The negligence of other drivers can result in severe injuries that may give rise to a valid car wreck claim. However, demonstrating that another driver was the party responsible for a car crash can be difficult. Defendants and their insurance companies may go to great lengths to limit their liability and financial responsibility.
Fortunately, a Stamford car accident lawyer could help you prove that another party’s negligence was the cause of your losses.
A skilled personal injury lawyer in Stamford could investigate your crash, identify the defendant’s role in the incident, and accurately measure your losses to demand compensation. Skiber Law has fought for car accident victims since 2008. Let us start building your case today.
When Should You Contact a Stamford Car Accident Lawyer?
We do not recommend trying to financially recover from a car collision without the assistance of an experienced legal representative. Unfortunately, insurance claims adjusters do not want to put your financial recovery first. They want to save providers money and can use underhanded tactics to do so.
What’s more, the liable parties involved in your accident may not understand the full breadth of your losses and try to pressure you into accepting insufficient settlement offers.
Accepting these offers can see you accidentally sign away your right to future legal action if you don’t have an experienced representative to intercede on your behalf.
Our Stamford, CT, car accident attorneys are here to help you avoid making mistakes that may compromise your right to the compensation you need to overcome the financial fallout of a collision. Scheduling a free case consultation with us won’t lock you into legal action, but instead gives you the chance to discuss your next best steps.
Skiber Law Works on Contingency
Skiber Law doesn’t let legal fees prevent you from getting the representation you need to overcome your car crash losses. Our personal injury lawyers work on a contingency fee basis. In other words:
- You don’t pay for your case consultation, and you’re not obligated to work with our team.
- You don’t have to put down a deposit or retainer to start working with our team.
- You won’t receive any bills while your case is in progress.
Our team will only receive payment for representation rendered to you and your loved ones once we secure the settlement you deserve.
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Should You File an Insurance Claim or Personal Injury Claim After a Car Wreck?
You can financially recover from a car wreck in more than one way. For example, you may instinctively want to file an insurance claim with a liable driver’s provider. Doing so can put money in your hands, but only if a driver has applicable coverage and an insurer acknowledges the severity of your losses.
If you can’t get an insurance company to offer you the financial support you need to overcome your most pressing bills, you can sue a liable party for damages.
Filing a car accident claim against a liable party does not obligate you to go to trial, but instead lets you exercise the legal right to summon that party for settlement negotiations.
However, your lawsuit also allows you to initiate trial proceedings if a negligent party continues to contest your right to financial aid.
Duty of Care in Stamford
Something as simple as a distracted driver or a driver who ignores the speed limit places others at risk of serious harm. State law establishes that every driver assumes a duty to act with care and responsibility by following all traffic laws when getting behind the wheel of a vehicle.
Any failure to behave with this duty in mind that results in an injury makes a driver responsible for any resulting damage.
Behaviors such as speeding, texting while driving, failing to yield, or ignoring stop signs breach their duty of care to others on the road and may lead to catastrophic accidents.
A Stamford car wreck attorney could help an accident victim demonstrate that a defendant breached their duty of care and therefore may be liable for the plaintiff’s damages.
The deadline to file in Connecticut
Connecticut law generally gives you two years from the date the injury is sustained or discovered to bring a claim, and in most cases no more than three years from the act or omission complained of, even if the injury is discovered later. That deadline comes from Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-584.
Modified Comparative Fault for a Car Accident
Liability may be unclear in some car wreck situations. In cases where the defendant did not receive a citation from a police officer, determining fault in a car accident may become difficult, and the court may evaluate the actions of all involved parties to identify who is at fault.
Connecticut General Statutes §52-572h establishes that a court must use a modified comparative fault system when determining negligence in an accident case. A victim whose share of fault is more than 50 percent may not recover at all.
If a court believes that a plaintiff is 50 percent or less at fault for an accident, that court may reduce the plaintiff’s award by their share of fault in the incident.
If the court decides that a plaintiff is more than 51 percent to blame for an accident, that court may award any damages to the injured party.
Statute of Limitations
If you decide that you want to take up a personal injury lawsuit against the liable party involved in your car collision, you need to finalize and file your paperwork before your case’s statute of limitations expires.
Under CT Gen. Stat. §52-577, accident victims must bring their claim to court no more than two years from the date of the incident. If a plaintiff fails to meet this statutory deadline, they may risk their opportunity to collect damages.
A Stamford car accident attorney could work to ensure that an accident victim files their claim before the statute of limitations expires.
Uninsured/Underinsured Claims
When the at-fault driver has no coverage, an injured driver can still recover compensation. Every month, an insured driver pays a premium to the insurance company to include uninsured/underinsured coverage, and by law, their insurance cannot increase.
This is so that, in the event of an accident with an uninsured driver, the insured driver can collect compensation.
What Compensation Can You Recover After a Stamford Car Accident?
You have every right to demand compensation from the parties responsible for the losses you sustain due to a car accident. However, you need to bring forward evidence proving your right to compensation for the losses you want to attribute to your accident.
An experienced car accident attorney in Stamford can help you find the data most relevant to your case without asking you to return to the scene of your crash or speak with witnesses.
However, you can keep track of any of the invoices or bills related to your medical care and property restoration if you want to make the process simpler.
Our team can then demand a settlement that accounts for the combined value of your:
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Reduced quality of life
- Emergency medical care
- Surgeries and additional medical attention
- Lost wages and/or lost benefits
- Property damage and restorative efforts
Wrongful Deaths After Car Accidents
If you lose a loved one to a fatal car accident, our wrongful death lawyers in Stamford can step in and request compensation for a loved one’s funeral and other expenses.
We know that money will never replace someone’s presence in your life, but our support can help you overcome the most pressing financial barriers you might face.
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Get Help from a Stamford Car Accident Attorney Today
If you are injured in an auto collision, you may be dealing with severe physical injuries, feeling stressed about your totaled car, and losing valuable income due to your inability to work.
While you focus on getting your recovery, a Stamford, CT, car accident lawyer could take the lead on your case and work to protect your legal rights by gathering evidence and demanding payments for your losses.
Get in touch with a representative at Skiber Law today to book a free case consultation and discuss your right to legal action.