When someone has been seriously injured in an accident, the best thing to do is talking with personal injury attorney in New London, CT. On the other hand, if a car crash involves nothing more than a few dents and scratches, most people are able to handle the matter. Many accidents, however, fall into a gray area where people are not sure if they should try to negotiate a settlement on their own or retain an attorney.
Don’t Wait Too Long
Connecticut sets a two-year time limit for filing a lawsuit after an injury. Anyone who waits longer than that to file their lawsuit will forfeit their right to have the court hear their case.
Connecticut is a Fault State
Connecticut law follows the modified comparative rule. An injured person will only be compensated if they were less than 51% at fault for the accident. This means that anyone held to be more than 50% responsible for the accident will collect nothing.
Shared blame works like this: suppose someone was injured in an accident but was driving a few miles over the limit. The injured driver could be held 10% (or some other percentage) responsible for an accident. The other driver, who smashed into the car when running a red light, would thus be 90% responsible. If the case settled for $100,000, the injured driver would receive $90,000.
Insurance Companies Love this Law
Most Connecticut residents are unaware of the implications of the modified comparative rule (or sharing the blame), but insurance companies depend on it. During negotiations, especially if the injured person is not represented by an attorney, they will try to establish that the injured party was partly at fault for the accident. In the best case, they can be completely off the hook if the injured person is found more than 50% at fault. Otherwise, they work very hard to reduce compensation by establishing some level of blame to the injured victim.
Since 1991, Stephen M. Reck has defended his clients’ rights. Even when insurance companies offered very low or zero settlements, he was able to win financial compensation on numerous occasions by going to court. When you’re injured and need an experienced personal injury attorney in New London, CT, contact this knowledgeable attorney for a free legal consultation. Browse the website to learn more and contact the firm.
