When you have been involved in an auto accident, most advice from attorneys and insurance companies recommends against admitting fault or apologizing to the other party or parties involved. This is because car, truck, and motorcycle accidents are often the result of many factors in addition to your own behavior. Apologizing or admitting fault could cause the police, insurance claims adjusters, and investigators to take you at your word instead of looking more deeply into the circumstances the crash. The other drivers are also less likely to voluntarily take responsibility if you have already done so.

Sometimes, a more in-depth investigation into an accident may lead to the discovery of evidence from unexpected sources, including security cameras installed on homes, government buildings, and private businesses in the vicinity of the crash. Footage from one such camera recently provided the proof a Prospect man needed to collect a large settlement following a motorcycle accident in Bethany.

Lucky to Be Alive

Over the last several years, there has been much written and spoken about the need for police officers to wear video cameras attached to their person when on duty. Public outcry on the matter has grown as police shootings and alleged incidents of officer misconduct have continued to occur across the country. Proponents of mandatory body cameras believe that the recording devices can be used to hold law enforcement personnel fully accountable for their actions. While this may be true, body cameras can also provide supporting evidence in any situation to which the officer may have been a witness, including a motorcycle accident.

Dangerous Driving Leaves Motorcycle Rider Injured

In May of 2015, a middle-aged Watertown man was riding his motorcycle in Naugatuck when, without warning, a pickup truck attempted to turn across traffic. The truck hit the motorcycle, sending the man flying. The rider suffered a number of injuries, including serious damage to his left leg and ankle which required several surgeries. All told, the man incurred more than $100,000 in medical bills and remains partially disabled.

When you or someone you love has been hurt in a car accident, slip-and-fall accident, or an accident involving recreational equipment, it is important to determine if the actions or negligence of another party contributed to your injuries. If someone else is found to have caused the accident and, therefore, your injuries, he or she may be held liable for the losses you have suffered, including both economic and noneconomic damages. But, what if more than one party shares the blame for the accident? How is each to be held liable for his or her contribution and what if one of those at fault is unable to pay? A recent ruling by a jury in Middletown Superior Court took these questions into consideration as it awarded a teen more than $360,000 from three defendants for injuries sustained in a 2012 ATV accident.

Weekend of Fun Turns Dangerous

According to reports, the incident occurred in May 2012, when a teen girl invited three friends to her parents’ ranch in North Branford, all of whom were 15 or 16 years old at the time. As part of the weekend’s fun, the teens went for a ride on a four-wheeled all-terrain vehicle, or ATV, owned by the girls’ parents. The rides went without a problem on Saturday night, but on Sunday morning, two of the boys took the ATV back out again. During the morning ride, the driver began turning tight circles, or “doing doughnuts,” and, due to its high center of gravity, the vehicle tipped over and landed on the teen passenger’s ankle. The teen suffered severe lacerations, soft tissue damage, and a torn ligament, which, along with complications in the healing process, led to approximately $100,000 in medical bills.

In many personal injury cases, the keys to success include calling the right witnesses, providing detailed testimony, and proving your claim with relevant evidence. Knowing what not to say and who should not testify are equally important, but rarely does the situation call for the sole injured party to remain silent. This unusual strategy paid off earlier this year when a Bridgeport jury awarded a car accident victim more than $150,000 in damages without the victim having to speak a single word in proving her case.

Interstate 95 Accident

The case in question involved a 53-year-old woman injured as a passenger in a car crash on Interstate 95 in Bridgeport. She filed claims against both the driver of the car in which she rode and the driver of the other car involved in the accident. The woman was able to reach a settlement agreement with the insurance company of the other driver. She and her attorneys attempted to do the same with the driver of the car she was in at the time of the accident, but the two sides could not reach a compromise, and the case proceeded to trial. Liability was adjudicated by default when the defendant failed to respond to interrogatories, so the amount of damages was the only matter brought before the jury.

The moments after a car accident can be a whirlwind of activity, fear, confusion, and dizziness. If you have been injured, pain and uncertainty about the future can compound the situation. Certain injuries may be more evident immediately, such as a broken arm or leg, or lacerations from broken glass. Signs of other injuries, however, may not develop for hours or days after the accident even if you sought immediate medical attention. Among the most commonly delayed symptoms are neck and back concerns, including signs of whiplash, and the onset of chest pains that may be caused by a number of very serious conditions.

Possible Rib and Chest Injuries

While neck and back issues can certainly be causes for serious concern, the development of their related symptoms is rather unsurprising to most car crash victims. Chest pains, on the other hand, tend to raise many more questions as they are frequently associated with life-threatening cardiac conditions and episodes. Fortunately, after a motor vehicle accident, there may be several explanations for thoracic pain and discomfort.