Bristol, CT Personal Injury Lawyers

When you’re face with unexpected accidents and injuries, it’s important to have a strong support network. Serious injuries can throw your life into a tailspin, forcing you to deal with medical bills, property damage, an unexpected leave of absence from work, and the mental trauma of an accident. But if someone else is responsible for your injuries, you may not have to bear these burdens alone. With a personal injury claim in Bristol, you can fight for full and fair compensation for your losses.

Choosing the right legal team can make a big difference in your claim. Find out how The Dodd Law Firm can help you now by calling us at 203-272-1883.

What Types of Personal Injury Claims Do We Handle?

The team at The Dodd Law Firm has handled a wide range of personal injury cases throughout our years in practice. Some of the cases we accept include:

• Car accidents

• Truck accidents

• Motorcycle accidents

• Pedestrian accidents

• Premises liability or slip and fall injuries

• Dog bites
• Defective products

We understand the huge toll a personal injury can take on your quality of life, independence, and financial stability. If you’ve been injured through no fault of your own, our goal is to help you hold the at-fault party accountable.

Personal Injury Laws in Connecticut

Your personal injury claim will be dictated by the framework of Connecticut’s personal injury laws. While the laws tend to be fairly similar from state to state, there are some issues that vary quite a bit by state.

In general, you have two years from the date of your injury to initiate a lawsuit against the liable party. But if the injury is not immediately visible, the clock doesn’t start ticking right away. The two-year timeline starts on the date when the injury should have been discovered. That is, the court will look at when a reasonable person would have identified the injury and begin the two-year timeframe then.

Some claims have a different statute of limitations. When an injury is caused by a defective product, the victim has three years to start your claim. The same timeline applies for injuries resulting from malicious, intentional acts, rather than negligence.

What if the person who caused your injuries flees the state to avoid facing justice? The statute of limitations clock pauses while they’re gone. The clock pauses for a maximum of seven years. Similarly, if the person who caused you harm hides their role in your injuries or otherwise defrauds you, the statute of limitations clock doesn’t start until you discover that you have a claim.

Steps in a Personal Injury Claim

If you’re like most personal injury victims, you’ve never had to hire a lawyer before or even think about going to court. It’s normal to be nervous about the process, but we do everything possible to make it as stress-free and streamlined as possible. Here’s a basic overview of what to expect:

• Initial consultation: When you first meet with our Bristol personal injury team, we’ll learn more about your case and answer your questions. This is your chance to find an attorney who meets your needs and is a good fit for your case. We’ll ask questions about the accident in which you were injured, the extent of your injuries, and your losses so far.

• Investigating your claim: Once you retain a personal injury attorney, it’s time to dig deeper into your claim. Your attorney will gather evidence about your accident and injuries to get a clear picture of what happened, who caused the accident in question, and your damages.

• Negotiations: The evidence gathered in the previous step can be used to negotiate a fair settlement on your behalf. This is what happens with most personal injury claims—estimates indicate that fewer than 5% go to court. You can expect the other party to push back against your attorney’s initial request, but the goal is to meet in the middle and settle on a fair number.

• Filing a lawsuit: There are cases in which a settlement simply isn’t possible. When that happens, your attorney will move forward with preparing for court and filing a lawsuit.

• Discovery: In preparation for trial, both sides will gather evidence and gain access to the other side’s evidence.
• Trial: After an extensive period of preparation, your case will finally reach the courtroom and result in a verdict from the judge or jury. They will decide whether or not the other party is likely liable for your injuries. If they believe the other party is liable, they will also determine how much compensation you should receive.

How the Team at The Dodd Law Firm Can Help You

Picking an experienced, trial-tested personal injury lawyer can help you make the most of your claim. Our team has decades of experience in this area of law, which gives us the knowledge and skills we need to approach your claim with confidence.

Throughout our time in personal injury law, we have worked with every major insurance company on a variety of claim types. This has given us extensive insight into how they negotiate, which types of evidence make them take a claim seriously, and how likely they are to come to a fair compromise. By building a strong case and using our aggressive negotiation tactics, we will fight for every dollar you deserve.

We realize how traumatizing this time can be for victims. The emotional trauma of a personal injury can stay with you for years, and we want to make this time as easy for you as possible. While we address your legal needs, you can concentrate on recovering and preparing for your post-accident life.

Contact Us Today to Get Started

If you’re ready to move forward with your Bristol personal injury claim, our team is ready to get you on the right path. It all starts with a free consultation where you can ask questions and learn more about our approach to cases like yours. Schedule your consultation now by calling us at 203-272-1883 or contacting us online.