The temperatures are dropping, and the leaves are starting to turn colors. Then, through the course of their final vibrant display, they detach from the branches and descend to the earth below. It’s that beautiful time of the year once again. However, it is vital to consider several risk factors that come with the Autumn season and discover the easiest ways to reduce the risk of acquiring an injury or being involved in an accident. So, what can you do to help protect yourself and your family from fall season accidents and injuries?

As of October 1, 2021, Connecticut drivers may receive a ticket if one of their backseat passengers is not wearing a seatbelt. This new law, signed by Governor Ned Lamont in July, requires all backseat passengers to wear a seatbelt. The pre-existing law only required passengers 16 and under to be restrained by a seatbelt while in the rear seat.

It’s finally Friday, and you’re just getting ready to get out of work. You’ve practically been shouting TGIF from the rooftop all day long! Just thinking about unwinding from a tedious week on a night out with your friends is giving you a surge of excitement. The excitement carries you to your vehicle, even though a few drinks may be in store for you tonight.

The term “pre-existing condition” can be confusing in many ways when used in insurance policies and when submitting claims for personal injury or medical malpractice cases.

We hit the fall season again, which means it’s time for pumpkin spice lattes, sweater weather, and of course the beginning of a new semester. With universities and colleges reopening, flocks of students are packing away their belongings and moving into their campus dormitories. It is bound to be a thrilling time for the students- especially after being stuck at home for quite a while due to the pandemic. After all, this has been one of their most awaited moments! To be able to live with their friends and finally get a taste of independence and self-responsibility, it seems as though all is well and nothing could go wrong. 

In Connecticut, the warmer weather means that many people go outside and engage in numerous activities with family members and friends. This is the season that has been named one of the most dangerous times of the year. This is due to the fact that there are many more people out on the roads either going to parties, picnics, gatherings, graduations, road trips, vacations, and more. Here is a list of some of the top summer accidents which cause a large number of injuries and fatalities.

If you have been injured in some type of an accident, that has been caused by the fault of another, then there are things you need to be doing right away so that you do not harm or compromise the value of your personal injury case. This partial list of things that you need to be doing should be followed and put into practice as soon as possible. If you follow these instructions you can help to maximize the amount of money that you can get for your injury claim. It is important that you do at least the following:

You have been injured in an accident and you have mounting medical bills. You are not working and you are having trouble paying your bills. You are in a great deal of pain. You are suffering emotionally. You are unable to use your car and need to get replacement transportation immediately. You are receiving telephone calls from the insurance adjuster, representing the party that caused your accident, and need to figure out what to do. You are completely overwhelmed and don’t know where to turn.

In the summer, many people take to the water and those fortunate enough to own a boat will sometimes invite family members and friends. Alcohol frequently becomes a part of these get-togethers. A staff member of the American Boating Association stated that boating and alcohol tend to go together but they really should not. In fact, alcohol can be a very dangerous thing as it relates to boating and can, in the most serious circumstances, cause death.

Our lawyers at Hastings, Cohan & Walsh have been representing injured parties and their families for decades. As a result of representing so many people who have been injured in a wide variety of accidents, we have noticed some commonalities. Oftentimes, there is a noticeable pattern when it comes to the mistakes that these people make. Unfortunately, they have the potential to create some far-reaching consequences which could reduce the value of their claim by tens of thousands of dollars or, in certain cases, can destroy it completely. The following are the most frequently forgotten steps to take after an accident that can increase or solidify the value of your case going forward.

I recently flew from Albuquerque, New Mexico to Salt Lake City, Utah while returning from vacation. Prior to taking off, the pilot announced that he would leave the “fasten seatbelt” sign on as we would be experiencing a great deal of turbulence. Almost immediately after takeoff, the plane began bouncing up and down and moving from side to side. The movements were so violent that a number of people inside the plane began to scream.

How many people each year are injured in accidents while they are on vacation? Approximately 30 to 50 percent of the 1 billion tourists traveling abroad on a normal year acquire an injury or illness. While on a family vacation in New Mexico, I took note of a multitude of things that are culpable to the injuries sustained by people while they are on a trip. The best way to avoid a potential injury while on a vacation is to be informed on the common hazards one comes across so they can hopefully be avoided.

The significance and importance of photographic evidence can help to prove issues in a case that are needed in order to get the desired result. This fact has just played itself out in a Minnesota courtroom, where jurors were shown a 9-minute and 29-second video, which many legal experts believe was instrumental in helping the prosecution obtain a conviction in a criminal trial.

We have had numerous cases where our client is significantly injured and the person that caused the accident has insufficient limits of liability to properly compensate our client for their injuries and damages. In those cases where our clients have access to UIM coverage through either their motor vehicle insurance policy or a resident relative’s motor vehicle insurance policy that they reside with, the client will always want to know if filing a claim against their own insurance carrier or their relative’s insurance carrier, will raise their insurance premiums.

There is a mistake that you can make at the outset of your trip and fall or slip and fall case that can potentially ruin any chance that you might have at recovering money damages for your injuries. Unfortunately, it is a mistake that is made quite often. Typically when asking a new potential client about their slip or trip and fall accident, it quickly becomes apparent that they have already made this dire mistake. Earlier this week, in fact, a woman who was seriously injured after falling in a parking lot called our office and because she was not informed on slip and fall accident procedure, she too had made this mistake.

If you or someone you know has been attacked and bitten by a dog, there are three things that you need to do immediately. Most people who are involved in a dog attack indicate that it happened very quickly and in most cases without any type of provocation. You will be in shock and you will probably not know what to do so it is important that you take note of these three very important steps.