One accident is all it takes to turn your life upside down. Suddenly, you are injured, with weeks or months of recovery on the horizon, endless medical appointments, and the bills to go with it. Your accident might take away your ability to work, and your family may be suffering.
It’s a steep price to pay for an accident that wasn’t even your fault. If your injury happened because of the negligence of another party, you may have the right to seek compensation. Our personal injury lawyers in Waterbury can help you hold the responsible party accountable.
Our team at the Law Offices of James A. Welcome has recovered millions in awards and settlements for our clients, many of whom were injured in accidents caused by another person’s negligence. Contact us today to schedule your free consultation.
How Our Legal Team Can Help
Many of our clients turn to our Waterbury personal injury attorneys after trying to deal with insurance companies on their own. You expect insurers to be there to help when you are hurt in accidents, but often they aren’t on your side.
Insurance companies are notorious for giving injured victims the runaround and lowballing them when offering a settlement. When you hire James A. Welcome to handle your case, you send a strong message that says you are serious about securing justice and fair compensation.
The Law Offices of James A. Welcome is one of the largest bilingual personal injury law firms. Our Waterbury personal injury lawyers are fluent in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. We encourage non-English speakers to contact our office for legal representation.
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Our Practice Areas in Waterbury
Our team has experience with a wide variety of personal injury cases. Additionally, we have extensive experience handling auto accident cases, especially when the insurance company refuses to pay a claim.
Reach out to us today if you need help from a:
- Waterbury Car Accident Lawyer: Individuals involved in car accidents often endure long periods of recovery, tremendous medical bills, and lost wages.
- Waterbury Truck Accident Lawyer: A car accident with a large commercial truck can mean serious damage that can derail your life.
- Waterbury Catastrophic Injury Lawyer: Catastrophic injuries, such as spinal cord injuries and traumatic brain injuries, can mean an alteration of your lifestyle.
- Waterbury Construction Accident Lawyer: If you are injured on a construction site as an employee or visitor, you deserve compensation.
- Waterbury Slip–and–Fall Accident Lawyer: One fall is all it takes to upend your life and sideline you with a serious injury you can’t afford.
- Waterbury Dog Bite Lawyer: Pet owners who do not control their animals can be liable when their animals attack and injure you.
- Waterbury Motorcycle Accident Lawyer: When motor vehicle operators aren’t paying attention and hit a motorcyclist, they can be liable for major damages.
- Waterbury Pedestrian Accident Lawyer: Medical bills for injury victims struck by cars can be extreme due to their lack of protection.
- Waterbury Premises Liability Lawyer: Property owners are responsible for keeping their premises safe, and when injuries occur, they may be liable.
- Waterbury Wrongful Death Lawyer: When your family loses a loved one due to the actions of another person, you may be able to seek compensation through a wrongful death claim.
If you have experienced any of the accidents or incidents listed above, contact our team today, especially if you have been treated unfairly by an insurance company. We can help you hold the liable party accountable and get the financial compensation you deserve.
Investigating Your Personal Injury Case
Accident investigation is one of our team’s most important duties. The insurance company will have its own narrative of how the event transpired, typically slanted toward its best interests. We will investigate the events that led to your accident and injury.
We may review evidence such as medical records, surveillance footage, eyewitness statements, and police reports. We want to know what happened, and we will seek to identify all responsible parties involved in your accident.
We are your advocates in the legal system. Our Waterbury personal injury lawyers will stand up to insurance companies, protect your rights, and fight for the financial compensation you deserve. With our team, you get personal attention and trusted results.
Compensation in a Personal Injury Case
Even minor injuries can sometimes mean medical problems that may require extensive and costly medical care. Whatever the circumstances that led to your injury, it is in your best interest to contact our Waterbury personal injury attorneys as soon as possible.
Don’t accept a settlement from an insurance company without speaking to our team first. Insurers often offer low settlements and hope you don’t understand what your claim is actually worth. We’ll make sure their offers completely cover your damages.
When you are injured due to the action of another person, you may be able to recover several types of compensation. How much you’re entitled to will be commensurate with your injuries and the losses they caused. Types of damages you can recover in Connecticut include:
Economic Damages
Economic damages refer to the losses that you incur as a direct result of the injuries you suffered from the accident. You can help your attorney account for your losses by keeping receipts and invoices that show your expenses.
The most common economic damages include:
- Medical expenses such as emergency care, doctors’ visits, testing, and procedures
- Future medical care costs, such as operations, ongoing physical therapy, and prescription medications
- Lost wages and other benefits you missed when you couldn’t work
- Lost future wages if you expect to be out of work for a long time
- Property damages, in some situations
- Lost earning capacity and job retraining if your injury is life-altering
When you are hurt in an accident, it is bad enough that you have to suffer physically. You shouldn’t have to deal with the financial burden as well. There is no cap on the amount of economic damages a victim can recover.
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages are more difficult to calculate because they aren’t measured by actual expenses. This type of compensation is meant to address your emotional, psychological, and social hardships.
This often includes things like:
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Mental anguish
- Scarring and disfigurement
Non-economic damages are awarded as a way to compensate you for these losses that can’t be easily quantified. Keeping a journal of how your accident and injury have impacted you and your family can help our personal injury law firm understand the extent of your suffering.
Punitive Damages
Economic damages and non-economic damages are awarded specifically to make the plaintiff whole. However, punitive damages are awarded as a way to punish the defendant and deter them and others from engaging in this type of behavior in the future.
Punitive damages are rare and are only awarded when the defendant showed a reckless indifference to the rights of others or an intentional or wanton violation of those rights.
In some cases, you may be able to recover certain court fees as well, such as filing fees, process server fees, and even fees for attorneys and expert witnesses. Our Waterbury personal injury lawyers can advise you of the total damages you may recover.
Resolving Your Personal Injury Claim
Often, insurance companies prefer to settle civil cases out of court. This is a faster and easier way to resolve your claim, and it avoids the need for you to attend a stressful courtroom trial. Usually, reaching a solution through good-faith negotiations is best for everyone involved.
We will negotiate on your behalf for a fair settlement based on the damages you have suffered, with the goal of recovering the maximum compensation to fully cover your losses. If the insurance company is willing to play fair, we will recover the financial damages you deserve.
If not, we will need to take things to the next level. Our personal injury law firm in Waterbury won’t be intimidated, and we will not back down from a fight. We will represent you in civil court, fight for your award, and stand with you through the legal process.
Contingency Fee Arrangements
Our legal team works on a contingency fee basis. We believe this is a way to level the playing field with powerful insurance companies and their legal teams. You deserve the same kind of legal advocacy on your side to ensure a fair fight.
Though our contingency fee plan:
- You owe nothing upfront when we take your case.
- You pay nothing until we recover compensation or an award on your behalf.
- We take our fees as a prearranged percentage of your award or settlement.
- If we don’t win, you owe us nothing.
Billing for our service in this manner makes our legal assistance affordable for almost anyone. Your ability to protect yourself from the unfair actions of insurance companies should not depend on what is in your wallet.
Comparative Negligence in Connecticut
Many people mistakenly believe that a plaintiff can never recover compensation if they are partially at fault for the accident and injuries. Fortunately, this is not the case in Connecticut. You can recover compensation even if you’re partially at fault.
Connecticut personal injury cases are governed by a law called modified comparative negligence. Under this rule, a plaintiff can recover compensation as long as they are not more than 50% at fault for the accident.
While that may help in some cases, it also means insurance companies may try to claim you are partly responsible for your injuries to reduce their liability. Our personal injury attorneys in Waterbury will stand up for your rights and work to show the other party’s total liability.
Deadlines for Personal Injury Claims in Connecticut
If you have been injured in an accident, reach out to our team as soon as possible. According to Connecticut General Statutes § 52-584, you only have two years to file a claim in most situations. Missing this deadline typically means losing your rights to pursue legal action.
There can be exceptions in certain cases. For instance, if the victim is a minor, the statute of limitations may be paused until they turn 18. Additionally, if a defendant is out of state, the time may be suspended until they return.
Some cases may have a separate statute of limitations. It’s important to get help from our legal team so you fully understand the deadlines in your Connecticut personal injury case. You should not have to suffer more after an accident, much less pay for the financial aftermath.
Get Help From Our Personal Injury Attorneys in Waterbury
Injured victims sometimes hesitate to hire legal representation immediately after experiencing an accident for many reasons. Some may fear retaliation, especially if their accident occurred at work, while others may believe their injuries are not severe enough to warrant legal action.
If you have been injured in an accident, our personal injury attorneys in Waterbury can conduct an exhaustive investigation of your accident and provide you with a sound and effective case strategy aimed at accomplishing the case outcome you desire.
Since 2007, the Law Offices of James A. Welcome has offered personalized and results-driven legal representation for injured individuals and families living in Connecticut. We are confident in our abilities to help you, too. Call today for your free consultation and learn more.
