If you happened to drive along the highway during the recent stay-at-home order, it felt a bit surreal. You could zip up the entrance ramp and have the road entirely to yourself instead of applying the brakes on a congested Merritt Parkway or Interstate 95. Not a car for miles.  Well, that empty road made some drivers feel like they had the freedom to increase their speed while driving. In fact, the number of drivers who exceeded 80 mph was up by 94 percent and that has led to more traffic fatalities than in years past. This year, there were 25 more vehicle related deaths than in the year prior.  The faster your vehicle is traveling, the more time it takes to slow down. So, while there may not be other cars right in front of you to watch out for, the higher speed remains dangerous. Perhaps there’s a downed tree limb Read the full article…

Summertime is usually filled with RVs, boats and beach blankets. Of course, the pandemic has made people reconsider their normal travel plans this year. So, how can you enjoy the festivity of the season and still travel safely during summer 2020?  At The Loricco Law Firm, we emphasize travel preparation. Preparing for your travels means that you: Know where you’re headed. As much fun as a spontaneous road trip can be, 2020 has made it hard to anticipate what lies ahead. If you intend to cross state borders, make sure you understand what pandemic safety precautions remain in place. Double check that the places where you intend to stop are actually open.  Pack for safety. It will continue to be a good idea to avoid crowds, so try to limit your stops in busy public rest areas: Instead, pack drinks and snacks to take along. Also, don’t assume that your Read the full article…

As New Haven auto accident attorneys, we’ve seen auto accidents of every degree. Whether you are a driver or a passenger in a vehicle, there are many injuries you can see: broken bones, bumps, bruises, lacerations, and more. There are also injuries you can’t see. Internal injuries can leave organs damaged, and can even be life-threatening, if not treated immediately. Here are some of the most common internal injuries associated with a car accident. Broken ribs. This is a common injury that can manifest into more serious conditions, such as damaged lungs, kidneys, or major blood vessels. Pneumothorax. Often cause by a puncture, this is a collapsed lung when air leaks out between the lung and chest wall. This often requires immediate medical care and puts the victim at risk for another in a short period of time. Lacerated liver. The liver plays a vital role in producing proteins necessary for blood clotting, Read the full article…

It seems harmless, right? Grab your phone and answer a text real quickly. Who will know? But, if answering that text that leads to a New Haven auto accident, you will be deemed a distracted driver and will be in danger of legal consequences. You might think proving that you had been texting – or engaging in any other type of distraction with a digital device – is difficult to do. After all, by the time help arrived at the accident, your cell phone would be tucked back in your pocket. Nobody saw you use it. So, you’re safe from any legal issues. Well, that’s not the case. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recently released a document to guide prosecutors and law enforcement professionals in investigating and prosecuting distracted driving cases. They stated that sending a text message is one of the most dangerous types of distraction because it involves Read the full article…

You’ve probably heard that distracted driving is one of the leading causes of New Haven auto accidents, but did you know that where you drive in Connecticut makes a difference to your safety? The Traveler’s Institute recently coordinated a study via the University of Connecticut to find out where people in Connecticut are most often distracted while driving.  It turns out that driving through our major urban areas puts drivers at the most risk. Perhaps this is because there are simply more vehicles to watch at one time, or maybe there’s more happening along the roadside, but whatever the reason, New Haven topped the list of crashes due to distracted driving. This was quickly followed by Hartford and Bridgeport.  Also interesting to know is that some roads are more dangerous than others: Respondents claimed that the entire shoreline of I-95, both North and South; Hartford and Waterbury along I-84; and the Meriden Read the full article…