After you’ve gotten into a car accident, one of the last things to worry about is reporting it. First, you must assure everyone involved was not hurt, including yourself.

After you’ve covered your own safety, you can then start to begin the reporting process. Here, we’ve put together a quick guide about when to report a car accident in Connecticut.

Connecticut Car Accident Law

In Connecticut, you are required by law to report a car accident that caused damage exceeding $1,000 within five days of the accident. While that is how the law is written, police officers that arrive on the scene will file a report for you right after the accident.

Regardless of the amount of damage done, Connecticut law requires that you report all accidents to the police.

It’s crucial to have the police create a Connecticut motor vehicle accident report. That’s because the officers involved will put the specific details of the accident into the report, which can help determine who truly was at fault for the accident.

Fault in a Connecticut Car Accident – The law in Connecticut states that if a driver is found more than 50 percent at fault, they will see a surcharge on their insurance. If you are at fault, your insurance coverage will pay for the repairs and medical bills of the other driver involved in the accident

The Other Driver

After experiencing a car accident in Connecticut, make sure you exchange the following information with the other driver

Driver’s License Number

Plate Number/Registration

Insurance Information

Phone Number

Always make sure the other driver wasn’t harmed in the accident. If they are, you should offer to call 911 for them to seek medical attention.

It’s also important to note that when the police arrive, they will ask if anyone needs an ambulance if someone has been injured in a car accident. While you or the other driver can decline an ambulance, it is advised if you are in any way hurt, or are psychologically impacted by the accident. Medical reports generated from your hospital visit will give you more evidence to use should there be a dispute in the case.

The Step-By-Step Guide

See below what to do if you’ve been involved in a car accident in Connecticut:

Make Sure You and the Other Driver are OK – If anybody is in need of medical attention, contact 911 immediately.

Contact the Police – Contacting the police immediately will allow them to create a Connecticut Motor Vehicle Accident Report to obtain all the details of the accident

Exchange Information – After contacting the police, approach the other driver and exchange all the information needed as listed above.

Take Pictures – Use your mobile phone to take pictures of both cars. This can be used as evidence in the case that fault is incorrectly placed on you.

Other Considerations

While lawsuits are difficult to manage, there may be times you need to file one to receive the damages you are entitled to.

The statute of limitations in Connecticut Motor Vehicle Law states you have between two and three years to file a lawsuit for a motor vehicle accident. This varies based on the type of accident, the injuries incurred, and more.

If you’ve been involved in a Connecticut motor vehicle accident, contact Moynahan Law as soon as possible so we can make sure you receive peace of mind and the damages owed to you.

If you’re injured in a car accident that was the other driver’s fault, you should find an experienced plaintiff’s personal injury lawyer. But what will the best auto accident attorney charge? Let’s break down some of the common questions about the typical fees for personal injury lawyers and accident lawyer fees in Connecticut.

What Is a Contingency Fee?

When it comes to auto accident attorney fees, most attorneys charge based on contingency fee agreements. This means that you don’t pay an hourly rate or any upfront costs at all. Instead, the lawyer receives a percentage of your monetary compensation after they negotiate a substantial settlement or win your case.

Instead of charging for the time they spend researching, talking to insurance companies, taking depositions, or updating you on your case progression, an attorney who charges on a contingency basis pays for all of these expenses out of their own pocket. They take on the financial risk, while you seek the justice that you deserve.

The contingency fee is roughly the same, a percentage of your settlement amount or court-awarded amount. Also, personal injury lawyers wait to deposit their fee until you agree to a fair amount for your medical costs, loss of income, and a “pain and suffering” compensation.

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What Percentage Do Lawyers Take?

A contingency fee percentage can vary in a car accident case, but it is around 33% or 1/3 of the awarded settlement in most cases. [1] This means that for every dollar that you are compensated for your damages, the attorney will take 33 cents. Or, if you receive a settlement offer of $40,000 from the person at fault, you receive approximately  $27,000 after the lawyer’s fee is deducted. In this hypothetical case, your attorney would earn approximately $13,000.

Should the other party (usually, the insurance company) not want to settle the case out-of-court and wins in the court trial, you often owe your lawyer nothing. Get your “math hat” on for a moment: 1/3 of zero dollars is still zero.

How Much Do Lawyers Charge For Accident Claims?

As previously stated, most Connecticut accident lawyers on average charge 33% of a settlement or award. However, in cases that involve legal complexity or a drawn-out litigation process, attorneys may charge as much as 45%. Additionally, there are also times when a lawyer may agree to take a lower fee, such as in the case of pro bono (free) or reduced-fee legal services.

Some states also have graduated percentages depending on the different stages of your case. For instance, assume the other party settles your case quickly, offering a fair amount early on after your lawyer files suit. A state with this policy may reduce your percentage owed, to balance the amount of work the attorney did with the lawyer’s compensation.

Since you will have about the same contingency percentage with newer lawyers as with experienced personal injury attorneys, with an impressive track record of victories for plaintiffs (you), you might as well hire a top-notch attorney. Some of the best personal injury lawyers are good, hard negotiators, while others are outstanding litigators (trial attorneys) and would rather convince a jury to award the most dollars to injured parties.

Auto Accident Lawyer Fees

At times, there are other accident lawyer fees to consider. Depending on the contract you sign, you might still be responsible for court fees if your case goes to trial. The most common additional charges are filing fees, expert witness fees, deposition costs, court reporters fees, and any other out-of-pocket expenses related to your case. All of these should be spelled out in the attorney-client agreement that you will sign before you hire an auto accident lawyer.

There may be other litigation costs for which you may be responsible if the contract you sign with your attorney provides for this. Because of this fact, you should carefully read and understand the language in your contract. The best thing to do is ask the lawyer upfront if they will charge any additional costs, outside of the contingency fee agreement. That way, you have full disclosure and understanding before signing a contract with an attorney.

Typical Fees for Personal Injury Attorneys

When you are considering hiring a personal injury attorney, the American Bar Association (ABA) recommends that you receive written proof of the expected hours and cost. It is in your best interests to know up-front what kind of fee arrangement you can expect. That way, if something changes down the line or if there are additional costs added, you can make an informed consent.

Contact the Moynahan Law Firm Today to Discuss your Connecticut Accident Case No matter what accident lawyer fees you are facing in Connecticut, it is important to remember that professional personal injury attorneys fight for justice on your behalf and only get paid when you do. They do the work, they assume the risk, and you reap the rewards. Although it may feel like a lot at the time, your lawyer’s fee is worth the investment.

At the Moynahan Law Firm, we are dedicated to fighting for your rights and helping you understand how much accident lawyers charge in CT. We believe that it is our job to ensure that victims of negligence get the compensation they deserve.

Car Accident Settlement Amount Average

While this is a common question when it comes to an auto accident settlements, it’s impossible to quote a statistical “average” or “typical,” because statistics are simply not available. However, even if this information was somehow available, in most cases, it would be meaningless for you, since every case is different. It is more appropriate to ask the right questions, the answers to which will allow your personal injury lawyer to evaluate your specific circumstances and give you an ideal of what your auto accident settlement may be.

Vital Questions Regarding Auto Accidents

Since there is no such thing as an average settlement for car accidents, you should ask yourself these questions, at a minimum, before you discuss your potential case with an experienced personal injury lawyer.

Do you have a case that a personal injury attorney would want to handle?Although this is a question that your lawyer is best equipped to answer, it’s appropriate for you to speculate, based on the facts, not your opinion, of the accident.

Were you injured along with others?If you were injured in the accident, always report your symptoms to your doctor so it becomes part of your medical file. Is your medical treatment over and complete? Some injuries may seem minor at first, but become long-term or chronic in the future, needing regular or periodic treatment for long periods. If you need long-term treatment or will miss work for a long period, you should estimate how much your medical treatment will cost, or how much money you might lose from being unable to work.

Have you assembled your medical records and all your bills?

Be sure your doctor records every pain and discomfort you feel so that everything goes on the record, which is important if you hope to receive a reasonable settlement or win your case if you go to trial. Get copies of your medical records and bills. Bring this critical information when you first meet with your lawyer to help him/her understand your situation and what your average settlement for the auto accident may look like.

Is it evident that the other driver was “at fault” for the accident?

You should assemble evidence that that the other driver caused the accident that injured you and others. This “proof” can take various forms, including, but, not limited to, a combination of the following items.

Your own perception of the details of the accident

Statements of witnesses to the accident or first responders (law officers and/or EMTs) made of their perception of the accident facts

Police reports of the results of the accident from law enforcement who responded to the scene

Photos from the scene of the crash

Any statements from the other driver that admit fault

What should you ask for “pain and suffering” because of this accident?

Being involved in a car crash can be disorienting and stressful. You may not be sure what to do after it happens, but we recommend you take the following actions:

Seek medical attention right away. Even if your injuries seem minor, be sure you are seen by a doctor. 

Assuming you don’t require immediate medical attention, wait for the police to arrive. Once they get there, provide them with as much information as possible. 

Collect information about the accident from the other drivers and witnesses. Don’t discuss anything besides gathering their contact and insurance information. 

Take pictures of the scene of the accident, including damage to all vehicles involved and any injuries you sustained. 

Call a personal injury attorney as soon as possible. That’s because the sooner they can start working on your personal injury case, the better chance they have of collecting evidence before any important information gets lost. 

Connecticut is a “no-fault” insurance state, meaning the at-fault motorist must compensate everyone injured in the car wreck that wasn’t at fault. This can be passengers, people on bicycles, pedestrians etc. 

After being involved in a car wreck in Connecticut, victims have three main ways to legally pursue just compensation for the crash. They are by filing: 

A first-party automobile accident claim. 

A third-party automobile accident claim. 

By filing a personal injury lawsuit against the at-fault driver.

There are disadvantages and advantages to each of the three options, so you should discuss your personal injury case with an attorney as soon as possible. A professional attorney can explain which approach will work best for your specific car accident, and then work with you to ensure you receive the compensation you rightfully deserve.

If you are involved in a car accident, the most important thing to remember is to stay calm and collected. To help you, we’ve provided the following checklist you can keep in your car and refer to if you are ever involved in a car accident.

Do this within seconds, minutes and hours after your car accident:

Call 911: If no one else has done it already, call 911. Ask for medical attention even if you aren’t hurt badly. You may have medical issues that show up later, so get checked out. 

Get information from witnesses: Write down witnesses’ contact information and names as soon as you can. They may leave before the police arrive, so you don’t want to lose these witnesses forever.

Talk to the police officer: A police officer will come to the scene after 911 is called, and they will put together a police report. Give them any details you can recall. You’ll need the police report later. Also, be respectful of the officer, and address them as “sir” or “ma’am.” If you suspect the other motorist was driving under the influence, inform the officer and ask that they be given a sobriety test.

Take Photos: Try to take pictures of yours and the other driver’s vehicle. Also, take photos of the accident scene and the surrounding terrain. Thorough picture-taking can help reconstruct damage, hazardous driving conditions, bad weather and obstacles in the roadway, along with any other factors that contributed to the wreck. 

Document insurance information: While you have your camera going, try to get a clear picture of the front and back of the driver’s insurance card to get the vital information listed on it. The police will jot down the insurance company’s names of the drivers involved in the crash but not the insurance limits.

Remove your valuables: It may be a while before you see your vehicle, so remove important items from it if your car is towed or you must be removed from the accident scene by ambulance. 

Never do this:

Argue. Even if the other driver tries to start an argument, don’t take the bait. Arguing with anyone involved is never helpful. 

Get chatty: Only talk to witnesses to get their contact information and names. Additionally, don’t post anything about the collision online, or you can hurt your personal injury case. Don’t speak to any insurance companies until you’ve consulted with a good personal injury attorney. The consultation with your lawyer is where you should be chatty, and most of them, including the Moynahan Law Firm, won’t charge for this initial consultation. 

Wait to contact your lawyer: There is so much at stake in a car accident, so don’t wait to talk to a professional attorney. Typically, the sooner you act, the better your case outlook will be. Meanwhile, a “professional attorney” doesn’t mean one with lots of advertisements splashed across billboards, buses or TV. Signs of a good lawyer to handle your personal injury case include those with specialized expertise and good reviews.

In CT, drivers are required to report an accident within 5 days of its occurrence if there is at least $1,000 in property damage. The best course of action when this happens is to contact the closest law enforcement agency. When they arrive, they will file a police report using a state-provided form.

There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, as the aftermath of a car accident can vary greatly depending on the severity of the crash and the resulting injuries. However, some things you may want to include in your description are:

• The time and date of the accident
• The location of the accident
• Details about each vehicle involved, including license plate numbers
• The circumstances leading up to the accident
• Any injuries or property damage sustained as a result of the crash.
• You should also avoid making any statements that could be construed as admitting fault for the accident. For example, “I shouldn’t have been going so fast” or “It was my fault because I didn’t see the other car coming.” Even if you believe that you are at fault, it’s best to avoid saying anything until you’ve had a chance to speak with an attorney.

This depends on several factors, including the extent of your injuries and property damage. In general, though, it is always a good idea to have an attorney help you with your case from start to finish. You may think that by going through the insurance claims process or settling out of court, you will save yourself time and money in legal fees. 

However, this is not always the case. Your insurance company may offer you a settlement that doesn’t adequately cover your medical bills, or they could even attempt to lowball you by offering far less than necessary for a full recovery. A personal injury attorney will help estimate the true cost of your injuries and hold out for fair compensation so that you can properly recover from your accident.

Sometimes, things can get heated after a collision. However, if the other driver starts arguing with you, try to stay calm and avoid getting into a confrontation. Arguing will not help your case, and it could even make the situation worse. If necessary, walk away from the scene until things have calmed down. Contact the police if the situation becomes too dangerous or the other driver refuses to leave you alone.