Most car collisions are the result of other drivers’ negligence or recklessness. You owe it to yourself and everyone else on the road to always drive safely. However, not all drivers take their responsibility to the public seriously. As a result, there will inevitably be car collisions.
Depending on the severity of the injuries suffered in a car crash, they can be minor, life-altering, or even fatal. You might be eligible for fair compensation if you or a loved one were injured or killed in an automobile accident because of someone else’s negligence. However, the claim process can be overwhelming and difficult during your recovery.
The Hartford car accident lawyers at Jonathan Perkins Injury Lawyers can help you every step of the way. Our team is here to help you get the compensation you deserve.
Car Accident Laws in Connecticut
An attorney can analyze, explain, and navigate your state’s car-accident-related statutes and regulations, but it will be helpful to understand some of the essentials yourself. Doing so will ensure you have an easier time asserting your rights while dealing with insurance companies.
- Fault laws: Connecticut is an “at-fault” state. This means whoever was at fault for your car accident will be liable for your injuries and losses. However, the at-fault party’s insurance company may demand proof of negligence.
- Comparative negligence law: Because of Connecticut’s modified comparative negligence rule, you may still be eligible for compensation if your responsibility for the accident is less than 51%.
- Statute of limitations: A personal injury lawsuit must be filed within two years of the car accident date in Connecticut. If you don’t, you’ll forfeit your right to compensation.
Our auto accident lawyers can provide further information about the statutes that apply to your vehicle accident case. We will do everything we can to get the compensation you are due.
Identifying Who Is At Fault
Determining who or what was to blame for a car collision can be challenging. The following requirements must be met to prove the other driver’s negligence:
- The negligent party owes you a duty of care, such as adhering to the legal speed limit or stopping at a traffic light turned red.
- That party breached their duty of care
- The collision and your injuries directly resulted from their disregard for the law.
- The damages you sustained, such as medical costs and lost income, are all directly linked to the crash
What Compensation Can I Collect After Hiring a Car Accident Lawyer in Hartford?
In any personal injury case, three types of damages can be recovered.
- Economic damages: These can be claimed to compensate for financial losses incurred by a collision. These can be used to pay for medical expenses, lost wages, and repairing or replacing your car.
- Non-economic damages: These damages, such as disfigurement and pain and suffering, give non-monetary losses a financial value.
- Punitive damages: These are intended to hold a wrongdoer accountable for their actions and discourage them and others from committing the same transgressions.
What Are Common Car Accident Causes in Hartford?
Several factors can result in a car collision. However, the most common cause is negligence, which manifests itself in these ways:
Speeding
The number of people injured in car accidents caused by speeding amounts to thousands every year. Speeding is a leading cause of fatal car accidents in the United States and worldwide. You won’t be able to react quickly enough to avoid a collision if you’re going too fast.
Driving Under the Influence in Connecticut
When a driver gets behind the wheel while under the influence of alcohol, the consequences can be lethal. If a person’s faculties are compromised by alcohol or drugs, they will have lost their sound judgment and focus.
Driving While Distracted or Exhausted
When you’re tired or distracted, it’s especially critical that you avoid driving a motor vehicle. Road signs advise drivers to stop and nap when they’re drowsy.
Additionally, people who drive while multitasking or are distracted are more likely to be involved in a car crash. Texting, calling, or staring at a phone while driving is a recipe for disaster. Before getting behind the wheel, drivers should take care of their tasks so their attention won’t be diverted.
Vehicle Problems
In addition, defective auto parts and cars that don’t receive routine maintenance significantly contribute to vehicle accidents. The carmaker may be held accountable if an accident is due to faulty auto components. Nevertheless, the car owner is responsible for ensuring that their vehicle is properly maintained.
Common Car Accident Injuries
After a car accident, one of the first things you need to do is seek urgent medical treatment and care. This applies even if you don’t think you’ve been seriously injured. Having a medical professional examine you for your well-being is crucial.
Some of the most common injuries sustained in car accidents include:
Brain Trauma
One of the most common causes of brain trauma is a car collision. This occurs if you are hit on the head with a rapid shock or jolt. Brain injuries can change a person’s future and even endanger their lives.
Some signs of brain damage can take days or weeks to appear. Because of how serious it can be, it is essential that you seek immediate medical treatment, even if you feel fine.
Spinal Cord Injuries
Because of the critical role your spinal cord plays in your body, it will also require specific care, depending on the severity of your crash. An injury to the spinal cord can be as life-altering as brain trauma and profoundly impact your quality of life.
Broken Bones
Fractured bones can have long-term and even life-threatening consequences if not treated promptly. Broken bones don’t always heal independently and don’t always get better with time. In the worst-case scenario, you may be unable to perform formerly simple work. Some activities may no longer be possible, or worse, you may be unable to do your job because of the injury.
Burns
Burns are also more complicated than they appear at first glance. Emotional anguish, depression, and decreased self-esteem are all possible side effects of disfigurement. As a result, those responsible for the accident must be held liable.
Amputated Limbs
A person may lose a limb or several if the situation is dire enough. Our Hartford car accident lawyers deal with this tragic outcome very seriously.
Why Putting Off Medical Treatment Is Dangerous
You may want to go home and forget the day after a car accident. However, if you do not seek medical treatment, you may cause several issues for yourself down the road.
First, without a medical evaluation, you cannot know if you have sustained a hidden injury. As you can see from the list above, several injuries may take days or weeks to show symptoms. When you realize something is wrong, your life may be at risk. With immediate medical attention, a doctor can find and treat all your injuries immediately.
However, that is not the only reason to seek immediate medical treatment. Going to the emergency room or an urgent care center immediately after a car accident will give you documentation that connects your injuries to the accident. You must prove that your injuries were caused by the accident, and without this documentation, the other party may claim they were caused by something else.
With immediate medical attention, you have the proof needed to show you were injured, the injury’s severity, and the treatment cost. This information is beneficial if you file a car accident claim.
You Can Rely on Our Hartford Car Accident Lawyers
Contact us immediately if you or a loved one has recently been injured in a car accident. At Jonathan Perkins Injury Lawyers, our Hartford car accident lawyers will be here to fight for your rights throughout your compensation claim. Our mission is to ease your worries about high medical expenses, pain, suffering, or lost income so you can focus on recovery. We are tenacious defenders of the interests of Hartford’s car accident victims. Our legal team has the resources, expertise, and experience to handle your case.
Do not delay; give us a call today. Or schedule a free consultation.
