North Haven Car Accident Lawyers
Getting Help When You Need It
Insurance companies only make money when they underpay car accident claims, so avoid negotiating with them without experienced legal representation. Even a supposedly minor car accident can be legally complicated to establish liability and calculate the true worth of your damages. At Carter Mario, our North Haven car accident lawyers will collect evidence, fight to prove liability, establish your damages, and get you the compensation you deserve.
Contact Carter Mario’s North Haven Car Accident Lawyers
Following a car accident in North Haven, the negligent driver’s insurance hopes you fail to consult a personal injury law firm or attorney. At the Carter Mario Law Firm, our North Haven personal injury lawyers will provide you with a free initial consultation regarding our legal services. If you suffered an injury in a car accident due to another person’s negligence, contact our law firm today.
Call 203-281-0202 to find out what Carter Mario Law Firm can do for you. Get Carter! Guaranteed Tough! Guaranteed Fast!
When You Should Talk with a Car Accident Lawyer
You should speak with a car accident attorney about your rights as soon as possible. Following an accident in North Haven, insurance companies will consult their attorneys to quickly build a defense regarding liability or the severity of your injuries.
Filing a Claim if You’re a Passenger
Passengers who were injured in car accidents often have to file claims with two insurance companies, i.e., the insurance for the other vehicle and the insurance company of the car in which they were riding as a passenger. This is because both drivers, and their insurance carriers, often blame each other.
At Carter Mario Law Firm, we will help you find out who was at fault for your injuries, even if that includes the driver of the car you were in at the time of the collision.
Partial Fault in a Car Accident
Connecticut is a comparative negligence jurisdiction, which means two things for car accident victims:
- You can only recover monetary damages from the other parties involved if you were less than 50% at fault for the accident.
- Your judgment will be reduced by the percentage you were found at fault for the car accident. For example, if you were 30% at fault for the accident, you will recover 70% of the monetary damages you are awarded at trial.
Suing for Hit-and-Run Accidents
If you were injured due to a hit-and-run accident in North Haven, you can still pursue a personal injury claim. Under Connecticut State law, automobile drivers must carry uninsured motorist protection, which provides insurance coverage in situations in which victims are struck by uninsured drivers or in cases in which the victims do not know the identity of the at-fault driver, i.e., a hit-and-run collision. In an uninsured motorist claim, you file a lawsuit against your insurance company, which then “pretends” to be the driver who struck you and fled the scene.
Catastrophic Injuries
While most car accidents cause victims to suffer non-life-threatening injuries, some cause catastrophic injuries such as:
- Broken Bones
- Severed Limbs
- Nerve Damage
- Brain Injuries
- Spinal Cord Injuries
- Severe Lacerations
- Internal Organ Damage
These injuries usually require victims to seek emergency medical treatment, including surgery. In short, the severity of these injuries often leaves victims permanently disabled.
Fatal Car Accidents
Sadly, car accidents that result in catastrophic injuries also sometimes result in the death of innocent victims. A wrongful death claim allows the victim’s estate to pursue a legal claim against the negligent driver for the victim’s medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering. If the victim’s estate obtains financial compensation, the money is distributed to the victim’s family.
“Minor” Car Accidents in Connecticut
Insurance companies usually classify most automobile collisions as “minor.” They do this to minimize your injuries and the amount of money you can seek in a personal injury claim. Stated simply, even “minor” car accidents still cause victims to suffer painful injuries which require medical treatment, along with meriting financial compensation.
North Haven Car Accident Claim Damages
One of the legal requirements of a personal injury claim is “damages.” This means you must have suffered a legally recognized “loss.” Under Connecticut statutory law and common law, you can seek three types of damages.
Economic Damages
In short, you can claim “the cost of reasonable and necessary medical care, rehabilitative services, custodial care, and loss of earnings or earning capacity” as your economic damages. Claims for economic damages often include:
- Damage to your vehicle
- Hospital stays
- Medication
- Surgeries
- Physical or Occupational Therapy
- Medical Bills
- Assistive devices, such as a wheelchair
- Alterations to your home or vehicle if required by your injury
- Lost wages
- Loss of future wages
Non-Economic Damages
Unlike economic damages, non-economic damages do not have an exact dollar value, i.e., a bill. Instead, you can claim non-economic damages for the physical pain and suffering you endured due to the accident and your injuries. You can also claim non-economic damages for the mental trauma you experienced.
Punitive Damages
A claim for punitive damages is not meant to compensate you for your losses. Instead, it is intended to penalize the person who hurt you and deter other potential tortfeasors. To claim punitive damages, you must prove the other driver drove their vehicle in a grossly negligent or reckless manner or acted with malice, i.e., an evil intent.
Proving Damages
You are legally required to prove your damages by a preponderance of the evidence, i.e., 51%. Depending on the facts of your case, it may be possible to prove this element with your medical records and your testimony. However, if you suffered severe injuries which have permanently disabled you, your case will likely require expert testimony by a medical provider.
Common Types of Car Accident Cases
At the Carter Mario Law Firm, our attorneys have spent over 30 years successfully litigating personal injury cases. As a result of our experience, our personal injury lawyers commonly see injuries caused by these types of car accidents.
Texting Driver
Under Connecticut State Law, drivers are prohibited from talking or texting on a cellular phone while driving. Despite this prohibition, Connecticut State data indicates 1,364 drivers were talking or texting before a collision in 2022.
Distracted Driver
Aside from cellular phones, a car accident may result from a driver becoming distracted from several other sources, i.e., radio, passengers, external stimuli, etc. According to Connecticut State data, 44,079 drivers were involved in accidents due to becoming distracted in 2022.
Drunk Driver
Pursuant to Connecticut State law, it is illegal to operate a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. Impaired drivers are more likely to be involved in collisions due to reduced reaction times and an inability to give full attention to their surroundings.
Hit-and-Run Collisions
Drivers who are involved in collisions are required by Connecticut State law to remain at the scene and provide assistance. Additionally, drivers are required to report the crash to the police.
Commercial Truck or Big Rig
Commercial trucks are a common sight on the road. Despite extensive regulations, accidents involving commercial trucks cause car accident victims to suffer life-altering injuries.
Uninsured Motorist
Automobile drivers are required to carry uninsured motorist coverage pursuant to Connecticut State law. This coverage is designed to protect you if you are in a car accident with a driver who lacked insurance or a driver who fled the scene, i.e., a hit and run.
What to Do After a Car Accident in North Haven
In most cases, you can collect the best evidence of liability at the accident scene.
Take Pictures
Photographs from a car accident scene can help recreate it and uncover key details you might have missed initially. Our car accident attorneys want to see all the pictures you took, so we can analyze them for useful information.
Call the Police
A victim’s claim is strengthened with the information recorded in a police report. If emergency responders arrive at the scene of your car accident, we will obtain copies of their reports.
Speak with an Eyewitness
If you are okay and have received any needed medical treatment, consider that an eyewitness, such as another driver or a pedestrian bystander, might have had a good view of the drivers, vehicles, and collision. Collect their contact information and pass it to our car accident attorneys so we can begin looking for helpful witnesses.
See a Doctor
If you went to the emergency room or saw a doctor right after your crash, your medical records show when the accident happened and what injuries it caused. Evidence in your medical records can effectively shut down an insurance carrier’s attempt to deny the extent of your injuries.
Do Not Speak with the Other Driver or their Insurance Carrier
Insurance companies often request victims provide “recorded statements.” As such, you should not speak with the other driver’s insurance company. You may say something which could unintentionally damage your case.
Car Accident FAQs
The time following a car accident in North Haven is painful, confusing, and stressful. At Carter Mario Law Firm, our car accident lawyers provide victims with information regarding various Connecticut car accident issues.
What is the Statute of Limitations on Conn. Car Accident Claims?
Connecticut has a two-year statute of limitations for car accident claims beginning the day the collision occurred. Your legal claim is permanently barred if you fail to file a lawsuit within two years. Accordingly, you should immediately consult a North Haven personal injury attorney to ensure your legal rights are protected.
How Much Will A North Haven Car Accident Attorney Cost?
The CT car accident lawyers at the Carter Mario Law Firm represent injured victims on a contingency fee basis which means we charge no up-front legal fees. This also means we are only entitled to a legal payment if we win your case or negotiate a settlement of which you approve as part of our Zero Fee Warranty.
You Can Trust Carter Mario Law Firm’s Experience
Our personal injury attorneys have been helping car accident victims in North Haven get justice for over 30 years and have recovered more than one billion dollars in cases similar to yours for our clients. You can trust the North Haven personal injury attorneys at Carter Mario have what it takes to get you the maximum compensation you deserve.
Call us today to discuss your car accident case free of charge.
