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Auto accident injuries can change your life forever. Even though drivers are required by law to carry liability insurance, a simple insurance claim rarely yields compensation which is fair and enough to cover the life-time costs of a serious injury. You do not have to accept the insurance company’s offer. Many auto accident victims receive full compensation for their injuries through a personal injury lawsuit.
Auto Accident Causes
Driver negligence is to blame for the majority of auto accidents, but there are other causes which can change the nature of your case.
A defective vehicle can cause an accident, and in some cases can cause injuries to be worse when an accident occurs, even though the defect did not cause the accident itself. Defects such as faulty tires or brakes can cause an accident. Defective seat belts or poor roof crush resistance will not cause an accident but can cause injuries to be far more severe than they would have been when an accident occurs.
Defective roadways can also cause accidents, and in some cases cause injuries to be worse in the event of an accident. For instance, a malfunctioning traffic signal can cause an accident, whereas lack of a breakaway device on a light post can cause injuries to be worse if an accident occurs.
If You Were Partly to Blame for Your Accident
Some auto accidents are clearly the fault of one driver, but it is very common for the circumstance to be less straightforward and for both drivers to share in the blame. Connecticut handles this complication by applying modified comparative negligence. As long as you were no more than 50% to blame for your accident, you can recover compensation for your injuries, and your compensation will be reduced by your portion of fault. So, if your damages are $100,000 and you were 20% to blame, you can only recover $80,000.
Time Limits
The statute of limitations is the time limit for filing your lawsuit. If you miss this deadline, you are barred from suing for your accident. Connecticut’s statute of limitations for personal injury is two years from the date of injury or from the date that the injury was discovered or should have been discovered. In most auto accident cases you will have two years to file your lawsuit.
There are many factors which can affect the amount of time you actually have to get started, giving you more or far less time. If you must sue a government entity, such as a municipality, you have a very limited amount of time to file a notice of intent to sue. On the other hand, if your accident or injuries were caused by a defective vehicle, your case falls under product liability for which the statute of limitations is three years in Connecticut.