Many people are competitive by nature, and the drive to succeed can be powerful. This can be healthy. For some, though, the desire to win can lead to disaster when the behavior reveals itself in the form of aggressive driving.
Consider the driver who speeds up when a car attempts to pass or refuses to let another car merge into the lane ahead of them. Yes, that is rude behavior, but not criminal. However, when a driver takes this behavior to the extreme and purposely causes injuries in the process, that is an example of road rage.
Assault
Injury caused by road rage does not constitute an accident, and a person injured as a result may have grounds for an assault charge. Intentionally harming another person is illegal.
Economic damages
Someone injured in a road rage incident has multiple avenues to recovering damages. The perpetrator may be responsible for any medical costs not covered by their insurance, as well as property damage, though the potential damages do not stop there.
Non-economic damages
A victim of road rage may collect non-economic damages as well, including lost income during a recovery period or even loss of future income if they are partially or fully disabled as a result. Additional damages could include pain and suffering or punitive damages. If the victim dies, their spouse or family members could bring a wrongful death suit.
Road rage and aggressive driving are responsible for many serious injuries every year. What these people may not realize is that intentionally harming another individual can result in serious consequences.