If you were recently in a crash that caused your vehicle to flip or roll over, you could be dealing with the aftermath for years or even a lifetime. Catastrophic injuries caused by severe accidents require appropriate medical care and a robust support system, and access to these services is limited without financial resources.

Missed work, car repairs, and medical bills can put a strain on anyone’s finances. The attorneys at D’Amico & Pettinicchi, LLC, can help you file a car accident claim that could give you the opportunity to be compensated for the harm you’ve endured. We know that your recovery is not just about the money, but lessening the financial burden allows you to prioritize your physical and emotional well-being.

Causes of Rollover Car Accidents

Most often, it takes a tremendous amount of force or speed to cause a vehicle to roll or flip over. Terrain can also play a role, though. Rollover car accidents occur more often in mountainous and hilly areas. If another driver’s negligent or reckless driving caused your rollover accident, one of the following may have occurred:

  • Your vehicle drove up onto another vehicle
  • The other driver crashed into the side of your vehicle
  • One or both sides of your vehicle left the ground during the accident
  • Another driver forced you off the road on uneven terrain

Rollover accidents can also be caused by any collision in which you lose control of your car. Additionally, some vehicles are more prone to rolling over in a collision. Trucks, SUVs, and vans with a high center of gravity flip over more easily, especially when coupled with a narrow wheelbase. Jeep Wranglers, for example, are notorious for their rollover propensity.

Financial Compensation After a Rollover Car Accident

Whatever other factors were involved in your rollover accident, if the reason for your crash was the negligence of another driver, you deserve compensation for the damage they caused. Connecticut allows injured accident victims to seek three types of damages:

  • Economic
  • Non-economic
  • Punitive or Statutory double or treble damages

Economic damages are directly associated with a cost or expense related to your accident. They are generally simple to calculate because they represent quantifiable services or bills. Examples include medical bills, counseling costs, property replacement, and lost wages. It may also be possible to seek economic damages for expenses like transportation and childcare.

Non-economic damages are more difficult to calculate because they are subjective. Pain and suffering, loss of quality of life, and mental anguish are examples.

Punitive damages are reserved for extreme cases where the at-fault party acted with a willful disregard for the safety of others. It is less common for punitive damages to be awarded in car accident cases unless conduct like drunk driving or texting was involved. Connecticut also allows for double or triple damages in certain types of crashes under Connecticut General Statute 14-295. This includes crashes caused by the at fault driver traveling unreasonably fast, CGS 14-218a; speeding, CGS 14-219; reckless driving, CGS 14-222; driving while impaired by alcohol or drugs, CGS 14-227a; failing to drive on the right hand side of the road, CGS 14-230; passing in a no passing zone, CGS 14-234; driving on or across a highway divider, CGS14-237; driving the wrong way on a one-way street, CGS 14-239; driving too close to harass or intimidate, CGS 14-240a; holding a mobile device while driving for any purpose, CGS 14-296aa. In these instances, the damages suffered for both economic and non-economic damages may be doubled or tripled by the jury.

If you have questions about the damages you could be compensated for, contact D’Amico & Pettinicchi, LLC. Our Watertown rollover car accident attorneys are well-versed in legal procedure and strategy and are happy to answer your questions during a free consultation. You deserve justice and fair compensation so you can start putting the pieces of your life back together. We can help you maximize your chances of a positive outcome. Contact us today to schedule your free consultation.