Personal Injury Vault

Connecticut Personal Injury Lawyers 860 471 8333
Original art showing the sun off the cove near our office. In the fall this is the view many personal injury clients will see as they meet with us.

Welcome to the Connecticut Personal Injury Vault. This page is a resource for those in Connecticut who have been injured as a result of someone else violating safety rules. This is for those who have suffered personal injury. We believe knowledge is part of the healing process.

You are driving along. You are doing the right thing. Another driver chooses not to pay attention. Suddenly your life has changed. The change can range from anything to a nuisance if you are fortunate to life altering if you are not.

I believe that knowledge is one of the first steps in recovery. That is why this page is ad free. These thoughts are mine. They come from over a decade of representing injured plaintiffs. They also come from my experience representing loved ones who have had a family member killed by someone violating safety rules.

There’s so much ugly advertising in the personal injury space. This personal injury vault is different. It is information you can use. While you are reading no one will pop up and ask you if you need help. I wrote all of the content here. For better or worse. It’s mine. Not done by some marketing company.

If you need help, have a question, or would like a free case review just call me at 860 471 8333.

I’ve been honored by the Connecticut Law Tribune as a Personal Injury Hall of Fame inductee. In 2015, I achieved one of the highest settlements in the State of Connecticut. I have settled multiple cases for over $100,000. But none of that matters. That is about me.

This Personal Injury Vault is about you.

If the Personal Injury Vault has helped you in any way please pay it forward. Do something kind for someone. Someone who doesn’t even know who you are. That is the true mission of this site.

Here are some articles that you may find of use. Please poke around. There’s no particular order to these posts. Feel free to click on links in the posts and use the search function on this site.

I hope you find something here that empowers you.

With Gratitude,

Ryan

PERSONAL INJURY VAULT

Do I Have A Case

Folks who have been injured often ask “Do I have a case?” Sometimes clients who ask this question have very strong cases with the possibility of significant recovery. Others have no case at all. The answer requires understanding the law, investigating the claim, and listening to the client. Every situation is different. Here’s what I’m thinking when a personal injury client asks me “Do I Have A Case?”

Hire A Connecticut Personal Injury Lawyer With Malpractice Insurance

Hiring a Connecticut personal injury lawyer? Ask this question about legal malpractice insurance. Also checkout my first Facebook live video below. This post deals with legal malpractice Insurance. I have done 100s if not 1000s of potential client interviews. I have never been asked about my insurance. Connecticut lawyers are not required to insurance. Nor are they required to disclose that they don’t carry legal malpractice insurance. I carry malpractice insurance to protect my clients. Learn your rights here. 

Do I Need A Lawyer for My Car Accident?

I was in a car accident. The other person’s insurance company claims they have “accepted responsibility”. And they want me to sign releases. They want me to sign a release giving them access to my medical records. And they want me to sign a release saying I won’t sue them. I’m not a lawsuit happy person. I just want what is fair. And the insurance company tells me that if I hire a lawyer I will get less money because the lawyer will take a fee. I’d like to talk with a lawyer. I have no idea if what they are offering me is fair. And I certainly don’t want to give a third of what the insurance company is offering to the lawyer. Then I would have less money. Empower yourself here.

Connecticut Dog Bite Law

Dog bites can cause serious permanent injury or death. Even a “small” bite can lead to serious infection that results in surgery or hospitalization. Many of my dog bite cases begin with an owner saying “(insert dog’s name) would never bite anyone. I have been bitten by a dog several times. Once I was ripped off my bike by a dog, I understand. It happens so fast. Fortunately, I was okay. Just a pair of ripped jeans. Other folks aren’t so lucky. If you have been bitten by a dog empower yourself here.

Insurance Company Tactics

Why is it taking so long to settle my  personal injury claim? Why won’t the insurance company believe my doctors? Do I have to go through a medical exam?  Why do they keep trying to continue court?  The answer: the insurance company wants to grind you down in hopes you’ll accept significantly less money than your personal injury case is worth. Arm yourself the Personal Injury Vault’s Insurance Company Tactics post.

Insurance Company Dirty Tricks

When you are hurt by someone who violates safety rules – big money of insurance companies start acting against you immediately. I was having lunch with a lawyer who had just wrapped up trial in a serious truck wreck case. A truck driver wasn’t following the safety rules of the road and caused a car wreck. Who does the company call to the scene? Their lawyer. Arm yourself by knowing the Connecticut Personal Injury Vault’s 3 dirty tricks insurance companies may play. We expose their nonsense for what it is.

I Think The Insurance Company Has Hired A Private Eye 

For many folks the incident that caused an injury is just the start. The start of many more injuries to come. Chapter 1 of the Blackhat Bible for Defending Personal Injury cases is to keep adding insult to injury. Whatever insurance company is representing the person who injures you is doing whatever they can to prevent you from recovering for the harms and losses that you’ve suffered. Make no mistake about it – they’re out to get you. Fight back Learn Your Rights Here.

Other Driver Says A Dog Caused The Car Wreck

That brown dog. The jerk. The brown dog is all over the pages of deposition transcripts. He’s always brown. Usually about 40 pounds. His breed is unclear. He’s possibly part lab, maybe some terrier, we’re not really sure. Whatever he looks like he’s the bigfoot of the car accident defense world. Here’s the Connecticut Personal Injury Vault’s take on what to do when the other driver says a dog caused the car accident. 

How To Calculate Pain And Suffering

“How do I calculate pain and suffering?” Injured persons in Connecticut are able to recover for pain and suffering. These damages are in addition to “economic damages” things like medical bills and lost wages. Here’s the Connecticut Personal Injury Vault’s take on calculating Pain And Suffering.  

Injured By A Reckless Driver

What is reckless driving? Connecticut law provides that no person shall operate any motor vehicle upon any public highway of the state recklessly, having regard to the width, traffic and use of such highway, the intersection of streets and the weather conditions. Have you been injured in a car accident by a reckless driver? Do you have a personal injury claim for recklessness? 

4 Things You Need To Know About A Reckless Claim

Was the person operating a motor vehicle recklessly when that person does so knowing or having reason to know of facts that create a high degree of risk of physical harm to another and deliberately proceeds to act in conscious disregard of, or with indifference to, that risk? If you may have a Connecticut personal injury claim for recklessness read about the other 3 factors here. 

How Much Is My Dog Bite Case Worth

Every case is different. Past results don’t guarantee future results. Only way to know what a case is worth is to have it evaluated by a Connecticut Personal Injury Attorney.  Here’s a dog bite verdict that I received in 2015.

Will Insurance Cover Your Loss of Consortium Claim

If you have been injured in a car accident – your spouse may have a claim for damages. This claim is in addition to yours. Loss of consortium is a suit by a spouse for the loss of the affection, dependence and companionship that he has suffered through the loss of his spouse. Damages for loss of consortium include both past and future loss. “Consortium” includes affection, society, companionship and physical intimacies of the spousal relationship. Learn about insurance coverage for loss of consotrium here,

Put Yourself First

You are driving along. You are doing the right thing. Another driver chooses not to pay attention. Suddenly your life has changed. The change can range from anything to a nuisance if you are fortunate to life altering if you are not. I know when I was in a car accident, the first thing I did was tell the EMTs I was fine. I didn’t need an ambulance. Hours later I was in the ER in severe pain. Pain that would last for days. car accident We’re often asked “what do I do?”  Put yourself first. 

Economic v. Non-Economic Damages

Economic v. non-economic damages – that’s lawyer speak. It all hurts. One of the questions we’re often asked is “how much is a fair settlement for my case” or “how much is my case worth?” In order to answer that question we have to look at what the law can award for damages. In Connecticut, plaintiff’s can be compensated for both “economic” and “non-economic” damages. What is the difference?

Will My Lawyer Take A Fee From My Property Damage

Your car is damaged. Or your car is totaled.  We’re here to help make sure the insurance company promptly pays you full value for your loss. And when we do so, we hand the whole check over to you. Read your fee agreement with your lawyer carefully. Read my policy here. 

My Lawyer Shouldn’t Have Settled My Case

Do you feel like you didn’t get a good settlement? Or your attorney failed to explain to you the terms of the settlement? Do you regret settling your case? Did your attorney commit malpractice in settling your case?  Read the Connecticut Personal Injury Vault on the this issue. 

Did My Lawyer Commit Dram Shop Notice Malpractice

A drunk driver caused your car wreck. Was the driver drinking at a bar? That bar may be responsible for damages of up to $250,000 if they negligently served the person who hit you alcohol. They may be liable for more if the service was reckless. A lawyer must give notice within 120 days of the date of the injury. In the case of a death or incapacity, notice must be filed within 180 days. If notice is not filed, a claim cannot be made against the bar for damages. Did your lawyer investigate your case?   Read about dram shop malpractice here.

Cat Attacks

Dog bites can have awful consequences. But cat attacks can lead to injuries ranging from severe to very minor. Here is the Personal Injury Vault’s take on Connecticut cat attack law.

Sports Injuries

Injuries in sports are common and part of many games. Getting hit by a baseball. Or tackled in football. But there are other types of injuries beyond the scope of the game. Like when you are playing soccer you don’t expect to be punched. Read about Connecticut sports injury law here. 

Bike Accident Injuries

Some of the very worst injury cases we have involve cars striking cyclists – folks out riding their bikes. Enjoying the fresh air. Getting some exercise. Or on their way to work. Far too often, the drivers don’t have insurance or adequate insurance. Click here before you get on a bike.

Loss of Consortium And Car Insurance

Can a spouse recover as an independent claim under an auto policy? This post discusses the relationship between loss of consortium and car insurance. This question is a very important one. I see this issue arising more and more in my cases. If you or your spouse has been injured in a car accident get informed about your rights here.

Driver Who Hit Me Has No Insurance

Drivers without insurance cause car accidents. Click here to learn about your rights. Arm yourself with the knowledge you need to make an underinsured motorist claim. 

Driver Who Hit Me Does Not Have Enough Insurance

One of the worst conversations that I have with someone who has been severely injured is telling them the person who harmed them has a minimum policy.  I wish lawmakers had to tell folks with tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars that the most they’ll receive from the person who wronged them is $20,000. And all of that money will go to repay medical bills. Learn about Connecticut Auto Insurance minimums here.  Contact me to empower yourself with knowledge about what to do in this terrible situation.

Hotel Bed Bug Bites

Bed Bugs are nasty. Spending a night in a hotel room should not result in welts, the destruction of your furniture at home, and a weeks long fumigation process. Shouldn’t happen. But bed bugs can happen even at a 5 star hotel that is very clean. A traveler unknowingly brings them into the hotel in a suitcase and just like that the hotel has a bed bug problem. These little bugs can cause big problems. Learn about Connecticut Bed Bug law here.

Sidewalk Injury

An action can only be brought to recover damages caused by a defective sidewalk if the plaintiff provides written notice of the injury, with a general description of the injury, the cause, the time, and the place of its occurrence. This notice shall be given within ninety days thereafter to a selectman or clerk of the town, city or borough bound to keep the sidewalk in repair. Learn about Connecticut sidewalk injury law here.

Contact Hartford Personal Injury Lawyer Ryan McKeen.