If you have been hit and injured by a texting driver, you may need a Stamford texting while driving car accident lawyer. A tough, legitimate, and credible personal injury attorney could work zealously on your behalf to hold a texting driver responsible for their negligence.
You could be entitled to financial damages if the driver’s negligence caused your injuries. It is important not to delay in starting your claim, as waiting too long to file a lawsuit for damages could bar your financial recovery. A practiced attorney could ensure you better understand your options and legal rights after a texting while driving accident so you can make a well informed decision regarding how to proceed.
Recoverable Financial Losses
An attorney in Stamford representing a texting while driving car crash victim could pursue a range of financial damages on their behalf. Victims may recover damages such as:
- Ambulance bills
- Prescription costs
- Hospital expenses
- Therapy costs
- Future medical expenses
- Past and future lost income
- Loss of life enjoyment
- Pain and suffering
Additional non-economic damages such as loss of consortium, disability, scarring, disfigurement, mental anguish, and emotional distress may also be available. Punitive damages could be awarded over and above the plaintiff’s other recoverable damages if the court considers the defendant’s behavior in the accident as representing gross negligence.
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Texting While Driving in Norwalk
As stated under Connecticut General Statutes § 14-296aa, drivers are strictly forbidden from texting while controlling a vehicle or to wield a handheld device while behind the wheel. Drivers over 18 are authorized to utilize a hands-free device to make and accept phone calls. The only caveat to the handheld device rule is in an emergency situation.
The state law takes texting while driving extremely seriously, and violators may be subject to fines ranging from $150 to $500, depending on whether or not they have previously been convicted of a distracted driving violation. If someone is killed in a texting while driving crash, the fine amounts would increase and the individual could be subject to a period of confinement not to exceed 10 years.
How shared fault affects your claim
Connecticut follows modified comparative fault under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-572h: when the victim and the defendant share fault, the court reduces recoverable compensation by the victim's percentage of fault, and a victim whose share of fault is more than 50 percent may not recover at all.
Frequently Asked Questions
What financial losses can I recover after a texting while driving car accident?
A Stamford attorney representing a texting while driving car crash victim could pursue damages such as ambulance bills, prescription costs, hospital expenses, therapy costs, future medical expenses, past and future lost income, loss of life enjoyment, and pain and suffering. Additional non-economic damages such as loss of consortium, disability, scarring, disfigurement, mental anguish, and emotional distress may also be available.
Can punitive damages be awarded in a texting while driving accident case?
Punitive damages could be awarded over and above the plaintiff’s other recoverable damages if the court considers the defendant’s behavior in the accident as representing gross negligence.
What does Connecticut law say about texting while driving?
Under Connecticut General Statutes § 14-296aa, drivers are strictly forbidden from texting while controlling a vehicle or to wield a handheld device while behind the wheel. Drivers over 18 are authorized to utilize a hands-free device to make and accept phone calls, with an exception to the handheld device rule in an emergency situation.
What penalties can apply for texting while driving in Connecticut?
Violators may be subject to fines ranging from $150 to $500, depending on whether or not they have previously been convicted of a distracted driving violation. If someone is killed in a texting while driving crash, the fine amounts would increase and the individual could be subject to a period of confinement not to exceed 10 years.
How long do I have to file a texting while driving auto accident lawsuit in Connecticut?
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-584 provides a two-year window to file a texting while driving auto accident lawsuit. This statute of limitations commences on the date of the collision, and any claim filed after two years would be dismissed by the court.
Holding a Texting Driver Accountable
To hold a texting driver accountable for the victim’s injuries, a Stamford car crash attorney would need to establish duty, breach, causation, and damages. These are the four elements of the negligence doctrine, upon which most auto accident claims are based.
Drivers in Stamford owe other drivers a duty to operate their vehicle with reasonable care. If a driver breaches that duty by texting while driving and causes an accident that injures someone, they may be legally answerable for the victim’s damages.
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-584 provides a two-year window to file a texting while driving auto accident lawsuit. This filing deadline, known as a statute of limitations, commences on the date of the collision. Moreover, any claim filed after two years would be dismissed by the court. In most cases a claim may not be brought more than three years from the act or omission complained of, even if the injury is discovered later. A lawyer could help the injured individual take prompt legal action by the deadline.
Talk to a Stamford Texting While Driving Car Accident Attorney
You should not suffer the consequences of someone else’s negligence if their reckless behavior causes you to sustain injuries. An attorney could put your legal interests at the forefront and advocate for the full compensation due to you.
Schedule your initial consultation with Stamford texting while driving car accident lawyer today.