New Haven Personal Injury Lawyer & Municipal & Connecticut Immunity

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August 1st, 2017

The State of Connecticut and any municipality, including the City of New Haven, have very strict guidelines one must follow in order for their New Haven personal injury lawyer to file suit in court on their behalf. The State and its cities and towns have sovereign immunity which requires plaintiffs in a case (the injured parties) to obtain permission from the Claims Commissioner to file a lawsuit in Superior Court. If the injury occurs on state property or involves the state, Connecticut law says the state and its employees cannot be sued for money damages. However, the Claims Commissioner can decide on most claims whether the State will waive its immunity in the case. These cases are tried in court without a jury.   Any injury or claim that involves one of the state’s municipalities, Connecticut law states municipalities are generally responsible for the negligence of their employees, officers, and agents acting in the scope of their employment Read the full article…

New Haven: 8th Most Dangerous City For Drivers

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July 30th, 2017

Sometimes New Haven auto accidents cannot be avoided, and other times certain areas are just more prone than others. A study by NerdWallet cites New Haven, Connecticut as the eighth most dangerous city in America for drivers in 2016. Detroit, Michigan is the most dangerous city while Cary, North Carolina is the safest. The study looked at a variety of criteria: cost of auto insurance, years between auto accidents, the risk of theft from the vehicle and the risk of having a vehicle stolen. New Haven’s statistics are staggering: The average cost of insurance for one year in New Haven is $1,829 There is an average of 6.3 years between car accidents There is a nearly 60% chance that New Haven residents will get into a car accident versus the national average of likelihood of an accident. Per every 100,000 New Haven auto accidents, there are 8.4 fatal accidents. While those traveling in the area Read the full article…

Defensive Driving Tips To Avoid A New Haven Auto Accident

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July 28th, 2017

New Haven auto accidents happen every day. Whether you commute on one of the interstate highways or prefer to drive on back roads, defensive driving in Connecticut is a must. Below are eight tips to safer defensive driving. Use your eyes. Driving requires you to be attentive at all times. No tailgating. Keep plenty of distance between yourself and the car in front of you or you may end up in a New Haven auto accident. Know your car. Being comfortable with how your vehicle handles, brakes and accelerates is important. Follow posted speed signs. Failing to do so can put other drivers at risk and get you a speeding ticket. Be smooth. Braking excessively and accelerating quickly will quickly put other drivers on edge. Use information systems responsibly. Do not be distracted by the high-tech information systems loaded in new vehicles. Do not overestimate new safety technology. Do not replace vehicle technology for remaining Read the full article…

New Connecticut Car Seat Laws Going Into Effect

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July 24th, 2017

The Connecticut Legislature passed and the Governor signed a new law concerning car seats. These laws will go into effect on October 1, 2017. The Connecticut car seat laws are as follow with the new changes bolded: Infants should be rear-facing until they are both a minimum of 20 lbs. and one year old. New Law: Infants should be rear-facing until they are age 2 AND weigh 30 lbs.  Toddlers should remain in their car seat until they reach the maximum height or weight requirements of their car seat (this is typically 40 lbs., but check the manual that came with your toddler seat.) New Law: Children should remain in a 5-point harness until they are 5 years old AND weigh 40 lbs.  Older children MUST be both seven years old AND 60 lbs. Children in a booster seat must use the shoulder and lap belt. New Law: Children must use Read the full article…

Teen Driver Laws Prevent New Haven Auto Accidents

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July 21st, 2017

The Governors Highway Safety Association release a new study that found nationwide teen crash fatalities fell a whopping 48% from 2005 to 2014. These results are staggering as the study also showed that teens are 1.6 times more likely to be in a fatal car accident. In 2015, however, teen crashes grew 10% nationwide. Connecticut statistics have been a bit more unpredictable. In this study period, Connecticut teen auto accident fatalities were: 2006-2011: 25 fatalities per year (down from 61) 2012: 27 fatalities 2013: 37 fatalities 2014: 20 fatalities 2015: 26 fatalities These fatalities are being attributed to inexperience behind the wheel, but the study found one thing, graduated licensing programs are helping. With all 50 states placing restrictions on teen drivers at varying levels, the biggest contributors to teen accident fatalities are distracted driving, speeding, and drowsy driving. If you or your loved one was injured in a car accident, an experienced New Haven Read the full article…

Get Rest Or Get Into a New Haven Auto Accident

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July 19th, 2017

New Haven commuters are busy with work, families, and hectic schedules. This generally means that we often do not get the proper amount of sleep recommended. But a new study conducted by AAA gives you a better reason to get your beauty sleep. According to this report, drowsy driving is about as dangerous as drunk driving. The symptoms of drowsy driving include drifting across lanes of traffic, forgetting how many miles/where they have driven and difficulty keeping eyes open. Sleep deprived individuals are at an increased risk of causing a New Haven auto accident according the following: 1.3 times for six to seven hours of sleep. 1.9 times for five to six hours of sleep. 4.3 times for four to five hours of sleep. 11.5 times for less than four hours of sleep. If you or your loved one was in a crash and suspect the other driver was driving drowsy, call our team of Read the full article…