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New Haven Personal Injury Attorney

A personal injury can occur at any given moment and in any place. If you have been injured as a result of someone else’s negligence or wrongdoing, you may have grounds to file a New Haven personal injury claim to be compensated for your injuries and losses. It is, therefore, important to know what a personal injury claim is, and whether your case applies. It is also important to consult with our experienced attorney, who can evaluate the circumstances involved in your case and advise you of the best course of action.

At Lynch, Traub, Keefe & Errante, we have been helping the victims of personal injury accidents recover the compensation they deserve for almost seventy years. Our goal is to make you and your family whole again, by holding the at-fault party financially accountable for your injuries and losses.
 

What Is a New Haven Personal Injury Claim?

A personal injury claim is the legal process by which an injured party pursues damages from another party whose negligent, reckless, or intentional actions caused them to suffer a physical, psychological, or financial injury.

The damages that may be recovered in a personal injury claim include but are not limited to economic damages, such as medical expenses, lost income and wages, and property damage. Non-economic damages may also be recovered for the injured party’s pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, loss of consortium, etc.

There are strict time limits (called the statute of limitations) to file a personal injury claim, depending on what state you live in, the type of injury you sustained, and who or what caused your injury. In Connecticut, you generally have only two years to gather the evidence you need and file a personal injury claim, or be barred from ever doing so.

It is, therefore, usually recommended that if you are considering a New Haven personal injury claim, you hire an attorney who can assist you with building your case and filing a claim before the applicable statute of limitations expires.

Types of Personal Injury Claims

There are many types of accidents that can have a lasting impact on your life. Personal injury claims are classified based on the nature of the circumstances that led to the accident and, ultimately, your injuries. The most common types of personal injury claims are as follows:

Work related-injuries are typically covered by the state’s workers’ compensation system. However, workers’ compensation benefits won’t always cover all of your medical expenses, or may not get approved at all. In these cases, you may need to file a personal injury lawsuit against your employer (or some third party) to be compensated for the full breadth of your losses.

Proving Fault in a Personal Injury Claim

All personal injury claims in New Haven have a basis in tort law, which is essentially the law of negligence. This means that for you to succeed in your claim, you need to prove that the defendant is legally at fault because they acted negligently with regard to your safety or wellbeing.

To establish negligence on the part of the defendant in your personal injury case, you will need to prove each of the following elements:

Duty

You need to prove that the defendant owed you a duty of care. Most personal injury cases involve a duty of care that has already been recognized by the courts for a long time. Examples include the duty owed by a doctor to a patient, an employer to an employee, or a driver to other motorists and pedestrians on the road.

Breach of Duty

You need to prove that the defendant breached their duty to you in some way. To do this, you must consider what witnesses and/or documents you can gather to support your claim. For example, for a medical malpractice case, you may wish to hire medical experts to comment on the medical professional’s breach of duty.

Causation

If you cannot sufficiently prove that the defendant’s breach of duty led to your injury, illness, or financial losses (known as causation), then you have no claim. Causation is often proven by having an expert witness from the relevant field to provide an opinion on the cause and nature of your injuries.

For example, an orthopedic consultant may be asked to give an opinion on the cause of a broken leg. Similarly, a lung and respiratory specialist may be asked to do the same for an asbestos-related lung disease.

Proving causation can sometimes be very straightforward. For example, if you had no existing health issues before being injured in a car accident, there can be very little argument that the accident caused your injuries.

But what if you already had a back problem? Did the accident make your pre-existing condition worse? Or would your condition have gotten worse anyway? It is issues like this for which medical experts would need to be called upon for an opinion in support of your claim.

Damages

You need to establish the extent of the damages you have suffered because of the defendant’s breach of duty. This essentially means calculating the value of your personal injury claim, based on evidence such as your medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and expert opinion as to the compensation needed to cover the cost of future medical needs, rehabilitation, loss of earning capacity, etc. If you cannot prove that you suffered damages, you have no case.

Most personal injury cases in New Haven are settled without the need to go to trial. However, if either of the necessary elements listed above is disputed by the defendant or their insurance provider, you may need to take the claim to court to ask a judge or jury to decide upon the disputed issues, and return a verdict in your favor.

Potential Compensation in a Personal Injury Case

An unexpected accident can have a serious impact on your life. You may require regular medical care to treat a serious injury or impairment, which can be very expensive. You could struggle to return to work for weeks following the incident, leading to lost wages and benefits. In some cases, you may be unable to work at all due to your injuries.

By filing a personal injury lawsuit, you can recover financial compensation to help pay for these losses and more. Your attorney from Lynch, Traub, Keefe & Errante can help you identify the damages that you may qualify for; gather evidence to establish your right to this compensation; and accurately calculate your potential settlement. 

What Are Economic, Non-Economic & Punitive Damages?

Before pursuing a personal injury claim, it is important to understand the types of compensation that are usually available in these cases. In Connecticut, victims of personal injuries are typically entitled to recover two types of damages: economic damages and non-economic damages. These forms of compensation intend to reimburse you for the losses that you experienced as a result of your personal injury. 

Economic damages are the tangible out-of-pocket losses that you incurred as a result of the accident. If there is a receipt, bill, invoice, or other financial records of the loss, then it likely falls under this category. 

Common examples of economic damages include:

  • Past and future medical expenses, including doctor’s appointments, hospital stays, prescription medication, and surgeries;
  • Property damage that you sustained in the accident, including damage to your vehicle and personal possessions;
  • Disability accommodations that you now require as a result of your injuries, such as mobility equipment and modifications to your home or vehicle;
  • Lost wages that you incurred while receiving treatment for or recovering from your injuries;
  • Loss of future earnings and benefits if you are no longer able to hold gainful employment as a result of your injuries; and
  • Physical therapy, rehabilitation, and other types of specialized treatment that you need as a result of your injuries.

On the other hand, non-economic damages refer to the intangible pain and suffering that you experienced because of the accident and your injuries. Non-economic damages can be physical, such as chronic pain and permanent disability. You can also recover compensation for emotional pain and suffering like mental anguish, loss of quality of life, depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

In certain cases, you may qualify for a third category of compensation known as punitive damages. When a defendant engages in especially egregious or dangerous behavior, the court may award punitive damages to punish him or her and prevent the same actions from happening again. 

In Connecticut, courts may award punitive damages if the defendant showed a reckless indifference to the rights of other people or an intentional or wanton violation of these important rights. However, the state does limit the value of punitive damages to litigation fees, which is much lower than the damage caps in other states.

What Is Comparative Negligence in a New Haven Personal Injury Claim?

In most states, if you have been injured in an accident and are found to share some percentage of fault, the amount of damages you can recover will be reduced in proportion to your share of liability. This is referred to as Comparative Fault.

There are three basic types of Comparative Fault systems in use in the United States. Each allocates fault for an accident differently:

Pure Contributory Negligence – a few states follow the doctrine of pure contributory negligence, wherein an accident victim cannot recover any amount of damages from the other parties involved in the accident if they are even 1% at fault.

Pure Comparative Negligence – this rule allows the injured party to recover damages even if they are 99% at fault for the accident. However, the injured party’s recovery will be reduced by their own degree of fault.

Modified Comparative Negligence – in some states, if the injured party is 51% or more at fault for the accident, they will be barred from recovering any compensation for their injuries and other losses. However, if they are 50% or less at fault, they can recover damages in an amount reduced by their own degree of fault.

Connecticut follows the Modified Comparative Negligence Rule. So, for example, if you are injured in a car accident in Connecticut, and you were awarded $100,000 in damages, but you are also found to be 20% at fault for the accident, you will only be able to recover $80,000 in damages ($100,000 less $20,000 for your own percentage of fault). If you are found to be 51% or more at fault for the accident, you will be unable to recover any of the $100,000 in damages you were awarded.

How Can a New Haven Personal Injury Attorney Help with Your Case?

If you plan on filing a personal injury lawsuit, you need an attorney on your side who can help you seek justice. A New Haven personal injury lawyer from Lynch, Traub, Keefe & Errante can oversee every stage of your case on your behalf and will leverage the full power of our firm’s resources to support your lawsuit. 

An attorney can help with your case in several ways, such as the following:

  • Investigating Your Accident: Your lawyer can conduct a full investigation into the accident that led to your personal injury. He or she can review police reports, gather medical records, interview witnesses, and perform several other important tasks. With your attorney’s support, you can identify the liable party and start establishing critical facts about your case.
  • Building Your Case: When your case enters the courtroom, you want to ensure that you present the most compelling case possible to the judge and the jury. Your lawyer understands the elements necessary to prove a personal injury lawsuit. He or she will leverage evidence, expert testimony, and legal knowledge to craft a convincing case in your favor.
  • Reducing Your Stress: After a sudden injury, the last task on your mind is to pursue litigation. Handling a lawsuit alone can be extremely stressful in any situation, especially after an accident. Your lawyer will handle the entirety of your case on your behalf, helping reduce your stress and allowing you to focus on treatment.
  • Negotiating with Insurance Professionals: Depending on the circumstances surrounding your accident, your case may start as an insurance claim before escalating to a lawsuit. Your attorney can negotiate with insurance companies on your behalf and advocate aggressively for your right to a fair settlement. If it is in your best interest, your lawyer can even help you settle your case before going to trial.

You Don’t Pay Until We Win

From medical expenses to lost wages and property repairs, an unexpected accident can lead to significant financial hardship. Many personal injury victims believe that they cannot afford a lawyer and fail to seek legal representation as a result. At Lynch, Traub, Keefe & Errante, our attorneys understand these situations deeply. That is why we do not charge any legal fees unless we recover compensation on your behalf.

Our firm accepts personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis. If we do not secure a financial settlement in your case, you will not be charged for our services. You are not required to pay upfront fees before your case is settled either. If we do recover a financial award in your case, our firm will take an agreed-upon percentage of your final settlement as payment for our services.

Under a contingency fee arrangement, you can significantly limit your out-of-pocket costs and access the services of an attorney who can fight for your right to recovery. You deserve justice if a negligent party caused your injuries, and the fee arrangements at Lynch, Traub, Keefe & Errante make obtaining legal representation more accessible for New Haven residents

Contact Our Personal Injury Attorneys

The most important thing you can do after being injured in an accident in Connecticut is to consult with an experienced Connecticut personal injury attorney. The personal injury lawyers at Lynch, Traub, Keefe & Errante know how to approach complex personal injury cases in the most effective way, and can ensure that fault for your accident is assessed properly.

We have extensive experience handling personal injury cases, and we prepare every case to be successfully tried in a court of law if need be. Call us today at 203-800-7343, toll-free at 888-692-7403, or fill out our online contact form to arrange a free, no-obligation consultation with an experienced Connecticut personal injury lawyer.