Torrington Car Accident Lawyer

There’s no telling how a car accident in Torrington or anywhere in Connecticut can affect your life. You may face weeks or months of expensive medical treatments, lost income due to time away from work, and intense emotional distress. Furthermore, the insurance companies aren’t on your side, no matter what they say or how they act. Their goal is to limit your compensation to protect their profits. Without legal help for your car accident case, you’re unlikely to recover the full value of the losses you’ve suffered.

D’Amico Pettinicchi is here to protect your rights and pursue the compensation you need from the at-fault parties and their insurers after an auto accident. Our Torrington car accident lawyers have fought for people like you for 35 years and earned a reputation for winning tough cases. We’ve recovered millions for our clients, and our firm has dual board certification in civil trial advocacy and civil pre-trial practice from the National Board of Trial Advocacy.

You don’t owe us any fees unless you win your case, so call now or complete our contact form for a free, no-obligation consultation with a car accident attorney in Torrington.

Benefits of Hiring an Attorney for Your Car Accident Claim in Torrington

Hiring an experienced attorney after a car crash in Torrington makes managing a stressful situation much easier. Instead of dealing with paperwork, deadlines, and insurance companies on your own, your D’Amico Pettinicchi attorney takes over your car accident claim so you can focus on healing. A lawyer knows how to build a robust case by gathering evidence, identifying who caused the car wreck and is liable for your injuries, and calculating the full value of your losses.

It’s important to know that insurance companies often try to settle a vehicle accident claim quickly and for less than the case’s full value. A Torrington car accident attorney can advocate for you to seek maximum compensation by pushing back against the insurers. Whether through negotiation or litigation (taking your case to court), having a skilled advocate from D’Amico Pettinicchi on your side increases your chances of success.

What Should You Do After a Car Accident?

Your first priority after any car accident injury is to report the crash to the police and seek medical attention. With those immediate needs out of the way, your focus must be on protecting your legal rights.

To give yourself the best chance of winning your case, you should do the following after an auto collision:

• Follow Your Treatment Plan – Stick to the care your doctor recommends. Skipping appointments or ignoring medical advice can hurt your recovery by impeding your treatment and your claim by suggesting your injuries aren’t as bad as you say.
• Notify Your Insurance Company – Report the accident to your insurer promptly, but avoid giving a recorded statement until you speak to a car accident law firm.
• Gather and Preserve Evidence – Keep copies of the police report, medical records, bills, and any photos or witness information you collected at the scene.
• Avoid Discussing the Crash Online – Don’t post about the accident on social media. Insurance companies may use your posts against you.
• Talk to a Personal Injury Attorney – A lawyer from D’Amico Pettinicchi can explain your rights, help you avoid costly mistakes, and handle communication with insurers on your behalf.

How Our Lawyers Investigate Car Accident Cases

Investigating a motor vehicle accident takes more than reviewing a police report. Your car accident lawyer will look at the whole picture to determine how the crash happened, who caused it, and how much compensation you could receive.

The following are some common types of evidence your Torrington car accident attorney might collect:

• Accident Reports – Police reports often include details about the scene, witness statements, and citations, which can support your version of events. For example, the officer may have cited another driver for speeding or running a red light, indicating that they were responsible for the auto wreck.
• Medical Records – These documents connect your injuries directly to the crash and show how the accident has affected your health and daily life.
• Witness Statements – Testimony from individuals who witnessed the crash can help clarify who was responsible for it. For instance, an eyewitness may have seen the other driver weaving through traffic or looking at their phone.
• Photos and Videos – Images of the damage, injuries, and accident scene can provide visual proof of the impact and road conditions at the time.
• Surveillance or Dashcam Footage – Video from nearby cameras can provide a precise view of how the crash occurred from a neutral perspective, countering the opposing side’s arguments.
• Expert Opinions – Accident reconstructionists, medical experts, and other specialists may offer specialized insights that strengthen your case and clarify complex issues.

Compensation You Could Recover in a Car Accident Claim

Your car accident compensation depends on the severity and duration of your injuries, how much work you miss, your medical expenses, and other factors specific to your case. With the right legal support, your claim could include compensation for the following:

• Past and future medical bills
• Lost income and reduced future earnings
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress
• Vehicle repair/replacement costs
• The cost to repair or replace your other damaged property (if applicable)

Parties Who Could Be Held Liable for a Car Wreck

To win a Torrington car accident claim, you must show that the other driver (or another party) caused the crash because of their actions or inaction. Depending on what caused the accident, the potentially liable parties in your case could include the following:

• Other Drivers – The driver who hit you is usually at least partly liable for the accident, especially if they were speeding, distracted, driving under the influence, or violating other traffic laws.
• Vehicle Owners – If the at-fault driver was using someone else’s car, the owner could be liable for the driver’s careless actions, especially if the owner loaned the vehicle to someone they knew was unlicensed or prone to reckless behavior.
• Employers – If a commercial driver caused the crash while on the job, their employer may be responsible under the legal principle of vicarious liability.
• Car Manufacturers – Vehicle defects, such as faulty brakes or airbags, sometimes contribute to crashes, making the automaker or the manufacturer of the faulty component liable.
• Government Entities – A local or state agency might be at fault if missing signs, dangerous intersections, lack of maintenance, or other poor road conditions caused the accident.
• Bars or Restaurants – Under Connecticut law, a business may be liable if it served alcohol to a minor or visibly intoxicated person who later caused a crash.

Could You Recover Compensation if You’re Partly to Blame for a Car Accident in Connecticut?

While some states don’t let you recover compensation if you’re partly responsible for a car accident, that’s not the rule in Connecticut. State law says you can recover compensation if your percentage of fault is less than the combined fault of the other liable party or parties. Typically, that means showing you are less than 51 percent responsible for the crash. Courts determine your percentage of fault by looking at the evidence.

If your level of fault is less than that of the other party or parties, your compensation is reduced by your percentage of liability. For example, if your case is worth $100,000 but you’re determined to be 30 percent responsible for the accident, you would only be able to receive $70,000.

Insurance carriers are known for aggressively manipulating this system. They will often assign inflated fault percentages to injured victims to minimize their payout. At D’Amico Pettinicchi, our seasoned attorneys know how to counter these tactics as we protect the rights of accident victims to fair compensation.

How Long Do You Have to File a Car Accident Lawsuit in Connecticut?

In general, you have two years from the crash date to file a car accident lawsuit. However, you shouldn’t wait to talk to a Torrington car accident lawyer, as crucial evidence can be lost or destroyed shortly after the collision. Talking to a lawyer from D’Amico Pettinicchi immediately gives you a better chance of recovering the money you need.

Common Types and Causes of Car Accidents

At D’Amico Pettinicchi, our firm handles many kinds of car accident cases, including the following:

• Distracted Driving Accidents – Texting, using a GPS, and other distractions are a leading cause of preventable crashes throughout Connecticut.
• Rear-End Collisions – These accidents are often caused by distracted driving, tailgating, or sudden braking.
• T-Bone Accidents – Also called a broadside collision, a T-bone accident occurs when one driver runs a red light or fails to yield at an intersection, striking the side of another vehicle. These crashes often cause severe injuries due to the limited protection available on the sides of cars.
• Head-On Collisions – These particularly deadly crashes typically result from wrong-way driving, distracted driving, or impaired driving.
• Drunk Driving Accidents – Alcohol, illegal narcotics, and some prescription drugs can affect drivers’ perception, reflexes, and judgment. These fully preventable crashes often cause catastrophic or fatal injuries.
• Pedestrian Accidents – Devastating injuries can occur when a driver fails to stop at a crosswalk or isn’t paying attention in areas with heavy foot traffic.
• Hit-and-Run Accidents – In these situations, a driver flees the scene after causing a crash. Legal help is often necessary in these cases to identify other sources of compensation if the police can’t find the driver who fled.
• Rideshare Accidents – Crashes involving Uber or Lyft drivers are often complicated, depending on whether the app was active and whose insurance applies.

Typical Injuries Resulting from an Auto Collision

Car accidents frequently cause devastating, life-altering injuries, such as the following:

Contact a Torrington Car Accident Lawyer Today

If you or a loved one has suffered severe injuries in an auto accident, the professional, dedicated, and knowledgeable lawyers at D’Amico Pettinicchi have the know-how to fight for every penny you deserve. We have over 35 years of experience in advocating for the rights of motor vehicle accident victims throughout Connecticut, with millions of dollars recovered in verdicts and settlements.

When It’s Time to Fight the Good Fight℠, trust D’Amico Pettinicchi to protect your interests. Call now or complete our contact form for a free, no-obligation consultation with a Torrington car accident lawyer.