One of the most common questions immigrants ask after an accident in Connecticut is also one of the most important. Can someone who is not a U.S. citizen still file an injury claim?
The answer, in most cases, is yes.
Immigration status does not cancel someone’s right to safety. It does not erase the harm caused by another person’s negligence. And it does not prevent an injured person from seeking compensation after a car accident, a slip and fall, or a dog bite.
At The Law Offices of James A. Welcome, this question comes up every week. Immigrants across Connecticut worry that speaking up after an injury could put them at risk. That fear often leads people to suffer in silence, pay medical bills out of pocket, or avoid treatment altogether.
Understanding the law can change that.
Does Immigration Status Affect the Right to File an Injury Claim in Connecticut?
Connecticut personal injury law is based on fault and harm, not immigration status. If someone is injured because another person was careless, reckless, or negligent, the injured person may have the right to pursue a claim regardless of where they were born or what their immigration status may be.
This applies to many common situations, including car accidents, workplace injuries, falls on unsafe property, and animal attacks.
English 
Spanish 
Portugese 
What If the Accident Was a Car Crash?
Car accidents are one of the most frequent causes of serious injury in Connecticut. Immigrants are often involved as drivers, passengers, pedestrians, or cyclists.
A common concern sounds like this. What if the injured person does not have legal status or is afraid to interact with insurance companies?
The law still allows a claim.
If another driver caused the crash, the injured person may be eligible to recover compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, pain, and long-term injury. Insurance companies do not require proof of citizenship to process a bodily injury claim.
The key questions are:
- Who caused the accident
- Was there insurance coverage
- What injuries were sustained
Immigration status is not one of the deciding factors.
What If the Police Were Called After the Accident?
Many immigrants worry that calling the police after an accident could create immigration problems. In Connecticut, police officers responding to car accidents, slip and falls, or other injury scenes are there to document what happened and ensure safety. They are not immigration officers.
A police report can be an important piece of evidence in an injury claim. It helps establish where the accident occurred, who was involved, and whether any traffic laws were violated. Avoiding the police out of fear can actually make an injury case harder to prove later.
The more important question to ask is not whether police were called, but whether the facts of the accident were properly documented.
What If the Accident Was Partly My Fault?
Many people assume that if they were partly responsible for an accident, they automatically lose the right to compensation. That is not always true in Connecticut.
Connecticut follows a modified comparative negligence rule. This means an injured person may still recover compensation as long as they were not more responsible than the other party. Any recovery may be reduced based on the injured person’s share of fault.
Immigrants sometimes avoid speaking up because they believe admitting any fault ends the case. That assumption often benefits insurance companies, not injured people. Determining fault is a legal analysis, not a feeling.
What If the Injured Person Was a Passenger?
Passengers often feel especially unsure about their rights. They may worry they will be blamed or questioned.
In Connecticut, a passenger injured in a car accident can file a claim against the at-fault driver. That could be the driver of the vehicle they were in or another driver involved in the crash.
The right to compensation does not depend on whether the passenger had a driver’s license or legal status.
Can Undocumented Immigrants File Injury Claims?
Yes. Undocumented immigrants can file personal injury claims in Connecticut.
This includes claims for:
- Car accidents
- Pedestrian injuries
- Bicycle accidents
- Slip and falls
- Dog bites
Connecticut courts do not deny injury claims based on immigration status. Medical records, police reports, and witness statements are what matter.
Attorney Welcome often sees cases where people waited too long because of fear. That delay can hurt the case more than anything else.
Will Filing a Claim Affect Immigration Status?
This is one of the biggest fears immigrants have, and it deserves a clear answer.
Filing a personal injury claim does not trigger immigration enforcement. Insurance companies are not immigration authorities. Civil injury cases are not shared with federal immigration agencies simply because someone filed a claim.
Seeking medical treatment and legal help after an accident is not an admission of wrongdoing or a request for immigration review.
What About a Slip and Fall Accident?
Slip and fall injuries are more common than many people realize. Grocery stores, apartment buildings, parking lots, and workplaces can all become dangerous when hazards are ignored.
If a property owner failed to fix or warn about a dangerous condition and someone was injured as a result, that injured person may have a valid claim.
Immigrants often ask whether they can bring a claim if the fall happened at work, in a rental property, or in a public place.
Questions that matter include:
- Was the property owner aware of the hazard
- How long did the condition exist
- Were warnings provided
- What injuries resulted
What If the Injured Person Was Afraid to Go to the Hospital?
Another common concern is medical treatment. Some immigrants delay or avoid going to the hospital because they fear questions about insurance, identification, or cost.
From a legal standpoint, getting medical care as soon as possible protects both health and any future injury claim. Medical records create a clear link between the accident and the injuries. Delays give insurance companies room to argue that the injuries were not serious or were caused by something else.
Hospitals treat patients based on medical need. Seeking care after an accident does not expose someone to immigration enforcement.
Attorney Welcome often reminds clients that untreated injuries can become far more serious and far more expensive in the long run.
Can Someone Without a Social Security Number Receive Compensation?
Yes. A Social Security number is not required to pursue an injury claim.
Compensation may be issued through other identification methods, and attorneys experienced in handling immigrant injury cases know how to navigate these situations properly.
What matters most is documenting the injury and acting within Connecticut’s legal time limits.
What If the Accident Happened While Working?
Work-related injuries raise additional questions, especially for immigrants.
In Connecticut, workers’ compensation laws generally protect injured workers regardless of immigration status. Employers are required to carry workers’ compensation insurance, and injured workers may be entitled to medical care and wage benefits.
Fear often keeps injured workers from reporting accidents. That fear benefits employers who failed to provide safe working conditions.
Attorney Welcome frequently advises workers to focus on health first and understand their rights before assuming they have none.
Can Someone Be Paid If They Were Working Off the Books?
This is a sensitive but very real question. Many immigrants work cash jobs or informal employment. After an injury, they worry they cannot recover lost wages because there are no formal pay stubs.
While these cases require careful handling, lack of traditional documentation does not automatically eliminate the ability to recover compensation. Attorneys experienced in immigrant injury cases know how to present proof of income through alternative methods such as employer testimony, work history, or consistent payment records.
Why Waiting Can Hurt a Claim
One of the biggest mistakes injured immigrants make is waiting too long.
Evidence fades. Witnesses disappear. Insurance companies become more aggressive. Medical gaps are used to question injuries.
Connecticut has strict deadlines for filing injury claims. Missing those deadlines can permanently eliminate the right to recover compensation.
Asking questions early protects options.
Why Immigrants Should Speak With an Attorney After an Injury
Personal injury cases are stressful for anyone. For immigrants, they can feel overwhelming.
An experienced attorney helps by:
- Explaining rights clearly
- Communicating with insurance companies
- Protecting privacy
- Focusing on recovery, not fear
The Law Offices of James A. Welcome has represented injured individuals and families across Connecticut for decades. That experience includes working with immigrants who were unsure if they even had the right to ask for help.
The Bottom Line for Immigrants Injured in Connecticut
If you were injured in a car accident, a slip and fall, a dog bite, or another incident in Connecticut, immigration status alone does not take away your rights.
The law protects people who are hurt because someone else failed to act responsibly.
If you or a loved one has been injured in Connecticut and are unsure whether you have a claim, The Law Offices of James A. Welcome is here to help.
With decades of experience representing injured individuals and immigrant families across Connecticut, the firm provides clear answers and practical guidance when it matters most.
If you are injured, call (203) 753-7300 or visit www.welcomelawfirm.com to speak with the team and understand your options.
