Hartford Personal Injury Lawyers

If you’ve been injured in a car crash, slip and fall, dog attack, or another type of accident, you may be wondering about your options. The medical bills are piling up, you may be out of work indefinitely, and you’re not sure what you’re going to do. Fortunately, you have options. With a personal injury lawsuit, you may be able to hold the negligent party accountable.

It all starts with a free consultation at The Dodd Law Firm. We’re committed to helping victims like you fight for the full and fair compensation they deserve. Call us at 203-272-1883 to set up a consultation now.

Our Personal Injury Services

The team at The Dodd Law Firm handles a wide range of personal injury claims, including:

• Car accidents
• Truck accidents
• Bus accidents
• Motorcycle crashes
• Pedestrian accidents
• Bicycle accidents
• Slip and fall injuries
• Dog bites
• Other premises liability cases
• Defective products

Cases vary when it comes to potential payouts, necessary evidence, and your overall timeline. That’s why it’s so important to talk to a personal injury lawyer in Hartford, CT as soon as possible.

Personal Injury Laws in Connecticut

The laws determining when you can file a personal injury claim, how much you can recover, and whom you can sue vary from state to state. In Connecticut, you generally have two years from the date of your injury to initiate a personal injury claim. However, there are limitations.

For example, if you have a claim against a government entity, you must notify them before beginning a lawsuit. If you are suing an entity at the city or county level, you must notify them within six months. Claims against the state must be reported to the State Claims Commissioner within one year.

Like many other states, Connecticut is a comparative negligence state. This allows victims who are partially at fault for accidents to recover compensation. This is important because, in many accidents, liability is shared to some degree.

Consider, for example, a car accident in a roundabout. You were in the roundabout and someone entering it did not know that they were supposed to yield to you, so they struck you on your right side.

The insurance company or courts may determine that you should have noticed that they were going to enter the roundabout and stopped to avoid an accident. As a result, you are 10% at fault. Since the other party has a greater share of liability, you can still recover compensation from them. Your total award will just be decreased by 10%.

Dog bite laws also vary significantly from state to state. Connecticut does not have a “one bite” law. That is, owners are generally liable for any damage caused by their dogs if they bite someone. This is the case even if the owner had no knowledge of the dog’s aggressive tendencies.

How to Protect Yourself After an Accident

Taking the right steps after an injury protects your personal injury claim and your health. After an injury, we recommend:

• Checking for injuries immediately: If there are any serious injuries, it’s important to call for emergency services right away.
• Reporting the accident: Reporting the incident to the proper authorities ensures that you start a paper trail tying the incident to your injuries. For a car crash, pedestrian accident, or bike accident, you would call the Hartford Police Department. After a dog bite, you would reach out to the Animal Control division of the Police Department.
• Taking photos: Take photos of the scene and any injuries you notice. You’ll also want to get contact information for the other party and any witnesses that stopped to provide assistance.
• Getting a full medical checkup: Prompt medical care is a crucial part of any personal injury claim. Medical documentation links the accident to your injuries and provides a starting point for determining compensation. Local facilities include Hartford Hospital, AFC Urgent Care, and DOCS Urgent Care.
• Talking to a personal injury lawyer in Hartford, CT: Your next call should be to a local personal injury lawyer. In order to get the compensation you deserve, you’ll need to prove to the other party’s insurance company that you are injured and that it was their client’s fault. As you may imagine, they will do a lot to dodge liability and limit the amount they pay out to victims.

Fighting for the Compensation You Deserve

After a personal injury, you may be entitled to several types of compensation. Depending on the accident, your injuries, and how much evidence you have, you may receive compensation for:

• Medical bills and related expenses
• Lost wages
• Property damage
• Pain and suffering
• Any other losses and expenses related to your injuries

What does it take to receive a fair settlement? The team at The Dodd Law Firm is here to help you navigate this process. It all starts with gathering the evidence needed to prove liability. This involves proving that:

• The other party had a duty of care to you
• They failed to fulfill that duty
• That failure led to the accident and your injuries
• Your injuries left you with measurable losses

This looks slightly different for every type of accident. Consider, for example, a defective product claim. Your baby choked on a toy marketed for their age group.

The manufacturer had a duty of care to consumers to create safe products and test them thoroughly before releasing them. However, they failed in that duty by releasing a product that was not properly tested. As a result, your baby choked, you incurred medical bills, and your family suffered significant emotional distress.

Through an extensive investigation of your injuries and analysis of the evidence, we’ll build an ironclad case proving the other party’s liability. From there, we will send a demand letter to the insurance company and begin negotiations. While most claims settle out of court, we will file a lawsuit and make your case in court if necessary.

Contact The Dodd Law Firm Now

Get the strong, experienced advocate you deserve—choose The Dodd Law Firm. Start your claim now by calling us at 203-272-1883 or sending us a message online.