Car accidents often come with tremendous personal and financial costs. Victims may suffer a wide range of injuries, in addition to unforeseen property damage and medical expenses. When a collision has been caused by the negligent actions of another driver, you may be eligible to claim damages. If that is the case, it is important to have an experienced and knowledgeable New Haven car accident attorney by your side.
Motor vehicle accidents are most commonly caused by:
Distractions come in three main forms: visual, cognitive and manual. Visual distractions take the driver’s eyes off the road. Cognitive distractions occur when a driver is not mentally focused on the task of driving. Manual distractions take the driver’s hands off the wheel. Texting while driving is one of the most particularly dangerous distractions, as it fits all three categories of distraction.
Thirty Americans die every day from drunk driving accidents, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). One person’s preventable mistake can result in catastrophic injuries or wrongful death.
Drivers failing to obey Connecticut traffic laws, such as speeding, running red lights, and not stopping at posted stop signs, account for a significant portion of vehicle accidents.
Unfortunately, even the most attentive drivers can fall victim to defective car parts, such as exploding airbags, tires that blowout, or defectively designed SUVs that tend to roll over.
Poorly maintained or constructed roads, a lack of traffic signals, damaged traffic signs, etc., often leads to auto accidents. Cities, towns and other municipalities are required by state and federal laws to build, design and maintain safe roads.
Liability for a car accident refers to someone having to pay for related expenses and losses. The liable party will be financially responsible for everyone else’s property repairs and injury costs, including lifelong medical care for a permanent injury. In most cases, a liable party will use his or her insurance coverage to pay for a victim’s damages. For this reason, Connecticut law requires all drivers to carry at least the minimum amounts of bodily injury and property damage liability insurance.
After a car accident in New Haven, you will need to identify who is to blame for causing the collision. While Connecticut used to be a no-fault state, this law changed in 1994. Today, Connecticut is a fault-based automobile insurance state, meaning liability will go to the party at fault for causing the car accident. Before you can file an insurance claim, therefore, you will need to determine fault to ensure you contact the correct insurance company.
Determining liability takes evaluating the factors and decisions that resulted in the collision. All drivers in Connecticut have a duty to reasonably ensure the safety of others. Breaching this duty by driving drunk, speeding, driving distracted or engaging in other negligent or reckless acts will place liability with the at-fault driver and could even result in a pedestrian related accident. Additionally, the other driver in your car accident case may be liable for damages if you or your lawyer can prove that he or she breached a duty of care owed to you and that this caused your collision.
Other common liable parties in New Haven car accident cases are vehicle manufacturers, employers and the government. A vehicle manufacturer may be liable for your accident if a car or part had a design, assembly or marketing defect that contributed to your accident, such as defective brakes or tires. A driver’s employer could be vicariously liable for your wreck if the driver was working at the time of the crash. A common example is a trucking company’s liability for truck driver negligence. The government could be liable if a road defect caused your crash, such as a pothole in New Haven. Our New Haven car accident lawyer at Loughlin FitzGerald, P.C. can help you determine liability for your wreck. Call us today to book a free consultation with one of our car accident attorneys.
After you are involved in a car accident, there are several things that should be immediately done:
Any statements made to insurance companies’ adjusters should only be given after receiving legal advice regarding your claim from your New Haven car accident attorney.
A phrase you may hear during your New Haven car accident case is the statute of limitations. This refers to a law in Connecticut that sets a time limit on bringing a cause of action. According to Connecticut’s statute of limitations, an injured victim must bring a claim within at least two years of the date of the motor vehicle accident. In general, trying to file a claim outside of this deadline will result in the courts barring you from recovery.
Connecticut’s two-year injury deadline applies to both injury and property-damage-only claims. If you lost someone you loved in a car accident in New Haven, however, you will have two years from his or her date of death to file rather than the date of the car accident to file for wrongful death. In a case against the government for a roadway defect, you will have less than two years to file. State law says you must file your Notice of Intent to Sue letter with the government agency within just 90 days of your collision.
Discuss your exact statute of limitations, as well as any possible exceptions that may apply to your case, with a car accident attorney today. Talking to a lawyer right away can help you remain within Connecticut’s statute of limitations. It can also help you build a stronger claim to damages by giving you access to key information and evidence that may disappear if you wait too long. Call our car accident attorneys at (203) 265-2035 as soon as possible about a case to make sure you meet your time limit in New Haven.
Without the help of a New Haven car accident attorney, many victims make the mistake of:
Oftentimes, the unwillingness to secure legal representation is due to the cost. However, settlements are consistently higher when an attorney is involved, and many will take a case on a contingency fee basis. This means no upfront costs, and legal fees are only paid if compensation is successfully obtained.
You can count on Loughlin FitzGerald, P.C. if you have been in a car accident and require legal advice or representation. Every New Haven car accident lawyer on our team is highly qualified and will ensure that you get the justice and compensation you rightly deserve. Call (203) 265-2035 or reach us online.