Personal Injury Law in Connecticut

Were you hurt due to another’s negligence in Connecticut? If so, it may have far-reaching consequences such as a loss of wages or extensive medical treatment. Personal injury law allows an injured person to get damages if the responsible person acted recklessly. A personal injury attorney in Connecticut can help navigate the lawsuit to make sure you receive all of the compensation you deserve.

What Is Personal Injury Law?

Personal injury law in Connecticut relates to the legal process of getting compensation for an injury caused by someone else’s negligent behavior. These cases involve one party, the plaintiff, trying to seek financial compensation for expenses incurred and money lost as a result of the defendant’s reckless behavior. These cases involve both parties’ insurance companies and may even settle before proceeding to litigation.

Examples of Personal Injury Claims in  Connecticut

Some personal injury claims are more common than others. However, almost any incident that ends with a physical or mental injury could qualify, depending on the circumstances.

A few of the most common personal injury claims are:

• Car Accidents
• Slip and Fall
• Dog Bites
• Medical Malpractice
• Workplace Accidents
• Burn Injuries

Most Common Injuries in Connecticut 

The Connecticut General Assembly investigations committee found that there were more than 1.75 million visits to hospital emergency departments in Connecticut in 2012. This reportedly is an 18% increase from the last data set available, which was gathered back in 2006. Additionally, Connecticut see’s some of the highest rates of extreme back pain in the nation. More people go to the ER in Connecticut for back pain than most other states. Oftentimes, back pain is either caused slowly by lots of work over time, or directly by a work related injury.

Steps in a Personal Injury Lawsuit in Connecticut

Once you determine that you wish to proceed forward with a personal injury action in Connecticut

A lawsuit begins when a complaint is filed with the court and served on the defendant. The complaint alleges your assertion as the plaintiff that the defendant’s negligent behavior resulted in damage to your body or mental state. As the process proceeds forward, you may have to go through depositions, independent medical evaluations and document production. This discovery process is lengthy and ends in either settlement or a court appearance.

Before going to court, you must be able to prove negligence and have a compiled list of the damages sought. Then you and your legal team can enter into settlement negotiations directly with the party at fault. If your claim is met, then you can settle outside of court which most people opt for. However, if the party at fault outright deny your claim or your damages are not met by the party at fault, you can then take your case to civil court.

Connecticut Personal Injury Settlement

With most personal injury cases, insurance companies and injured parties prefer settlement negotiations rather than going to court for a trial. You may wonder how much you should seek in your settlement and factors that impact the final amount.

Costs and or settlements for personal injury settlements can vary heavily in Connecticut depending on a few factors. Of course you must consider the severity of the injury, but also what medical facility you are treated at, and what kind of insurance you have. Most ER visits have insurance co-pays of 10% to 50% of the cost of treatment. If you don’t have insurance, or you are taken out of network, that could stick you with anywhere from $150-$3,000 in initial costs alone.

The Connecticut Insurance Department recommends that you always know what medical facilities near you, or where you work, are within your network to avoid high costs. Especially since in addition to initial ER costs, you have to factor in the cost of your rehabilitation, work loss costs, and any other medical bills. That doesn’t even include non-economic costs like pain and suffering. The injury you suffer could cost you thousands of dollars, your injury claim could help you win that and more back.

If the other party has insurance, the insurance company likely wants to settle out of court to avoid leaving the final settlement decision to a jury. Settlements benefit injured parties as much as they do insurance companies. This is because accepting a settlement means you receive compensation sooner rather than later. Also, by going to court in , that means you risk not receiving any compensation at all.

Damage Awards in Connecticut

If your Connecticut personal injury lawsuit goes before a judge or jury, your legal team will be ready with a request for damages. In personal injury cases, there are three types of damage awards a court may order the defendant to pay to compensate you for the damage they inflicted.

Special compensatory damages reimburse you for things such as lost income, medical bills and insurance deductibles. You submit receipts proving these losses.

General compensatory damages are subjective. If you receive special compensatory damages, you may also collect general damages. If your injury was particularly painful, you might request that the judge order the defendant compensate you for the pain and anguish.

Punitive damages are the most rarely awarded and are up to the court. The judge or jury may determine that the defendant’s negligence was particularly heinous and the resulting injury to you was equally horrific. 

Connecticut does not have any damage caps on economic damages, such as medical bills, and work loss costs. It also does not have caps on noneconomic damages like pain and suffering. 

Statute of Limitations in Connecticut Personal Injury Law?

The injured party may have a set amount of time to file suit for a personal injury case. State law establishes statutes of limitation. Commonly, the plaintiff’s injury or discovery of the injury begins the statute of limitations. However, the latter factor is trickier, as the plaintiff will have to prove when the injury was first realized.

In Connecticut, the statute of limitations for a personal injury claim is two years from the date of the injury. However, after suffering an injury many costs and other related injuries can surface months later. Leaving you with less time or missed possibilities.

We recommend you speak with a personal injury lawyer for this matter. Don’t wait too long and miss out on receiving the compensation you deserve for your injury. 

Work With an Experienced Connecticut Lawyer

Pursue a personal injury claim in Connecticut against the responsible person if you are dealing with an injury caused by someone else. One of our experienced lawyers can help you navigate your personal injury claim.  We can even help you connect with an attorney across Connecticut state lines.

Submit a request online or call us today at (866) 345-6784 to get in touch with an experienced lawyer in your area!