Hartford Personal Injury Law Blog

Determining fault in a motorcycle accident in Connecticut

On behalf of Lewis, Lewis & Ferraro, LLC posted in Motorcycle Accidents on Thursday, May 17, 2018.

By now, many motorcyclists in Connecticut have had the chance to get out on the road for the first time this year. Riding a motorcycle can be a great time, but, unfortunately, motorcyclists need to be aware of the fact that any accident that might occur that they might be involved in can come with significant challenges, from medical issues to legal issues.

If a motorcyclist is injured in an accident that was caused by a negligent driver, it may be possible for the injured victim to pursue financial compensation by filing a personal injury lawsuit. In such a lawsuit, the injured victim, the plaintiff, will need to prove that it was, in fact, the other driver who caused the accident. However, determining fault for the accident in the first place can be complicated.

Know what type of compensation to pursue for a brain injury

On behalf of Lewis, Lewis & Ferraro, LLC posted in Brain Injury on Thursday, May 10, 2018.

It can be difficult for most people to understand the vast impact that a brain injury can have on a person who suffers such a brain injury in a car, motorcycle, pedestrian or bicycle accident in Connecticut. A brain injury can lead to a permanent disability, such that the person can no longer function like they used to. Movement, speech and even cognitive abilities can all be impacted when a person suffers a brain injury.

When the injury in question was caused by another party's negligence or recklessness, it is important to understand what type of compensation to pursue in a civil lawsuit. For most people, the immediate concern is the medical bills that begin to pile up in the aftermath of the accident. Medical treatment for a brain injury can be incredibly expensive, as can the costs for rehabilitation and therapy that may need to occur for months or even years afterward. Pursuing compensation to cover these costs can be the most pressing issue.

Tractor-trailer crash pulverizes car, injures two people

On behalf of Lewis, Lewis & Ferraro, LLC posted in Truck Accidents on Thursday, May 3, 2018.

When Connecticut residents see news reports about a small passenger car being smashed between two tractor-trailers, they probably expect to see reports about fatalities involved. Fortunately, in a recent accident, that wasn't the case.

According to recent reports, a small Toyota Camry was being driven down Interstate 95, near four tractor-trailers that were traveling in the same direction. As the vehicles began to approach a construction zone, three of the tractor-trailers and the Camry began to slow down. Unfortunately, one of the tractor-trailers did not. That tractor-trailer slammed into the back of the Camry, smashing it into another tractor-trailer. The small car was completely crushed. The photos of the car after the crash showed the car resembling a crumpled piece of paper.

What are dog bite laws and protections in Connecticut?

On behalf of Lewis, Lewis & Ferraro, LLC posted in Premises Liability on Thursday, April 26, 2018.

An animal attack that results in a dog bite can cause serious injuries to victims, and they may be left facing a lifetime of physical and emotional scars as a result. Victims of dog bite attacks in Connecticut may wonder what the legal protections available to them are and what the laws in Connecticut concerning dog bites are.

Dog bites can cause severe physical, financial and emotional injuries which is why victims of dog bites may have a claim for the physical, financial and emotional damages suffered in a dog bite attack. Connecticut dog bite law is referred to a strict liability which means that regardless of the circumstances, with few exceptions, if a dog bites and injures a victim, the owner of the dog is liable to compensate the victim for the damages they have suffered.

Legal protections are available for truck accident victims

On behalf of Lewis, Lewis & Ferraro, LLC posted in Truck Accidents on Thursday, April 19, 2018.

Truck accidents can result in devastating consequences for victims and their families. There are important legal resources and options that all truck accident victims should be familiar with if they have been harmed by a negligent truck driver or negligent trucking company.

After all, fully loaded trucks weigh as much as 25 times that of a passenger vehicle. When the two collide, the results can be catastrophic for truck accident victims and their families.

Family receives $1 million in settlement after Connecticut crash

On behalf of Lewis, Lewis & Ferraro, LLC posted in Wrongful Death on Friday, April 13, 2018.

Wrongful death legal options are available to families who have unexpectedly lost a loved one. A fatal crash in a neighboring Connecticut community north of the Hartford area recently resulted in a $1 million settlement for wrongful death. The family of the 42-year old man killed in the car accident recently accepted the settlement. The victim was killed after his pickup truck was rear-ended by a SUV which resulted in the pickup striking a guardrail and flipping on the freeway.

An insurer for the group that owned the SUV involved in the accident settled with the victim's family. The driver of the vehicle was high on heroin and cocaine at the time of the accident and was arrested, however, she died of a drug overdose prior to the trial beginning. The SUV she was driving was owned by a nonprofit group and its director, an acquaintance of the driver, allowed her to driver the SUV at the time she caused the fatal accident.

The impact of spinal cord and back injuries on victims

On behalf of Lewis, Lewis & Ferraro, LLC posted in Motorcycle Accidents on Friday, April 6, 2018.

Unfortunately, spinal cord and back injuries, although they may be difficult to see, are not uncommon in motorcycle accidents and other types of motor vehicle accidents. When cars are involved in motor vehicle accidents, the cars are designed to absorb much of the impact of the accident but injuries and other harm still oftentimes occur. In circumstances involving a motorcycle accident, the human body absorbs the impact of the crash.

Serious spinal cord and back injuries can result from a motorcycle accident including bulging discs, pinched nerves, fractured vertebrae, paralysis and neck injuries. Spinal cord and back injuries may require extensive surgical repair including the placement of rods, plates, artificial discs or fusions. The impact of a spinal cord or back injury on victims is significant.

The basics of premises liability claims

On behalf of Lewis, Lewis & Ferraro, LLC posted in Premises Liability on Friday, March 30, 2018.

Premises liability is an area of the law that protects parties who enter the property of another from harm. There is a reasonable expectation of the safety when someone enters onto another's property and it is protected through premises liability laws. Premises liability laws allow injured victims to bring a claim for their physical, financial and emotional harm through a persona injury claim for damages.

Victims injured in a slip-and-fall accident, or otherwise injured on another party's property, may have a personal injury legal claim for damages including medical expenses, lost wages and pain and suffering damages. Damages are unique to the circumstances of each situation but generally ensure victims are put back in as close a position as they were prior to the accident as they are in following it.

What are the costs of treating a traumatic brain injury?

On behalf of Lewis, Lewis & Ferraro, LLC posted in Brain Injury on Thursday, March 22, 2018.

This blog recently discussed rehabilitation from a brain injury. Victims and families suffering from a brain injury may wonder about the costs of treatment as they grapple with the physical, financial and emotional impact of a traumatic brain injury. Brain injury costs can be a significant burden for victims and families while they are already trying to adjust to the changes that inevitably follow a traumatic brain injury.

Victims of brain injuries may be hard to recognize following a brain injury as personality, emotional, mood and behavioral changes can be common. Unfortunately, brain injuries can be costly to treat. Estimates place the costs of treating a mild brain injury at $85,000; a moderate brain injury costs $941,000; and a severe brain injury can cost up to $3 million to treat. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports the costs of acute care and rehabilitation for victims of brain injuries in the United States at approximately $9 to $10 billion annually, which does not take into account indirect costs to families and other costs like lost earnings.

Rehabilitation after permanent disability from brain injury

On behalf of Lewis, Lewis & Ferraro, LLC posted in Brain Injury on Wednesday, March 14, 2018.

Previous posts here have mentioned the dangers that Connecticut residents face when they are involved in a motor vehicle accident. The most serious injury is likely a brain injury, which can leave an individual paralyzed or otherwise permanently disabled. These victims will not only face the prospect of intensive medical treatment in the immediate aftermath of the injury, but also the prospect of a lengthy - and expensive - rehabilitation outlook.

There are many different forms of rehabilitation that a motor vehicle accident victim could engage in, depending on the severity and nature of the injury in question. For instance, "locomotor" or "movement" training involves just the basic act of getting the body moving again. After a brain injury, this is likely to be easier said than done. The use of treadmills is common in this type of rehabilitation, but only when properly supervised by medical or therapeutic professionals.