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Rear-end accidents are some of the most common motor vehicle collisions that occur throughout Connecticut. Whether you were involved in a crash on Interstate 84 during rush hour traffic or Interstate 91 near downtown Hartford, or on a local city street such as Albany Avenue, Farmington Avenue, or Maple Avenue, these collisions can lead to serious injury and financial loss. Consult with a Hartford rear-end accident lawyer to learn more about your options.
Attorneys Louis Rubano and R.J. Weber III founded Weber & Rubano. The firm has roots in communities spanning New Haven County and throughout Connecticut. The Hartford personal injury attorneys at Weber & Rubano have handled every type of civil litigation matter and boast over 75 years of combined experience. This includes experience with motor vehicle accident claims.
Weber & Rubano’s attorneys are licensed in Connecticut to try both civil and criminal jury cases. The attorneys and staff at Weber & Rubano work together on all matters for our clients. We also frequently participate in local charities, youth programs, and other community events as a firm. We accept personal injury cases in Hartford and surrounding areas, including West Hartford, East Hartford, Wethersfield, and Newington.
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When one motor vehicle strikes the back of another vehicle, a rear-end accident occurs. A driver may collide with the vehicle in front because they are distracted behind the wheel, following too closely, driving too fast for traffic conditions, or failing to adjust to the flow of traffic.
Hartford has many heavily traveled roadways where rear-end crashes frequently occur. When highway interchanges bring together multiple lanes of traffic traveling at high speeds, such as where I-84 meets I-91 and Routes 2 and 15, the likelihood of serious rear-end accidents increases.
According to a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) report, rear-end collisions accounted for 40.1% of crashes in the United States in 2024 that involved other vehicles. This accounted for 3,730,000 of the 13,101,000 total crashes that year.
Even if an accident is minor, it can still result in property damage and physical injury. Some common injuries associated with rear-end accidents are listed below:
Some injury symptoms may not present themselves until days after the collision. Medical treatment records, x-rays, doctor’s notes, and physical therapy records can become vital pieces of evidence in a rear-end accident claim. Medical records can often be used to prove that the accident caused your injuries.
Several Connecticut laws may apply to your rear-end accident case. For instance, Connecticut law, specifically General Statutes § 14-240, forbids drivers from tailgating, requiring them to maintain a safe distance based on the road’s conditions and traffic.
Statutes of limitations can also affect a claim. Under Connecticut General Statutes § 52-584, most personal injury claims must be filed within two years of the injury date. If the statute of limitations passes, an injured person is no longer able to file a claim to recover compensation from the court. You want to file your claim before the statute of limitations runs out.
Connecticut’s comparative negligence law allows an injured person to recover compensation proportionate to their portion of fault. If they are found to be 50% or less at fault for the accident. Damages awarded are reduced by the person’s percentage of fault.
Successful rear-end accident claims typically use many types of evidence. The type of evidence available depends on the facts of your collision. Some common types of evidence used in rear-end claims are listed below:
The sooner you investigate your claim, the better. Physical evidence may be lost as time goes on. Witnesses may also have trouble remembering details about the accident if too much time passes.
Connecticut law allows injured victims to recover compensation for both economic damages and non-economic damages. Recoverable damages in a rear-end accident case depend on the facts of your injury. Most rear-end accident claims involve some type of compensable injury. These are economic damages and include the types of expenses listed below:
Non-economic damages allow victims to recover damages that are not as easily quantifiable. These include physical pain, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life caused by another party’s negligence. How a rear-end accident impacts your life plays a big role in determining the value of your claim. Things taken into consideration include the severity of your injuries, recovery time, and the impact on your life.
Immediately following a rear-end collision, a driver’s actions can play a crucial role in securing their safety and any subsequent insurance or legal claims. If possible, drivers should pull over to a safe location after a crash and call the police to file a report. A police report can provide helpful documentation regarding who was involved in the accident, who witnessed it, and the police officer’s account of what occurred.
In Hartford, the Hartford Police Department or the Connecticut State Police handles car accidents in Hartford and Hartford County.
Drivers should also exchange insurance information with the other driver and collect evidence after an accident if they can do so safely. Pictures of the damage to each vehicle, the location of the crash, including road conditions, traffic signs, and skid marks, as well as visible injuries, can be used as evidence after a motor vehicle collision.
In addition, drivers are typically advised to seek medical treatment as soon as they can, even if symptoms of an injury do not appear serious. Some injuries, like whiplash and certain back injuries, can take hours or even days to manifest.
It’s wise to keep all the paperwork connected to the accident, such as medical bills and car repair receipts. Documentation can help prove how much damage occurred from a crash and can paint a clearer picture of how the accident impacted your life.
Filing a claim for a rear-end accident requires more than just filing an insurance claim form and waiting for compensation. When you hire a rear-end accident lawyer to handle your case, your attorney can evaluate liability issues, calculate damages, obtain professional testimony if necessary, and follow all required laws and procedures.
A Hartford rear-end accident attorney can also help identify future damages such as medical expenses, calculate your lost earning capacity, review any settlement offer, and work to prepare your case for trial if necessary. When serious injuries or disputed liability issues are involved, legal representation can make a difference in the outcome of your case.
The rear-end law in Connecticut requires drivers to keep a safe distance between themselves and the car in front of them. Failure to adjust following distances to the current traffic, speed, and road conditions can result in a citation. Additionally, motorists who tailgate can be held liable if a rear-end collision occurs. Fault for every accident is determined by the specific facts involved.
Generally, the driver who causes a rear-end collision is presumed to be at fault because they should have left sufficient space to stop. However, there are many exceptions to this general rule. Accidents that involve sudden stops, mechanical failures, road hazards, or multi-car collisions require further analysis of Connecticut’s comparative negligence rules.
When speaking with your insurance company, do not guess at fault or minimize your injuries. Many people make the mistake of telling their insurance company they are fine after a car accident. Although every situation is different, it is typically safest to stick with the facts of the collision and politely cooperate with any reasonable requests. Avoid speculating about the cause of the crash or your injuries.
You may get paid if you get rear-ended and you get back pain. If another driver’s negligence resulted in a car accident that caused your back pain, then you may be owed compensation. Medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering are some of the damages that you may be able to recover. Every case is different, but serious injuries that require medical treatment or negatively impact your everyday life hold more value.
Long after the crash, a rear-end collision may result in ongoing financial, legal, and physical difficulties. Protecting your interests requires an understanding of Connecticut’s rear-end accident laws, insurance obligations, and filing deadlines. People involved in rear-end collisions should get information about their rights and potential legal choices as soon as they can, regardless of whether the event happened on I-84, I-91, Route 2, or a local Hartford roadway.
Weber & Rubano also represents clients in other types of car accidents, including head-on collisions, multi-car accidents, sideswipe collisions, rollover accidents, and bicycle and pedestrian cases. No matter what type of accident you were involved in, we can help you seek the compensation you need to recover. Contact us to speak with a representative. We can handle the legal side, so you can focus on your recovery.
Whether you’ve been injured or are facing criminal charges, our team is ready to fight for you.
Contact us today — there’s no fee unless we win.
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