14 Critical Car Accident Questions

Your top-rated Connecticut car accident lawyer answers very important legal questions we’ve been repeatedly asked over the last fourteen years. The answers can greatly change the outcome and value of your case. If you have additional questions call us today for a free, no-obligation consultation with our top rated car accident lawyers.

1) WHAT IS MY CAR ACCIDENT CASE WORTH?

First of all, it’s especially important to realize this is a complex process. Despite what’s on the internet, there isn’t a magic formula to evaluate a case. Never assume you don’t have a case. Always contact an experienced attorney as soon as possible after any serious accident. Critical evidence and information may be lost if you delay.

The value of your case depends on many facts, such as how the accident happened, what injuries you sustained, and how these injuries affected your life, physically, emotionally and financially. Finally, the facts of your case can’t change but how Bartlett & Grippe uncovers the facts and presents them can make a huge difference in the outcome of your case. An experienced car accident lawyer at our firm can help you determine the maximum value of your case.

Eight costly mistakes personal injury clients often make.

2) DO I HAVE TO TALK TO THE OTHER DRIVER’S INSURANCE COMPANY?

Do not talk to the other driver’s insurance company representatives without first speaking to an experienced attorney at Bartlett & Grippe, LLC.

3) WHEN TO GET AN ATTORNEY FOR A CAR ACCIDENT?

Not all car accidents require an attorney. You should contact an experienced car accident attorney if there are injuries or there is major property damage. If you’re not sure, call us and we can help. We will walk you through the complex legal process and help ensure you receive all you deserve.

4) CAN I BRING AN AUTO ACCIDENT LAWSUIT IF I’M PARTLY TO BLAME?

Yes. Connecticut uses comparative fault rules. Let’s say we go to court, and after hearing all the evidence the jury finds that you were thirty percent responsible for the accident and the defendant was seventy percent at fault. In other words, if you presented medical bills, lost wages and other reasonable expenses totaling $100,000, then under the modified comparative negligence rule the court would reduce your award by the percentage the jury found you at fault for the car accident. In this example, you should receive $70,000. Unfortunately, if the court finds that you were fifty-one percent at fault or higher, you receive nothing, and you owe your attorney nothing.

5) SHOULD I CALL A CAR ACCIDENT LAWYER FROM THE SCENE OF THE ACCIDENT?

Yes, once police and medical emergency personnel have been notified. You should call an experienced car accident attorney from the scene of the accident if there are injuries or there is major property damage. Calling from the scene is especially relevant and can have a major impact on the outcome of a potential claim or lawsuit. You need to contact an experienced attorney with medical staff to sort through the legal and medical issues. We will stand up to the insurance companies and exhaust every possible means of recovery for you and your loved ones. We will take the case to trial if that’s needed.

6) DO I HAVE TO NOTIFY THE POLICE?

You must notify police right away when there is an injury, death, or property damage. Most people don’t realize there’s no threshold in CT of estimated property damage for reporting a car accident.

7) WHAT DO I NEED TO DO IF I’M IN A CAR CRASH IN CONNECTICUT?

It depends on the severity of the accident.

Car Accidents with Injury

Your response to an accident with injuries can help save lives and speed rescue personnel to the scene:

Notify police and other emergency personnel right away. First call 911, and then call a car accident lawyer at Bartlett & Grippe, LLC.
Don’t try to move an injured person unless there is a vehicle fire or other immediate risk.
Also, covering an injured person with a blanket can help prevent shock.

Reporting a Car Accident

It’s important to realize that collecting information after an accident will be helpful to police, your insurance company when you make a claim, and especially your car crash attorney at Bartlett & Grippe, LLC.

Write down the names and addresses of everyone involved.
Get insurance information, license plate numbers and the make, model and year of vehicles.
Write down any damage you observe to all vehicles related to the accident. Cooperate with police in answering questions and providing information.
Don’t give opinions. State only the facts.
If your car hits a parked vehicle, try to find the owner. Leave a note on the driver’s windshield if the owner is not around. Include your contact information and the date and time the accident occurred.
Write down as much information about the accident as possible while it’s still fresh in your mind so that we will have all the facts required to mount a strong case.
For several weeks document all of your injuries associated with the accident and include re-injured preexisting injuries. It is quite common to feel fine initially but start to feel pain in a day or two. Finally and most importantly, a medical professional must document all of your injuries.

8) WHAT INFORMATION SHOULD I GIVE THE POLICE?

You must show the following documents to the police:

Driver’s license
Registration card
Connecticut insurance card
Current address

Bartlett & Grippe, LLC will be able to get a copy of the official accident report.

9) WHAT ARE CAR ACCIDENT LAWYER FEES?

At our firm, there are no fees or expenses unless you win or you accept a settlement. We pay all expenses, court fees, expert expenses, etc. You only pay us if you accept a settlement or receive an award at trial.

10) SHOULD I TAKE AN OFFER AND WHO MAKES THE DECISION TO TAKE AN OFFER?

This is your ultimate decision. We will only advise you to accept or reject an offer, based on our years of experience. If the offer is unfair and we feel strongly that we will do better going to court, we will recommend that we take your case to trial. The car accident lawyer that has handled your case from the beginning will be representing you in court. You have the final say to accept an offer or go to court.

11) HOW LONG DO I HAVE TO FILE A CAR ACCIDENT LAWSUIT? WHAT IS THE STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS IN CT?

If you were injured in an auto accident or want to file a suit for property damage (compensation for repairs to your car), Per Conn. Gen. Stat. Ch. 926 Sec. 52-584 you have two years from the date of the accident to file a lawsuit. The sooner you contact our firm the better. We will collect valuable information that can greatly change the outcome of your case.

12) HAS YOUR FIRM HANDLED MANY CAR ACCIDENT CASES?

Yes, we are a nationally recognized personal injury wrongful death law firm. Serious car accident lawsuits are one of our firm’s core personal injury practice areas. Our car crash attorneys have successfully represented hundreds injured in car accidents. We are a litigation law firm which means we are the attorneys that actually take your case to court if it doesn’t settle to your satisfaction. Many firms refer their cases to us if their case must go to trial. We treat every case as if it will go to trial. As a result, this extra effort helps maximize the outcome whether you accept an offer or eventually go to trial. Every case is different and past results are not an indication of future results.

13) DO I NEED A CAR ACCIDENT ATTORNEY NEAR ME?

We are centrally located in Connecticut. We represent people injured in car accidents from all Connecticut towns and in all of Connecticut’s courts. Distance is not an issue in this age of electronics. In addition, over the years we have established a network of top-rated experienced attorneys across the country that we know and have worked with regularly. Many attorneys across the country refer cases to our firm. Don’t settle for less. Contact us now.

The map shows the numbers and locations of those we’ve helped in CT just in the past four years.

14) I WAS REAR-ENDED, WHY WOULD I NEED A LAWYER?

Rear-end collision accidents - these seem straightforward, but without an attorney, insurance companies will try to minimize the amount they pay. Having a knowledgeable attorney on your side will help to ensure you receive the recovery you deserve. Here’s a real life example of one of our clients that thought she could handle the case on her own. The story was written up in the Connecticut Law Tribune and Attorney Bartlett provided the story behind the story here: How Cheshire Attorney Secured $225,000 Settlement for Woman’s Wrist Injuries

Connecticut Accident Information

The State of Connecticut keeps track of the average Daily Vehicles Miles Travelled (DVMT) and the number and types of crashes. The last compiled data by the State was for 2015 and published in 2017. It showed that in 2015 the DVMT was a staggering 86.6 million miles a day driven on Connecticut roads. There were 3.53 crashes per million DVMT, and of those crashes, there were .24 fatal crashes per billion DVMT.

In 2015 there were 5,182 crashes in Hartford alone, of which 9 were fatal crashes with 10 fatalities. There was 1752 injury crashes with 2,635 injuries.

The above data can be found in the 2015 CT Crash Facts Book

When you get in touch with one of the top* personal injury and car accident attorneys you start the process of making yourself whole again. Many insurance companies will try to settle quickly for less than your case is worth. There’s nothing wrong with taking a settlement if it is fair, but it’s important to realize you need an experienced car accident lawyer on your side. We will work on your behalf to achieve fair compensation for your injuries.

Many accidents bring added complexities such as:

Distracted Driver Accident, cell phone accident, and texting while driving accident. Too often today, drivers use cell phones and text while driving. When texting or cell phone use leads to an accident, a distracted driver accident attorney at Bartlett & Grippe can help you recover the compensation you deserve.
Hit and Run Accident cases often leave victims with serious injuries and many questions about what can be done. By contacting a hit and run accident attorney at our firm, you will learn how your own insurance may provide you an avenue to recover from your injuries. If you have been injured, you are not alone, contact us today and let a hit and run accident lawyer at our firm guide you on the road to the recovery you deserve.
Drunk Driver Accident – If you or a loved one was injured by someone intoxicated there may be several sources to recover money for your loss or injury such as the person or establishment that served the driver drinks. This falls under what’s called Dram Shop Law. Call Bartlett & Grippe today for a free consultation to discuss what can be done in your particular case since every case is different and we have handled hundreds of cases.

Unique Car Accident Lawyer Experience

Our expert car accident attorneys possesse unique and valuable insight gained from experience in the field of insurance company defense. Working as insurance defense attorneys allows us to gain valuable knowledge about how insurance adjusters handle and evaluate claims. We learned first-hand the maximum amount insurance adjusters would pay. We use this knowledge and the experience gained from hundreds of car accident cases to help maximize your compensation and get you a fair and just settlement.

It’s not just about physical damage. A serious car accident can leave emotional scars that take a long time to heal. You don’t have to settle for less than you deserve when it comes to compensation for a car accident. Our lawyers and staff can help protect your interests and maximize your compensation. Don’t accept less than you should from the other party’s insurance company. They want to settle for the lowest amount possible, but you deserve better than that and we can help you get what you deserve.

We serve auto accident clients throughout Connecticut, including but not limited to Waterbury, Cheshire, New Haven, Fairfield, Bridgeport, and Hartford.

Choosing the best Connecticut accident attorney can be a difficult job, so please consider these 12 questions when choosing a car accident attorney by clicking here.