When People Crash Their Cars on Purpose

It’s not something that drivers should ignore, but there are always people with ill-intent on the road. There are people who go far beyond aggressive or assertive driving, and they start acting out in ways that put people in extreme risk, such as deciding to crash their car on purpose. Your Virginia Beach auto crash attorney sees bad behavior daily, but these situations surpass those instances entirely.

Why Would Someone Crash Their Car On Purpose?

Usually, there’s some gain from crashing a car on purpose. If you’re doing it for insurance purposes, then it’s fraud, but other drivers have different motives. Things like suicide or homicide by vehicle are uncommon but not so rare that they shouldn’t be considered.

A person could see their vehicle as an alternative to suicide through other means, or as a way to take action against another person. Road rage is one example, but many people have used their vehicles as a weapon for assault, terror, and mass attacks.

For some, there will never be a degree for understanding in these situations. But it’s fair to say that many drivers have considered hitting a “dumb” driver on the road or putting their car through a wall. The thing is that people don’t actually do it, they think of terrible things in a moment of anger and then that moment passes. When it doesn’t pass, and someone acts out, then they must be held accountable.

Getting “Back” At Another Driver

The first instance is road rage in which one driver feels wronged by another and then hits their vehicle. They may intentionally get in front of the driver that irritated them, reach a reasonable speed, and then slam on their brakes. Or, they may go through, and sideswipe the vehicle when they realize it’s in their blind spot.

Most of the time, in these cases, the driver is looking for a way to hurt the other driver both physically and financially. The pattern in road rage accidents is that the driver who feels wronged will try to make the wreck look like the other driver’s fault. It gives them the opportunity to get out of the car and make it about how they’re a great driver, and the other person isn’t.

Now, insurance companies and crash recreations experts aren’t fooled by this very often. But even in the best situations, a person could take fault for a road rage attack because they were following too closely. What’s more important in these situations is to not get out of the car immediately after the attack, and don’t engage the driver.

Staged Insurance Fraud

Possibly the most common reason that people crash their car on purpose is to get money from an insurance payout. People will time this within months or even weeks of GAP insurance running out or when their policy changes from the full coverage required by a dealer.

Now, insurance fraud is hard to pull off because of insurance companies, federal fraud investigation divisions, and the Virginia Department of State Police. These entities all work together to investigate fraud, so crashing a car to get a big check isn’t a good idea and will likely lead to jail time.

Suicide by Vehicular Crash

About 1.7% of total fatal accidents are determined or identified as suicides, and an additional 1% of all non-fatal accidents are suicide attempts. It doesn’t seem like a substantial number until you’re the other person involved in the head-on collision of someone trying to take their own life. Or the Big Rig driver who’s a victim of the suicide attempt.

Many situations often don’t come to the conclusion of suicide because of a lack of evidence or because of police call it quits on the investigation. Even with evidence of someone not wearing a seatbelt, or driving into a concrete structure at an excess of 70 mph cannot definitely identify the situation as an act of suicide.

Get Yourself a Car Accident Lawyer in Virginia Beach Now

In Virginia Beach, it’s clear that there are issues for every driver behind the when. But when you have someone who decides to crash their car on purpose, taking intentional action and putting your life in danger, then the whole situation changes. When you drill down on the elements, you may have a civil charge in addition to criminal charges that you can pursue against the driver.

Contact our Virginia Beach car wreck law office to learn about your crash and what civil opportunities you have to take action against the driver. It’s even possible that if the driver died by their own intention to evaluate options from their insurance or estate. Working with a local attorney should help you dive into the information and make well-thought-out decisions about what is best for your claim.