Fatal Car Accident Attorneys

In the aftermath of a fatal car accident, loved ones can face a long-lasting, significant effect. Families dealing with loss and grief may also have to contend with the financial strain of the accident and the ongoing expenses of daily life. In addition, when someone is killed due to another driver’s careless or reckless behavior, the responsible party must be held accountable for their part in the accident.

Hassett & George represents families in Hartford County, CT, by pursuing legal action against the at-fault party and obtaining compensation from losses they incurred with their loved one’s death. A fatal car accident attorney in Glastonbury and Simsbury, CT, knows that the accident’s aftermath is painful for the family. This is why we work to ensure that our clients can focus on emotionally recovering from their losses and grieving while we take care of the legal proceedings.

According to the Federal Highway Administration, Connecticut roads had 295 fatal car accidents in 2020. In 2022, this statistic dropped slightly to 217 crashes, with 342 vehicles involved and 642 people affected. However, when you compare injury statistics, the Connecticut Crash Data Repository found that 1.47% of car crashes in Connecticut had suspected severe injuries, 13.35% had suspected minor injuries, and 85.17% had no apparent injuries.

How Do Fatal Auto Accidents Happen?

When it comes to fatal auto accidents, many factors can contribute to their occurrence. Sometimes it’s due to simple human error, such as a driver being distracted or driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Other times, it may be due to poor road conditions or weather conditions that make driving more dangerous. Speeding, reckless driving, and failure to obey traffic laws can also be significant contributors.

While it’s impossible to predict every accident, being aware of the potential risks and taking steps to mitigate them, such as practicing defensive driving, can go a long way toward preventing tragedies on the road.

The type of accident you’re involved in can also increase your risk of it being fatal, as some accidents are more prone to produce life-threatening injuries than others. A few accident types that have higher chances of resulting in death include:

• Head-on collisions are one of the most dangerous types of accidents, as they often result in fatalities due to the high speeds at which the vehicles travel toward each other. The impact of two cars colliding head-on can be devastating, leading to severe injuries or even death.
• Wrong-way accidents can also be deadly, as drivers going in the wrong direction on a highway or one-way street can collide with oncoming traffic at high speeds. These types of accidents often occur due to driver impairment or confusion, and they can result in multiple fatalities. Unfortunately, wrong-way accidents in Connecticut are on the rise.
• Rollover accidents are another type of crash that can lead to fatalities, particularly if the driver or passengers are not wearing seat belts. When a vehicle rolls over, occupants can be ejected or crushed, resulting in serious injuries or death.
• Highway accidents, including those involving multiple vehicles, are often deadly due to the high speeds at which drivers are traveling. In addition, highway accidents often involve larger vehicles, such as tractor-trailers, which can cause significant damage in a collision.

What is a Wrongful Death?

If a loved one dies due to a car accident caused by another driver’s negligence, carelessness, or recklessness, it can be considered a wrongful death. This means that the person’s death could have been prevented if the other driver had taken the proper care and caution while driving.

Wrongful death lawsuits in car accidents can help the surviving family members recover compensation for medical expenses, funeral costs, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Therefore, it is essential to seek legal advice from an experienced Connecticut fatal car accident lawyer in Simsbury or Glastonbury who can help you navigate the legal process and ensure you receive the compensation you deserve.

If you have lost a loved one in a car accident, a Connecticut fatal car accident attorney can help you seek compensation for your damages. These attorneys are experienced in handling wrongful death claims and can help you navigate the legal process.

An attorney can help you identify the responsible parties and hold them accountable for their actions. They can also help you gather evidence, negotiate with insurance companies, and represent you in court if necessary.

In car accident cases, a fatal car accident attorney in Connecticut can help you recover compensation for a variety of damages, including:

• Funeral costs
• Loss of companionship and mental anguish
• Loss of future earnings
• Loss of income
• Loss of protection, care, and services to beneficiaries or survivors
• Medical costs for any of the victim’s hospital care
• Pain and suffering

Fatal Car Accidents And Connecticut Laws

Generally, different states have regulations and rules surrounding your eligibility to file a wrongful death claim. For example, some states let specific family members file these claims directly, but Connecticut doesn’t allow it. In this state, the decedent’s executor can file a wrongful death claim, and you may hear them referred to as the personal representative or administrator.

With Section 52-555, the potential damages an executor can recover are only those the victim suffered and not from the suffering of the victim’s family. This means that your wrongful death lawyer can recover losses that encompass:

• Future earnings loss
• Compensation for the deceased’s suffering and pain prior to death
• Non-economic losses like loss of enjoyment of life

If the executor files a successful wrongful death claim and wins compensation, it becomes part of the estate. In broad terms, the victim’s estate represents all the assets the deceased left behind. Once the payment gets deposited with the estate, it’ll be broken up and distributed to the surviving family members in terms of the estate plan. This sounds simple, but it comes with several unique challenges.

For example, it’s common for estate plans to fail to address how to distribute unanticipated damage compensation. If the estate has no plan to distribute these assets, the division may depend on the victim’s will and provisions. Another option is that the compensation falls under Connecticut’s intestate succession laws. This is a common outcome if the person dies without an estate plan or if the estate plan has no provisions for unexpected assets.

Connecticut’s intestate succession laws outline which family members can get assets from the deceased’s estate without estate planning documents, a will, or a trust in place. Generally speaking, this is a very complicated process (see Section 45a-433 for reference), and you’ll want careful legal oversight when determining which family members get a portion of the assets. With this in mind, you should note that many victims won’t have these plans. When this happens, when the estate gets compensation for wrongful death, it gets distributed during the estate administration process.

Additionally, one important thing to note is that the Connecticut General Statutes also have a special provision that allows any surviving spouse to get compensation for consortium loss under Section 52-555a. It states, “Any claim or cause of action for loss of consortium by one spouse with respect to the death of the other spouse shall be independent of all claims or causes of action for the determination of damages with respect to such death.”

Connecticut Personal Injury Attorneys Fighting For Your Rights

Contact the office if you need the assistance of a Connecticut car accident lawyer. We’ve built a solid reputation throughout Hartford County for fighting for our client’s rights and helping grieving families get the compensation they deserve in the victim’s stead. We’re happy to have a consultation with you and see if you have a wrongful death claim, and we can guide you through the litigation process so you can focus on healing.

Some of the locations our lawyers serve include Simsbury, Glastonbury, Hartford, and more.