Everytime you get into your car to take a drive, you are exercising a privilege, not a right. Driving can be incredibly dangerous, so every time you hit the road, you need to drive with caution and be aware of the fact that you can be held accountable for your actions. You are required to operate with a duty of care toward others–that includes avoiding reckless driving and behavior such as brake checking.

Technically, brake checking is not an illegal action. You cannot be charged with it formally as there is no law in Washington state that forbids it. Even though it is not illegal, it is still incredibly dangerous, and a dangerous driver can still be held accountable for creating hazards on the road via a personal injury claim. At Church and Page, we help Washington car accident victims hold reckless drivers accountable for the damage they have caused. Read on to learn more about brake checking, the dangers of brake checking, and how you can recover if you’ve been hit by a car who was brake checking or otherwise driving recklessly.

What Is Brake Checking?

Brake checking is defined as the action that occurs when the person driving the vehicle in front of you intentionally slams on the brake. There are a few reasons why someone may do this, and none of the reasons justify the damage that the action can cause. Someone on the road might brake check you to test that whether or not you are paying attention, in order to taunt you or bully you, or even because they are simply not engaged enough while driving and did so on accident.

What Other Road Rage Symptoms Should I Look Out For?

Brake checking is defined as the action that occurs when the person driving the vehicle in front of you intentionally slams on the brake. There are a few reasons why someone may do this, and none of the reasons justify the damage that the action can cause. Someone on the road might brake check you to test that whether or not you are paying attention, in order to taunt you or bully you, or even because they are simply not engaged enough while driving and did so on accident.

What Other Road Rage Symptoms Should I Look Out For?

Washington state law classifies brake checking as a symptom of road rage and a type of aggressive behavior that should be avoided at all costs because it can cause an accident at any time. In addition to brake checking, other symptoms of road rage and reckless behavior include:

Symptoms of road rage and aggressive driving (according to Washington State Licensing):

  • Mentally condemning or having thoughts of violence toward other drivers.
  • Verbally expressing condemnation of other drivers to passengers in your vehicle.
  • Not obeying traffic safety rules because you don’t agree with them.
  • Engaging in aggressive and risky driving, such as:
  • Following too close.
  • Speeding.
  • Weaving in and out of traffic.
  • Speeding up to beat a traffic light.
  • Cutting between vehicles to change lanes.
  • Using the horn excessively.
  • Flashing headlights excessively at oncoming traffic.
  • Braking to get others to back off your bumper (brake checking).
  • Passing traffic and then slowing to teach the other driver a lesson.

If you have been involved in a car accident in which someone was driving aggressively, and therefore hit your car or caused you to become injured, you should contact the personal injury lawyers at Church and Page and set up a free consultation to discuss the possibility of getting compensation for your damages.

Why Do People Break Check?

Sometimes, one driver will feel that the driver behind them is driving too closely. That may, in turn, cause the driver in front to become annoyed, and to brake check the driver behind them in an attempt to encourage them to move farther away. Sometimes, a driver didn’t mean to intentionally brake check the other, and simply had to stop short because they weren’t paying attention.

Regardless, if you were involved in a car accident due to someone else’s negligence in any way, you have the right to contact a Yakima personal injury attorney to discuss the possibility of filing a claim. Filing a personal injury claim is the only way to hold the at-fault party accountable, and the only way to pursue compensation for your damages after getting into an accident.

Schedule A Consultation With A Yakima Personal Injury Lawyer Today To Help You Recover From A Brake Check Accident

If you have been involved in a car accident due to someone else brake checking you, remember that you have the right to seek compensation for what you have suffered. You have the right to consult with a lawyer to learn more about filing a personal injury claim, and the right to hold the negligent driver accountable for causing hazards on the road.

At Church and Page, we offer a free, no-obligation car accident consultation for any Washington resident who has been in a car accident and suffered damages. Schedule your free car accident case evaluation with our legal team today to see what your car accident case could be worth.