Hartford Interstate Accident Lawyer

Interstates act like vital arteries for Hartford’s commerce, culture, and day-to-day character. Situated along I-84 halfway between New York and Boston, Hartford is a mandatory pass-through for millions of cars and trucks each year.

The Connecticut River also divides the city, making it challenging to reach East Hartford, Manchester, and other places nearby without first crossing over one of the major interstate bridges.

Unfortunately, the necessity and utility of these busy interstates can also make them highly dangerous — even deadly. Just about every week, a major pileup snares locals and visitors alike into a horrifying traffic accident.

Injured victims may have unpaid medical bills, in addition to huge lapses in income, while they are too hurt to work.

A Hartford interstate accident lawyer can come to your aid during this time, advocating for your legal rights to pursue damages from all at-fault parties. We work passionately on behalf of our clients, fighting to obtain all compensation we can from everyone responsible.

Let us help you get back on your feet and back into financial health. Call (203) 633-7449 or contact us online to schedule a free, no-obligation case review with a Hartford injury lawyer near you today.

How Does a Hartford Interstate Accident Lawyer Help Increase My Chances of Winning?

No injury claim is guaranteed to result in a win, but certain factors can increase its chances of success. Just as important, certain factors can dramatically affect the size of the claim’s eventual payout.

Your injury attorney will have years of experience with helping injured claimants like you. While you may have never dealt with an insurance company before — or have only done so a handful of times — your lawyer’s job is to deal with insurers, lawsuits, the courts, and other key aspects of post-accident recovery just about every day.

In order to succeed on your injury claim, you must be able to accomplish the following:

• Identify parties that hold liability
• Clearly demonstrate fault, with an indicator of negligence or a violation of safe motor vehicle operating laws
• Prove that your injuries were caused by the accident in question
• Accurately calculate damages, with proof of their value, including the projected values of future medical care and long-term income losses
• Handle insurance company objections or counter-offers, including attempts to “lowball” your claim or scare you into thinking you don’t have the legal standing for it to succeed
• Manage the claims process from start to finish, including filing all paperwork on time and in completion
• Be prepared for a possible lawsuit or court case in case the other side needs additional convincing that your case is worth settling

An experienced Hartford interstate accident lawyer will help you seek to accomplish all of the above, all while giving you the time and space you need to focus on your own personal healing journey.

Your attorney team also has the resources to investigate your accident. They’ll hire accident reconstructionists, if needed, and search for applicable state laws, federal regulations, or prior case outcomes that reinforce your position that you are owed compensation.

In short, hiring a lawyer puts more experience and resources in your corner than you are ever likely to attain on your own. At the same time, it provides you with someone who can stand behind you during negotiations or stressful interactions, helping you make all the right moves you need to maximize your case’s chances of success.

What Is the Most Dangerous Interstate in Hartford?

There are many extremely busy interstates that cross directly through Hartford. In fact, the city is on a major thoroughfare through New England.

I-91 connects New Haven to Springfield, MA, and Vermont beyond, from north to south, bisecting Hartford right along the Connecticut River.

I-84 is another major route, winding through downtown Hartford and connecting the Worcester-Boston metro area to Scranton in the west and New York City to the south.

I-291 acts as a major bypass to Manchester and I-84 when coming from the north. I-384 also acts as a funnel, bringing folks in from east Connecticut directly into downtown Hartford.

All of these roads are dangerous, but the stretch of I-84 from Exit 59 to Exit 49 is the deadliest, according to an analysis by MoneyGeek. That makes sense, given the major congestion that can be seen trying to cross Bulkeley Bridge on any given day.

Perhaps even more critically, this stretch represents a peak interchange area for folks switching from I-91 to I-84 on their way to eastern Mass.

In the period studied from 2018–2020, this section of I-84 saw 1.2 crashes per mile, leading to six fatalities in five total fatal accidents. That’s enough to cause this area to rank as the 9th-deadliest in the entire state.

What Happens if My Accident Involved Multiple Vehicles?

Under Connecticut’s contributory negligence law, every party involved in an accident can hold partial liability for the total amount of damages. Their level of liability is assigned according to the estimated level of fault that they held.

If, for example, you were involved in an interstate accident with two other drivers, and both drivers held equal fault for your crash injuries, then they would be responsible for splitting your total damages 50-50.

Interstate crashes can involve complicated scenarios, though, sometimes with multiple impacts, each of which has its own respective causes. In these cases, relative liability will be assessed for each collision.

This situation can mean that your pursuit of damages will be split between multiple, separate claims, all related to the same overarching incident.

Note that, in some cases, other parties may try to say that you hold liability, in part or in full, for your own crash injuries. Fortunately, Connecticut law allows you to still seek a claim as long as you were 50% or less at fault for the wreck.

Unfortunately, any assigned portion of fault means a reduction in the payout you are eligible to receive. As an example, receiving 25% of fault means that your total eligible damages will be reduced by a fourth.

Because of the risk of a diminished claim, it is beneficial to work with an attorney when dealing with complex interstate crashes. They can help you determine, with a high degree of accuracy, who exactly was at fault and what actions led to your crash.

They can also help you avoid any baseless accusations that you contributed to fault, often by documenting others’ role in causing the crash while disputing allegations related to your own actions.

Steps to Take After You’ve Been Involved in a Crash on the Interstate in Hartford

There are a number of steps you can take in the wake of an interstate accident in order to preserve your right to seek the full value of your claim.

• Move vehicles to safety, if possible, to avoid clogging the road and reduce the risk of a pileup
• Remain calm, and don’t admit fault. Check on the health and safety of others involved before immediately calling 911.

• Call 911, and request police as well as an ambulance for anyone who’s hurt. You will need a report of the accident, and emergency medical attention may be needed if you or anyone else is seriously hurt.

• Document the scene, but stay safe until the police arrive. If you are able to do so safely, photograph and/or record the scene, ideally before any vehicles are moved. You want your photos to tell the story of how the accident happened, including the specific location and the general positioning of all the vehicles involved. Remain well away from the roadway, though, and protect your own safety above all else.

• Cooperate with police respondents. Avoid making statements that could be interpreted as accepting blame, but never distort the truth or leave out key details. Remain at the scene until a report is gathered unless you require emergency evacuation.

• Let paramedics take you if they recommend it. Never refuse ambulance transport! You want to receive prompt care, and insurers may use your refusal as an indication that you weren’t as hurt as you alleged.

• Get a thorough diagnosis. Consent is required for all testing and imaging needed to investigate the full extent of your injuries. Don’t delay seeking care, even if you’re not sure how hurt you are. You want to document injuries close to the date of the accident.

• Keep all documentation. Save all receipts and information related to your medical care, including discharge papers and testing/imaging results. Also, keep your pay stubs, as well as any other receipts related to expenses made necessary by the accident.

• Talk to an attorney before you talk to insurers. You’ll want to open a claim soon after your accident, but you want to minimize the risk of doing anything to jeopardize your chances of receiving damages. You can defer conversations and negotiations to your attorney while receiving critical guidance during the submission of claim materials.

Reach Out to a Hartford Interstate Accident Law Firm That’s Ready to Fight for You

Getting compensation after an interstate accident is rarely easy, but having your own attorney can reduce your stress and effort while raising your chances of success. It also enables you to have a professional view of the full value of damages inflicted, ensuring you don’t leave money on the table when you sign a settlement.

Learn more about how we can help you and the potential value of your case when you call (203) 633-7449 or contact us online to schedule a free case review today.