Connecticut Personal Injury Lawyer

Connecticut Personal Injury Attorney

Accidents caused by another party’s actions can change a victim’s life in seconds, and the resulting physical and mental injuries can be life-altering. You deserve to recover compensation for your damages. Contact a Connecticut personal injury lawyer to understand your legal rights and options under Connecticut law.

Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer to Advocate on Your Behalf

For over 80 years, the team at Suisman Shapiro has helped residents in Connecticut obtain justice after experiencing traumatic events. We know how difficult life can be after being injured by another party’s actions, and we are dedicated to providing empathetic and competent legal services to residents throughout the state.

We offer free consultations to new clients at our New London office. During your consultation, you will have the opportunity to explain your situation in full detail. Our attorneys can offer transparent legal guidance so you can make informed decisions about your case.

Our firm values giving our clients the knowledge and tools they need to take back control of their lives after experiencing an injury accident.

Common Types of Personal Injury Cases Suisman Shapiro Attorneys-At-Law Takes On

In 2022, there were 26.2 million trips to the emergency room in the United States for unintentional injuries. At Suisman Shapiro, our attorneys have extensive experience assisting clients in a range of personal injury cases. We commonly represent:

• Dog bites. In the United States, around 337,000 people go to the emergency room every year due to a dog bite. Incidents of these attacks have only gone up since COVID-19, as many dogs bought during periods of isolation are unsocialized and untrained. There was a 47% increase in these attacks before and after lockdown.
• Nursing home neglect and abuse. This type of personal injury tends to be easily forgotten, yet it is one of the most common types. Around 2% of nursing home staff reported perpetrating a form of nursing home abuse in a recent year. These cases are typically underreported due to societal and abusive pressures placed on the victim.
• Car accidents. In 2024, there were 104,233 car crashes throughout Connecticut, with 249,774 Connecticut residents being involved in a crash that year.
• Motorcycle accidents. There were 1,291 motorcycle crashes throughout Connecticut in 2024. Because of the lack of physical protection that motorcycles offer, the severity of these crashes tends to be more severe and more often fatal than regular car crashes.
• Premises liability. These types of cases happen when an owner or occupier of a residence fails to properly maintain the premises, leading to visitors getting injured. For example, if the owner of a parking garage fails to have working security cameras and a person using the garage is the victim of a crime, the victim may be able to open a personal injury claim against the parking garage owner.
• Workplace accidents. While workplace incidents can happen at any job, there are certain careers that are higher risk. In 2022, there were 35,700 employee injuries and illnesses throughout Connecticut’s private industry sector. The highest rate of incidents happened in mining and natural resources, education and health services, and state and local government.
• Medical malpractice. Patients need to feel like they can trust their medical team to take care of them during procedures. Unfortunately, medical professionals are only human, and mistakes happen every day. Between 2020 and 2024, there were 2,241 medical malpractice claims closed throughout Connecticut. When a patient is injured by their care team, they have the legal right to pursue a case against those who hurt them.

Each of these case types comes with its own set of unique state laws and regulations. Your lawyer will have the skills necessary to tackle all stages of your legal case.

Steps to Take After Being Injured

No matter how you were injured, there are several key steps to take after an incident to preserve your health, safety, and legal case. Be sure to:

1. Call 911 to report the incident and request medical attention, even if you do not think you are injured. Certain injuries, like concussions and internal bleeding, may take longer to present symptoms. Getting checked out by a professional is key to your physical health and for providing documentation of your injuries and what caused them.
2. Collect the contact and/or insurance information of the other individual involved in the accident. Depending on the details of what happened, this could be the details of the owner of a building where you were hurt, or the insurance information of another driver involved in a car crash. You need to ensure you have a way to identify and contact the party responsible for your injuries.
3. Collect the contact information of anyone who witnessed the incident happen. During this time, be sure to avoid apologizing or admitting fault in the incident or your injuries. This could potentially harm your future legal case.
4. Take extensive photos and videos. If possible, take photos of your visible injuries and damage to your personal belongings, such as your clothing or vehicle. Be sure to take photos of the incident site and any proof of the incident, such as broken hand railing or skid marks at a crash site.
5. Hire a personal injury lawyer to help you collect evidence and file your legal claim.

Dealing With Insurance Companies After a Personal Injury in Connecticut

Depending on the type of personal injury incident that happened to you, you may have to deal with insurance companies. While you can speak to them without your lawyer present, it is important to proceed cautiously.

Before meeting with them, be sure to write down what you plan to say beforehand. Only offer basic facts about the incident and do not speculate about what caused it or admit fault. Remember, these companies are looking for any reason to avoid paying.

If the insurance adjuster asks you to make a recorded statement or answer their questions under oath, only do so with your Connecticut personal injury attorney there with you.

Deadline for Filing a Personal Injury Claim in Connecticut

Survivors of personal injury incidents generally have two years to file their claim at their local county courthouse. This clock starts either:

• From the date of the incident
• When you first realized you were injured

However, no matter when you discover the injury, there is a final three-year deadline for filing.

While this may seem like a long time, it is important to file as soon as possible. The longer you wait, the more your financial and personal losses will continue to pile up. Preserving evidence will also become more difficult the longer that time passes.

If you do not file within the deadline, your case will likely be dismissed, barring you from pursuing compensation for your damages.

Types of Damages You Can Request in a Connecticut Personal Injury Case

The amount of compensation a victim can recover is never random, but based on their financial and emotional losses. Your lawyer will be able to calculate the maximum amount of damages that can be requested in your unique situation. In Connecticut, there are two main types you can request:

1. Economic damages. These damages are easy to calculate, as they are based on your financial losses. They can help you recover your medical bills, such as surgeries, medications, physical therapy, mental health counseling, mobility aid devices, and medical supplies. You may also be able to recover any lost income due to missing work from your injuries, as well as damage to your personal belongings, such as a cell phone or bag.
2. Non-economic damages. These damages are more subjective, as they are based on non-financial losses. They can help you recover compensation for your pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, and disability and disfigurement.

As long as the damages being requested are not considered excessive, there is no cap on the amount of compensation a victim can request in their personal injury case. However, in cases of medical malpractice, there is a stricter view on the amount being requested for non-economic damages.

Punitive damages can be requested in specific situations where the responsible party acted with extreme malice or negligence. For example, if a driver hits you while operating their car under the influence of drugs, they may have to pay punitive damages. These damages also help deter similar actions from happening in the future. They can be requested on top of economic and non-economic damages.

However, most of the time, punitive damages are only awarded to help victims recover litigation and lawyer costs.

The Benefits of Mediation in a Personal Injury Case

Before trial, it is common for all parties involved in the incident to attend mediation. Mediation is an alternative to traditional court and can help victims pursue justice while saving them the headache of court.

A neutral third-party, called a mediator, oversees mediation sessions and helps facilitate healthy communication between the involved parties and their legal representation. Mediators do not make any legal decisions. Instead, they help both sides feel heard and come to an agreement about their legal issue.

If the parties can agree, they will sign a written agreement and submit it to the court for final approval. Mediation helps parties save both time and money, as well as keep the outcome in their hands.

If mediation fails and the parties cannot come to an agreement, the case will proceed to trial, where a judge or jury will have the final say. Reach out to a Connecticut mediation lawyer to learn more.

How Connecticut Courts Determine Fault in a Personal Injury Case

In order to determine how much money to compensate the victim and who will pay it, courts in Connecticut assign everyone involved in the case a percentage of fault, even the victim.

If you are found to be more than 50% at fault for the accident, you will not be able to recover any compensation. Any compensation you win in your case will be reduced by your percentage of fault. For example:

• If you were texting while walking and slipped on a grocery store aisle spill, you may be assigned 20% of fault for your resulting injuries.
• If the grocery store aisle spill had been there for hours and the workers were aware of it, the owner of the store may be assigned 80% of the fault.
• If you are awarded $100,000 in your personal injury case, it would be reduced by 20%, making your final compensation amount $80,000.

This ensures that individuals only have to pay the portion for which they are responsible. Courts will make this decision based on the evidence provided by all parties involved in the situation.

Evidence to Collect for Your Personal Injury Case in Connecticut

To prove your side of what happened, you will need extensive evidence in your favor. If the other party has more diverse evidence, it can be difficult to prove your case. Your lawyer can help gather and preserve:

• Eyewitness testimony
• Testimony from professionals who can offer their opinion about what caused the incident
• Relevant incident reports and 911 calls
• Your medical records detailing your injuries
• Documentation of your financial losses, such as your medical bills or lost income
• Documentation of your emotional losses, such as notes from a therapist or a detailed journal about your mental state after the incident
• Footage from dash cams, traffic cameras, and surveillance cameras that caught the incident on video
• Photos and videos of the incident site
• Photos and videos of your visible injuries
• Photos and videos of damage to your personal belongings
• Any other proof that can provide clarity to the court about what happened

Work With Empathetic Lawyers With Years of Experience

Reach out to Suisman Shapiro today to learn how our Connecticut personal injury attorneys can help you in your personal injury case. Our firm offers free consultations to new clients at our office in New London. We are proud to represent those living in New London County, Windham County, and Middlesex County.

When facing a personal injury case, you need a compassionate lawyer with similar experience in previous cases. Choose our team to advocate on your behalf.

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860-364-6937