Whether you’re driving down I-95 or on the narrow lanes of Merritt Parkway, a car accident in Fairfield can be a devastating incident. If another driver caused your accident, the damage can be far more than a fender bender. It’s a good idea to consult a Fairfield car accident lawyer to help you recoup the damages to your property or your person.
When you’ve been in a car accident, you can not only be physically harmed, but you may also lose your only means of transportation. At Jacobs & Jacobs, we take all of the impacts on your life into account when determining if you have a personal injury case.
Car accident prevention in the state has focused on reducing distracted and aggressive driving while increasing safety for bicycle riders, motorcycle drivers, and pedestrians. Despite these efforts, as of 2023, Connecticut had 9.2 motor vehicle deaths per 100,000 residents. Car crashes accounted for 26.7% of all injury deaths in the state. Car accidents are still prevalent and can end in life-altering injuries or even death.
Whether you were injured yourself or lost a loved one through another person’s action or inaction, hiring a Fairfiled personal injury lawyer as soon as possible can allow time for analyzing details, gathering evidence, and interviewing witnesses.
Connecticut is a modified comparative fault state, which simply means you must be less than 50% at fault in a car accident to file a claim. Insurance companies may try to prove you are over 50% at fault to avoid a payout. If you are partially at fault, the percentage you are at fault may be subtracted from the amount you are awarded.
If you are not at fault for the accident, the other driver is required by law to have minimum bodily injury insurance and property insurance. The bodily injury insurance minimum is $25,000 per person or $50,000 per occurrence for two or more people, with an additional $25,000 for property damage.
Even if you aren’t at fault for your accident, it’s advisable to hire a car accident lawyer. Insurance companies are notorious for not wanting to pay accident victims. They may attempt to use your own words against you, which is why you should hire a Fairfield car accident attorney before you speak with the insurance company. While you shouldn’t wait, having legal representation that isn’t afraid of a big insurance company can be helpful.
A skilled car accident lawyer can make a detailed analysis of your case. This can help you determine whether you may be at fault for part of the accident.
If you are at fault for a portion of the accident, a car accident attorney can still compile evidence that can show a jury any mitigating circumstances, how it could have been avoided, and how much damage you suffered from the other driver’s negligence. As long as you are not responsible for 51% of the damage, you may still recover some of the cost of your medical bills, property damage, or emotional suffering.
The cost of a car accident lawyer in Connecticut can vary depending on the circumstances of your case, whether or not you suffered emotional damage, and whether or not there are complex elements to the case (for instance, if you are partially at fault for the accident). Other factors include whether your injuries or damages to your vehicle have cost you lost wages, whether or not the insurance company argues the claim, and how many witnesses there were.
After a car accident in Fairfield, Connecticut, there are several steps you can take. Exchange your driver’s license and insurance information with the other driver and call for a police officer to generate a report. Do not refuse medical care, as this can be used to imply you were unharmed. If possible, ask for contact information for any witnesses. Once you’ve received medical care, reach out to Jacobs & Jacobs for help in gathering evidence for a fair settlement.
Yes, you should get a lawyer after a car crash in Fairfield. You need a personal injury lawyer to represent you. A Fairfield car accident lawyer knows the complex laws and statutes on personal injury and car accidents in Connecticut. We can not only work to get compensation for you, but we can also build a strong case to negotiate or go to trial if necessary.
In Connecticut, the amount you can sue someone for a car accident depends on how the accident affected your life. If you ended up with life-altering injuries or mental health concerns that stem directly from the accident, those can add a significant amount to your recovery amount. At Jacobs & Jacobs, we factor in the amount you may have to spend for medical and mental health care in the future, in addition to what you’ve already spent.
At Jacobs & Jacobs, our experienced attorneys have been relentlessly advocating for injury victims for nearly 100 years. Because injury law is what we do, we excel at it. Our millions of dollars of results speak for themselves. We have assisted numerous clients in Fairfield in situations similar to yours, and we are ready to advocate for you as well.
Clients have used words like “integrity,” “honesty,” “top tier,” “knowledgeable,” “good people,” and “made me feel like one of the family” to describe our attorneys, Bruce Jacobs and Allison Jacobs. While our firm is small, our results can make a big impact on our clients’ lives. If you are in a car accident in Fairfield or the surrounding areas, contact us for a consultation today and let our Fairfield car accident attorneys make you feel like part of our family.