If you have been involved in a car accident in Torrington, Connecticut, you might be scared and worried about what to do next. Contending rising medical bills, expensive car repairs, and time spent away from work can be quite stressful.
However, you should know that you have the right to get justice and compensation following an accident caused by the reckless, negligent, or careless actions of another motorist. Allow a Torrington car accident lawyer at Injured CT to take that stress away!
If you or a loved one was involved in a car accident caused by another driver, get in touch with a Torrington personal injury lawyer at Injured CT. We are always ready to protect the rights of all our clients, and pursue the maximum amount of compensation they can get so that they can move on with their lives.
Connecticut Car Accident Statistics
According to the CDC, car accidents result in over 2 million injuries and 35,000 deaths every year. This means that more than 80 people die in U.S. roadways each and every day. In Connecticut, the numbers are equally as appalling.
2018 saw a total of 276 fatal crashes and 294 deaths in car accidents. While these numbers are lower than the national average, drivers in Connecticut shouldn’t get comfortable. Preliminary 2020 numbers showed a statewide (and countrywide) increase in the total number of vehicle deaths per mile driven.
Connecticut had the most notable increase in roadway deaths in the country with a 42% increase. Louisiana saw the second-largest leap with a 23% increase.
These kinds of numbers reveal just how dangerous the simple act of getting behind the wheel of a car can be, and just how crucial it is to do what you can to minimize the risk to yourself and your family members.
Common Causes of Car Accidents in Torrington, CT
Many car accidents happen as a result of human error, and most could have likely been prevented with extra precaution. The sad thing is that no matter how carefully you drive, you can’t really account for someone else’s recklessness or lack of responsibility. Here are some of the most common causes of accidents:
- Distracted driving, including texting while driving
- Speeding and reckless driving
- Failure to yield
- Running stop signs and red lights
- Failure to use turn signals and to look before making turns or changing lanes
- Road defects and other unsafe driving conditions
- Driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol
The wreck that results from these causes could end up seriously hurting or even killing innocent individuals. Any driver who knowingly engages in negligent or careless driving should be held accountable for the accidents they cause.
What Should I Do After an Accident?
When you’re involved in a car accident, it’s often unexpected and emotions could be running high. Nonetheless, the steps you make during this stage will be vital not only to your health (and that of other victims) but also to your case. Here’s what to do after a car accident:
Contact the Authorities
Even if there are no serious injuries, you should contact the police. The police will produce and file a police report, which will be essential when filing your claim.
Stay At the Scene and Check on the Others
Never drive away from the scene of an accident, no matter how minor. While at it, be sure to check up on the other victims in the scene. If possible, try relocating them to a safer area in case they are too hurt to move. However, if anyone sustained severe or fatal injuries, avoid handling them unnecessarily until the paramedics arrive.
Exchange Contact Information
Don’t forget to exchange your contact information with the other motorists involved in the crash. Make sure you include the names, phone numbers, addresses, insurance information, license numbers, license plate numbers, etc. If there were witnesses at the scene, collect their information too.
Take Pictures and/or Videos of the Scene
You also want to document the scene of the accident, paying great attention to the injuries and the property damage. Try taking good pictures of where the vehicles came to rest, any skid marks, and the conditions surrounding the area where the accident happened, and document the weather conditions, relevant traffic, and the nearby road signs.
Don’t Admit Fault
Avoid making statements about whose fault the accident was. You might still be in shock from the accident, and you don’t want to find yourself admitting liability for the crash. Giving out apologies and statements insinuating liability could limit your ability to get fair compensation from the insurance companies.
Seek Medical Attention
Ensure that you also get medical attention as soon as possible after the accident. Let your doctor be the one who determines the severity of your injuries. Don’t forget that sometimes, injuries resulting from an accident won’t show up immediately, and failing to get immediate medical attention will only aggravate the injuries.
Contact a Torrington Car Accident Lawyer
This is one of the key things you want to do after an accident in Torrington, CT. Your lawyer will ensure that your rights are always protected and collect evidence relevant to your case before it’s destroyed. A lawyer will also provide you with the needed advice and guidance throughout the process of pursuing compensation for your damages.
How Much Is My Case Worth?
Each car accident is unique, with its own specific set of circumstances surrounding it. When it comes to calculating how much a case is worth, the cause of the accident and the resulting injuries and property damages will help determine how much compensation will be available to you.
In general, you can seek three forms of damages: economic, non-economic, and punitive damages.
Economic damages encompass all forms of calculable losses that directly result from the events of the accident. They include:
- Medical bills, including hospitalization, emergency room expenses, treatment, etc.
- Lost wages from the time spent away from work
- Vehicle repairs
Non-economic damages, on the other hand, encompass damages that can’t easily be calculated, but still add value to your claim. They include:
- Pain and suffering
- Losing enjoyment of life
- Losing consortium or companionship
Punitive damages are meant to serve as extra punishment for parties at fault for engaging in extremely negligent or malicious misconduct. They are quite rare and don’t necessarily compensate the victim of the accident directly.
How Long do I Have to File a Claim?
Connecticut law outlines the statute of limitations for the state, which is the amount of time a victim of a car accident has to file a claim for their damages. Based on this statute, victims have two years from the time of the accident to file their claim.
For cases involving wrongful death, the three-year deadline will commence from the date of the death caused by the accident. Any actions you take towards filing the claim after the deadline has elapsed can be motioned in court for dismissal and your case will most likely not be heard.
Connecticut Negligence Laws
If you are found to be partly at fault for the accident, your case might proceed to trial, and the amount of compensation your damages are worth will be reduced by your percentage of liability. This is because Connecticut uses the modified comparative negligence rule, which holds all parties accountable depending on their contribution to the accident.
You can recover compensation for the damages incurred in a car accident as long as your negligence was not greater than the combined negligence of the rest of the other involved parties. Your compensation amount will also be reduced by your percentage of fault in causing the accident and therefore your injuries and damages.
For instance, if you were found to have been speeding at the time of the accident, you may be assigned 15% fault for the accident. If your injury claim was determined to be $100,000, you would only be entitled to $85,000.
Since the laws surrounding comparative negligence could have a significant impact on your case, your best bet is to work with an experienced personal injury lawyer to help make sure that you aren’t blamed for more than your share of fault for the accident.
How Much does a Car Accident Lawyer Cost?
When dealing with any legal case, the thought of hiring a lawyer can be a major concern for many people, primarily due to the expected costs. Luckily, Injured CT personal injury lawyers work with clients on a contingency fee basis, which means you won’t have to pay us a cent upfront to acquire our legal services.
You will only pay us a pre-agreed upon percentage of the money you get awarded as compensation. If we lose the case, you don’t have to pay us anything.
Contact a Torrington Car Accident Lawyer Today
At Injured CT, we pride ourselves in providing personalized, knowledgeable, and expert legal representation to clients involved in car accidents or any other forms of personal injury cases. We have successfully recovered millions in damages for our clients, and you can count on us to get you the justice and compensation you are legally entitled to.
Our lawyers have a great record of success. We provide our clients with superb and professional legal guidance and advice. While we cannot promise any specific outcome, we can promise to not let insurance companies bully you into accepting fault or settling for lower compensation amounts than you deserve.
Contact us today to set up a free, no-obligation consultation with our team of Torrington car accident lawyers.