What If I Called 911 Before the Crash?

That recording may become useful evidence.

The timing of the call can help establish that dangerous behavior was occurring before impact.

What Injuries Can Result?

Road-rage incidents can lead to high-speed crashes, rollovers, barrier impacts, and multi-vehicle wrecks.

Potential injuries include traumatic brain injury, spinal injury, fractures, internal injuries, paralysis, and death.

What Damages May Be Involved?

Serious injuries can create medical expenses, future care needs, lost income, reduced earning capacity, permanent disability, and other legally recoverable damages.

What Should I Preserve?

Save:

• dashcam footage;
• photographs;
• witness information;
• police reports;
• 911 information;
• truck identification; and
• medical documentation.

Jacqueline Scott & Associates Can Investigate

If an 18-wheeler driver’s road rage caused your Louisiana accident, the driver’s behavior before the impact may be as important as the collision itself.

Jacqueline Scott & Associates can investigate the driver, trucking company, prior safety information where relevant, video, electronic records, and insurance.

Make ’Em Pay.

Call (318) 746-5997.

Every case is different. Results depend on the specific facts and circumstances of each individual matter. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. This information is general educational information and is not legal advice.

This article is general information about Louisiana law and is not legal advice. Laws and deadlines can change, and every case depends on its own facts. Past results do not guarantee or predict future outcomes. Reading this page or contacting the firm does not by itself create an attorney-client relationship.