Car Accident Law in Hartford

Car accidents can wreak havoc on your life, leaving injuries, mental trauma, and financial devastation in their wake. When you’re injured in a car crash, it’s important to check out your legal options and find out if you are entitled to compensation. The costs add up quickly after a collision, and a personal injury settlement or court award could help you defray those costs and get back to normal as quickly as possible.

Learn more about your legal options after a vehicle crash. Call The Dodd Law Firm at 203-272-1883 to set up a consultation with our team of Hartford car accident attorneys.

Types of Auto Accidents in Connecticut

The type of accident you’re involved in plays a big role in the type of injuries you suffer, the extent of those injuries, and the state of your car. Some of the most common types of collisions you may see on Connecticut roads include:

• Rear-end: Rear-end collisions are incredibly common because it’s very easy to get a little too close to the car in front of you. This is especially true with smartphones and the rise in distracted driving. Rear-end accidents run the whole range of severity. Someone might accidentally let their foot slip off of the brake and roll into you at a stop sign, causing minor damage—or they may completely miss the fact that you’ve stopped and crashed into your car at full speed.
• Sideswipe: Sideswipe collisions often occur when someone turns into a lane they are not meant to turn into or if they fail to check their blind spot before changing lanes. The level of damage depends largely on how quickly either driver gets out of the situation.
• Head-on: Head-on collisions have high rates of fatal and severe injuries. The faster both drivers are going at the time of the crash, the greater the fallout is. These accidents may occur because someone is impaired, asleep behind the wheel, or somehow incapacitated.
• T-bone: When someone runs a red light or stop sign, they may cause a T-bone accident with someone who has the right of way. These accidents can cause devastating injuries.
• Rollover: Rollover collisions are fairly rare for passenger vehicles, but they are possible. They are more likely to occur in vehicles with a higher center of gravity, such as pickup trucks.
• Pileup: Collisions involving more than two vehicles can spiral out of control quickly, especially on highways where other drivers do not have time to stop.
• Single vehicle: Single vehicle accidents may occur when a driver is attempting to avoid an obstacle or loses control of their vehicle.

What Causes Car Accidents?

Car accidents are often the result of driver negligence. Accidents can be the result of vehicle malfunction, defective components, road conditions, or poor weather, but driver error is the most common trigger. Common causes of collisions include:

• Distractions: Distracted driving is a massive problem in the United States, and it’s only getting worse as time passes. Food, beverages, texting, and talking on the phone are all common sources of distraction.
• Impairment: Driving while impaired is one of the most dangerous things you can do. The risk of an accident is high, and accidents caused by drunk driving are more likely to be fatal.
• Failing to yield: Whether it’s skipping someone’s turn at a four-way stop or blowing through a red light, failing to yield the right of way causes accidents because it goes against what other drivers expect of a reasonable driver.
• Speeding: Speeding is one of the most common and dangerous driving mistakes. Speeding makes it harder to react to obstacles on the road and is especially dangerous during inclement weather or heavy traffic.
• Ignoring traffic and weather conditions: People must be able to adjust their driving to account for road and weather conditions. When they don’t, they’re likely to cause a preventable crash.

Legal Issues in Car Accidents

When it comes to getting fair and full compensation for a car crash, you have to consider the various legal issues that must be addressed. You’ll need to prove the other party’s liability in order to get their insurance company to pay a fair settlement. For a party to be liable, they must have neglected to fulfill their duty of care to you. That negligence must have led to your accident and that accident must have caused measurable damages.

You’ll also need to look at your role in the accident. Connecticut has a modified comparative negligence law. Even if you are partially at fault for an accident, you can still receive compensation—as long as you are 50% or less at fault.

How the Team at The Dodd Law Firm Can Help You

Getting fair compensation is an uphill battle, but it’s not one you have to do alone. With The Dodd Law Firm, you can feel confident that you’re on the right path. Insurance companies are not in a big rush to pay accident victims a fair settlement, so you must go above and beyond to prove the other party’s liability and your damages.

Our team has gone head-to-head with the major insurance companies, and we know how frustrating it can be to run into roadblock after roadblock. We will begin by conducting a full investigation, gathering important evidence, and learning more about your injuries. From there, we will go straight to the insurance company and demand a fair settlement.

Most claims are settled during negotiations, but if your claim goes to court, we’ll fight for you there. Wherever your case takes us, we are committed to getting the compensation you rightfully deserve.

Contact Our Team Today to Start Your Accident Claim

If you’ve been injured in a car accident in Hartford, it’s time to talk to the team at The Dodd Law Firm. We’ll be with you every step of the way as you recover and pursue compensation. Get started by scheduling a consultation now—just call us at 203-272-1883 or send us a message online to set up a meeting.