Personal Injury Cases – Law Offices of Mark E. Salomone & Morelli

Earlier this year in Avon, three teens were critically injured in a car accident when the 16-year-old driver with a learner’s permit slammed into a utility pole, splitting the vehicle in half.

Our  New Haven car accident lawyers understand this is sadly part of a growing national trend of young drivers increasingly involved in fatal accidents. It’s been well-established that motor vehicle crashes are the No. 1 cause of death for teens, and recent weeks have seen a sharp spike in the number of young lives claimed on our roads.

In fact, in a single week, 20 teens died in five crashes in five states. That doesn’t even count the number of accidents involving teen drivers in which injuries were severe or life-threatening.

USA Today reports that while the circumstances surrounding each crash varied slightly, the one common denominator was this: Teen drivers with teen passengers.

This is not unsurprising, considering the study released last year by the American Automobile Association, which found that the risk of a 16- or 17-year-old driver being killed in a crash increased with each additional passenger in the vehicle under the age of 21.

The report, “Teen Driver Risk in Relation to Age and Number of Passengers,” found hat teen driver fatality rates:

• Increase by nearly 45 percent when there is one passenger under 21 in the vehicle;
• Increase by 100 percent when there are two passengers in the vehicle under age 21;
• Increase by 400 percent when there are three or more passengers under the age of 21 in the car.

What’s more, having someone else in the vehicle who was at least 35-years-old reduced the risk of a fatality by more than 60 percent and the overall accident risk by nearly 50 percent.

This drives home the message that not only are graduated driver’s license laws restricting young drivers and teen passengers critical, so too is parental involvement.

Unfortunately, a recent survey by the Allstate Foundation and the National Safety Council revealed that many parents are lagging behind in this regard. The researchers discovered that more than 40 percent of parents of teenagers don’t realize that motor vehicle crashes are the top cause of teen deaths. Further, three-fourths erroneously believe that distractions and unnecessary risks are the main reason why teens have a higher accident rate. In fact, the main cause is driver inexperience.

This further underscores the role that parents need to take on while their teens are learning how to drive. It involves not only modeling good driving behavior – complete with limiting distractions – it’s also about putting in the time to ride with them and show them how to react to certain roadway hazards. Teaching them about assured clear distances and defensive driving tactics are also important.

It’s about ensuring that not only does your teen adhere to Connecticut’s graduated driver’s license laws, but that you set your own parameters. As it stands, for the first six months that one has a restricted license, the teen may have no passengers aside from a parent or driving instructor. In the six months after that, the same applies, except that the teen may drive younger individuals if they are members of his or her immediate family.

Contact the Law Offices of Salomone & Morelli by calling  1-800-WIN-WIN-1 or visiting 100 Farmington Avenue, Hartford, CT 06105.

The federal government provides funding to states for highway safety projects, including road improvement, bridge construction and public education. This federal funding, however, does not come without some strings attached. One of the things that states must do is comply with federal mandates intended to curb the number of drunk drivers.

Recently, however, an article in USA Today indicated that as many as two-thirds of states are not living up to their end of the deal as far as taking steps to combat drunk driving. These states could have some of their federal funds directed toward either anti-drunk driving programs or targeted highway safety improvement efforts. Our Hartford, CT accident attorneys were disheartened to see that Connecticut made the list of states that are not in compliance with federal requirements.

Connecticut Not Complying with Federal Drunk Driving Safety Requirements

According to the USA Today article, Congress updated the requirements last year that states must comply with in order to meet federal standards on efforts to combat drunk driving. The chief operating officer of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials also indicates that the federal government has now tightened the way in which requirements are applied, making it more difficult for states to fulfill their obligations.

Some of the different laws that the federal government looks at include state open container laws and laws on repeat offenders, both of which are important laws intended to curb drunk driving and to make sure that offenders face sufficient penalties to act as a strong deterrent for drunk driving.

When a state fails to comply, a certain amount of federal funds must be redirected toward drunk-driving efforts. For Connecticut, USA Today reports that the amount of money that must be diverted is $10.15 million. This is money that could otherwise have gone to general road or bridge construction but that now must be diverted as a result of the state’s lax drunk driving laws, which the federal government contends do not measure up.

Despite the federal government’s effort to force states to take further steps to combat drunk driving, USA Today also indicates that some locations are looking for a back door in order to put the money back to use for general construction projects. The vice president of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, for example, indicates that it’s too easy for states to shift the restricted funds back into general construction work.

Some states may take advantage of this loophole, especially as there are certain locations that expressed anger to USA Today that their laws previously passed muster with NHTSA but are now being declared inadequate. Connecticut, however, was not one of the states that indicated displeasure within the article. The hope, therefore, is that Connecticut will tighten up its drunk driving laws to comply with federal standards and that it will put the restricted federal money to good use to improve highway safety and discourage intoxicated drivers from taking to the road.

If you’ve been in an accident, contact the Law Offices of Mark E. Salomone & Morelli, at 1-800-WIN-WIN-1.

Drivers are expected to obey all driver safety laws and also to be reasonably prudent when they get in their car and operate their vehicles. Many drivers try to live up to this expectation, recognizing that driving is a privilege and that bad drivers are dangerous. However, a surprising number of drivers regularly engage in driving behavior that they know to be risky.

A recent 2012 Traffic Safety Culture Index released by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety revealed just how many drivers aren’t practicing what they preach when it comes to driver safety. Our New Haven, CT personal injury lawyers were distressed to read of the findings on this recent survey, and we urge all drivers to carefully consider their own behavior to make sure that they are living up to reasonable driver safety standards and steering clear of risky behavior.

Drivers Answer on Safety Standards and Driver Behavior

The AAA survey asked drivers about their opinions on certain dangerous driving behaviors. The survey also asked drivers what they actually do when they are behind the wheel. As the results showed, many drivers think that certain driving actions are dangerous but still do those very same actions. For example:

• Drunk driving was viewed as very dangerous, and 80.5 percent of survey respondents supported requiring an ignition interlock device for all first time DUI offenders. Yet, 14 percent of drivers said they’d driven when they may have been drunk at least once in their lives and 2.1 percent said they’d done so in just the past month.
• Texting and driving was viewed as very dangerous, with most drivers considering the behavior completely unacceptable. Yet, 26.6 percent said that they’d texted or used a wireless handheld device to send an email while driving in the past month alone.
• Talking on a cell and driving was also viewed as risky. Almost half of drivers wanted to ban the practice outright, regardless of whether the talker used a hands free device. Yet, more than out of every three drivers said they’d talked on their phones in the past month while driving.
• Almost three-quarters of drivers expressed disapproval for going 15 miles per hour over the speed limit on a highway. Yet, 49.3 percent said they’d gone at least that fast in the past month.
• 89.1 percent of drivers felt it was dangerous and unacceptable to exceed the speed limit by 10 miles per hour or more in a residential area. However, 46.8 percent said they’d gone at least that fast in a residential area in the past month.
• 38.4 percent said they’d gone through a red light although the vast majority of drivers said this behavior was dangerous and unacceptable.
• Drowsy driving was almost universally viewed as bad news, but one-third of drivers said they’d had some trouble keeping their eyes open as they drove in the past month and 45.9 percent said that they had fallen asleep behind the wheel one or more times in their lives.

Clearly, therefore, drivers have certain standards and beliefs about what is unacceptable and dangerous when it comes to driving, and yet many drivers are not living up to their own standards. This is a dangerous disconnect, and we urge all drivers to start doing what they know is right behind the wheel.

If you’ve been in an auto accident, contact the Law Offices of Mark E. Salomone & Morelli at 1-800-WIN-WIN-1.

As anyone living in Connecticut knows, recent snow storms have made for some very nasty winter weather. In fact, the early February blizzard of 2013 was so bad that news reports indicated President Obama signed an emergency declaration for the state. Drivers were still digging out days later and were advised to stay at home and off the roads until the snow could be cleared.

While this blizzard, dubbed Nemo, hopefully will be the worst of the winter, our Hartford, CT personal injury lawyers want to remind drivers that this likely won’t be the last our state sees of snow or bad weather this season. As such, we urge all drivers to be prepared, practice their safe winter driving and follow some basic safety tips to avoid auto accidents caused by storms, snow and ice.

Staying Safe in Winter Weather

When a storm like Nemo comes along, the best and only way to stay safe is to stay home and off the roads. The most important safe winter weather tip, therefore, is to make absolutely sure that you listen to winter storm advisories and winter weather warnings. If there is a driving ban in effect or if the news is reporting that a blizzard is coming, don’t get in your car and drive anywhere unless it is an emergency. Instead, stay at home, make sure you have candles. Plan for a power outage and stock up on supplies.

When the weather is just run-of-the-mill winter weather, however, you may need to venture out with snow and ice on the roads. If you do, keep these tips in mind:

• Leave early for your destination so you will have plenty of time to get there without speeding. You never want to speed with slick or icy conditions as you could lose control of your vehicle, skid or spin out. In fact, in many cases you will want to drive below the speed limit when it is bad out.
• Refrain from tailgating. You want to leave a lot of space in between your vehicle and the other cars on the road. This is because ice can make it harder for your vehicle to stop. When you do need to stop with icy conditions, you need to  step on your brakes softly so you don’t skid.
• Have all parts of your car carefully checked over, including the windshield wipers and tires, and make sure that your car has enough fluids. Good tires are essential to good traction on slick winter roads and good wipers will help to ensure that you can see even when visibility is bad.
• Consider practicing winter driving in an empty parking lot. If you aren’t sure what to do when your car skids or spins out, you don’t want to find out on a highway. Instead, take your vehicle to an empty lot with someone who knows how to drive safely in snow and get plenty of practice.

By following these safe winter driving tips, you can hopefully avoid becoming involved in an auto accident and you can make it through the winter safe and sound.

If you’ve been in an auto accident, contact the Law Offices of Mark E. Salomone & Morelli at 1-800-WIN-WIN-1.

If you live in Connecticut and you drove anywhere today, there is a chance that you may have been sharing the road with a drowsy driver. In fact, there’s a chance you may have been sharing the road not just with someone who was a little tired, but instead with someone who was actually closing their eyes and dozing off for at least a second or two.

Our Hartford auto accident attorneys believe that drowsy driving is a major danger for every driver in the state of Connecticut. A new Centers for Disease Control (CDC) study underscores just how dangerous this driving behavior is. We urge everyone who ever gets behind the wheel in Connecticut to consider the data on drowsy driving and to make a commitment to refrain from the risky practice.

Drowsy Drivers Put Connecticut Residents at Risk

The CDC’s recent survey is the largest that has ever been conducted on the issue of drowsy driving. To obtain information on driver fatigue, the CDC conducted a survey by telephone of adults in a total of 19 states in the U.S., as well as conducting a survey in D.C. In total, more than 147,000 adults responded. One of the states whose residents CDC contacted their survey in was the state of Connecticut, where they called 6,409 people.

According to the information obtained from these respondents, who are meant to be a representative sample of the population as a whole, 147 of the drivers indicated they had fallen asleep while they were driving in the 30 days immediately before completion of the survey.

This data means that around 3 percent of Connecticut drivers said that yes, they had dozed off as they drove. Sadly, this data may not even tell the whole story either. Many drivers might nod off for just a split second, which is long enough to get into an accident but not long enough for the driver to be aware of what happened. If a driver falls asleep behind the wheel and isn’t aware of it, he wouldn’t have reported yes to the CDC in their survey.

Still, even if there are only 3 percent of drivers falling asleep, this means that for every 100 drivers you encounter on the road, three of them may be sleeping. When you think about how many people you encounter on your morning commute, you’ll notice quickly that there a lot more than 100 people on your journey. This means that there is a very real chance you may be sharing the roads with a sleeping driver.

Connecticut’s average of 3 percent was below the overall average of 4.2 drivers responding in the affirmative to the question of whether they’d dozed off as they drove. Still, while Connecticut may have slightly less drowsy drivers than the national average, even a 3 percent rate means that there are many people engaging in dangerous behavior. Don’t be one of them- make a commitment today never to drive if you are too tired to be safe.

The holiday weekend is always a dangerous time for drivers. There are quite a few reasons why drivers may be at greater risk of becoming involved in a crash over the holiday season, including the fact that more people tend to drive during the holidays and the fact that people may be more likely to drive drunk. More people drive as they go on vacation or drive to visit family, while the drunk driving increase can be attributed to people celebrating the holidays and having a few drinks too many.

Unfortunately, the increased risk of holiday crashes can result in innocent victims becoming injured. Our Hartford injury attorneys urge all drivers to use extra caution this holiday season to avoid hurting yourself or hurting someone else when out driving.

Holiday Accidents a Very Real Risk

To understand the increased danger of holiday auto accidents, it is helpful to look at what happened over Thanksgiving just a few short weeks ago. According to the New Haven Register:

• Police throughout Connecticut responded to approximately 350 auto accidents over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.
• 60 people were charged with driving under the influence over Thanksgiving.
• Almost 1,500 speeding tickets were issued by Connecticut state police over the Thanksgiving holiday.
• Two fatal car crashes occurred over Thanksgiving.
• Drivers were cited for more than 2,800 hazardous moving violations by law enforcement over Thanksgiving.
• More than 80 people who received tickets over Thanksgiving were cited for a failure to wear their seat belts.

As these statistics show, many people were taking dangerous risks over the holidays by driving drunk, going too fast or failing to wear their seatbelt. Unfortunately, these individuals who engaged in risky driving behavior put everyone on the road at risk- including innocent people who were driving safely and following traffic laws.

Staying Safe Over the Holiday Season

While Thanksgiving is over for this year, this doesn’t mean that the dangers of a holiday auto accident have passed. Most experts indicate that the elevated risk of holiday traffic accidents can extend through until January 2, with certain key dates including New Years Eve and the days shortly before Christmas representing the most dangerous days to drive.

If you intend to travel anywhere during the holidays, especially on peak travel days or for long distances, you should keep some basic safety tips in mind in order to reduce your holiday accident risk. Some safety tips to consider include the following:

• Refraining from going faster than is safe given the current traffic and road conditions. Obviously, you should also stay under the speed limit when driving- but you may need to go even slower than required to be safe.
• Don’t tailgate or engage in aggressive driving behaviors that could put you at risk.
• Pay attention to winter weather advisory warnings and try to avoid driving in bad weather whenever possible.
• Switch off drivers or take plenty of rests on long trips so you don’t drive drowsy.
• Have a designated driver so you do not drive drunk, and never let your friends or family drive drunk.

These safe driving tips help to ensure you won’t cause a crash and injure yourself or others. Of course, another person on the road might still injure you or even cause a fatal crash that kills someone you love. If this occurs, getting a lawyer is absolutely essential to understand your legal rights under Connecticut law.

Contact the Law Offices of Mark E. Salomone & Morelli, by calling  1-800-WIN-WIN-1 or at 100 Farmington Avenue, Hartford, CT 06105.

A 9-year-old girl was killed on a recent Sunday afternoon, pronounced dead at Hartford Hospital about an hour after a car accident on I-91.

Our Hartford car accident lawyers understand that investigators, in their preliminary reports, indicated the driver of the car, the child’s aunt, swerved off the road, though it’s not clear why.

Sadly, the National Safety Council estimates that more than 450 people in this country are going to die in traffic fatalities over the Thanksgiving weekend, while more than 48,000 are going to be severely injured. The Council bases these projections on figures from last year, accounting for fluctuations in road conditions and the increasing number of people who are taking heed to wear seat belts.

Both traffic fatalities and traffic injuries are about 10 percent higher over the Thanksgiving weekend than they are over a normal weekend. Most likely, a big part of that has to do with the fact that more people will be on the roads and for longer periods of time.

What is of particular concern is that many drivers may be heading out in snowy or icy conditions. Hartford forecasts during the day have generally been in the 40s and 50s this month. However, it hasn’t been uncommon for the temperature to dip below freezing at night, creating conditions that could result in sleet, snow or ice.

This is why it’s a great idea before you make that trek to “winterize” your car. This includes:

• Getting a basic check-up of the ignition, brakes, wiring, hoses, fan belts, battery, tires and antifreeze levels.
• Make sure that you have on hand a properly-inflated spare tire, a shovel, jumper cables, tow and tire chains, a bag of salt or cat litter, a tool kit.
• It’s also a good idea to bring along a flashlight with batteries, first aid kit, ice scraper and perishable foods and water.

If you do encounter icy conditions, practice caution by doing the following:

1. Slow down and give yourself plenty of room to stop. You want to give yourself at least three times more space than you think you need between you and the vehicle that is in front of you.

2. To avoid skidding, brake gently. If you find your wheels starting to lock up, ease your foot off the brake.

3. Keep both your lights and your windshield clean.

4. Turn your lights on, even if it’s daytime, so you can increase the chances that other motorists are going to see you.

5. Avoid using overdrive or cruise control.

6. Realize that overpasses, bridges and roads that are less traveled are going to freeze first. Use extra caution there. Even if it’s just wet in other places, these areas might have a layer of ice.

7. Don’t try to pass sanding trucks or snow plows. Even if it seems they are moving at a snail’s pace, these drivers have limited visibility and  the road conditions ahead of them are likely to be bad anyway.

Contact the Law Offices of Mark E. Salomone & Morelli, by calling  1-800-WIN-WIN-1 or at 100 Farmington Avenue, Hartford, CT 06105.

A police officer is facing criminal charges, following a Hartford car accident that resulted in the death of an innocent motorist.

Our Hartford personal injury lawyers understand that the officer likely did not intend to cause harm as he raced to assist his fellow officers in pursuit of an armed suspect. However, police officers are not above the law, which he appears to have violated, as well as departmental policy on pursuits.

The criminal case will be separate from any civil action the victim’s family may take against either the officer or the department.

What’s important to understand is that even if an individual is not convicted in criminal court, he or she can still be held liable in civil court, as the standard of proof is lower. One high profile example of this is former pro-footballer OJ Simpson, who was accused, tried and acquitted in criminal court for the murder of his ex-wife and her male friend. However, he was later found liable for wrongful death following a civil trial. While individual police officers are granted immunity for actions taken during the course of their jobs, the department and/or municipality may be held accountable.

In this case, the 32-year-old Hartford officer has been charged with negligent homicide with a motor vehicle, reckless driving, failure to obey a traffic control signal and traveling unreasonably fast.

According to news reports, the crash happened last July around 1 a.m., when the officer was racing to help his fellow officers stop an armed individual. He was reportedly traveling at nearly 60 miles per hour when he blew through a red light. Just as this happened, a vehicle driven by a 50-year-old man crossed into the intersection with the right-of-way. He was struck by the officer, transported the hospital and died a week later of the injuries he sustained.

Following the crash, the officer told investigators he had slowed down at the intersection in order to ensure there were no cars coming. However, witnesses refuted those statements. They said they never saw the officer brake.

Additionally, an internal police analysis of the scene indicated that the cruiser had been operating at full throttle with increasing speed in the seconds before the crash. His emergency lights and sirens were only activated about 100 to 135 feet prior to approaching the intersection.

In every state, there are statutes that control the guidelines for the operation of emergency vehicles, such as police cars. Those generally include provisions for emergency personnel to exercise “due regard” for the safety of all persons. The fact that a person has a badge or is behind the wheel of a cruiser does not give him or her the authority to drive recklessly or to disregard the safety of others.

In approaching a case such as this, our Hartford car accident lawyers would begin by asking some of the following questions:

• Did the department have a restrictive pursuit policy?
• Was the pursuit negligently initiated?
• Should the pursuit have been terminated earlier?

These are elements that could serve to bolster claims of negligence on the part of the department and the officer.

At the Law Offices of Mark E. Salomone & Morelli, we have handled cases like the one described above for many years. We know how a serious injury can have a devastating impact that may result in significant losses. Our dedicated attorneys aggressively pursue compensation for clients. If you or a loved one was injured in an accident, or a loved one was killed due to someone’s reckless behavior, let an experienced Connecticut personal injury lawyer protect your rights and fight for you.

Contact the Law Offices of Mark E. Salomone & Morelli, by calling  1-800-WIN-WIN-1 or at 100 Farmington Avenue, Hartford, CT 06105.

Insurance companies are big business in Connecticut. Some of the nation’s leading insurance providers are based here in the state. Many people like to think their insurance company is looking out for their best interests. We want to believe if we have an accident, our insurance company will be there to help us get back on our feet.

Unfortunately, that’s not always true. Instead, your insurance company might be more concerned with its bottom line. As a result, they will sometimes go to extreme lengths to avoid paying people injured in an auto accident.

In some cases, your insurance company may be more concerned about the other driver in an auto accident. Now imagine your insurance company went to court and defended the other driver who caused the accident. Sounds crazy? Absolutely. But that’s exactly what one insurance company did after a driver killed a 24-year-old woman driving another car. The woman’s insurance company defended the other driver in court, even though the other driver had a suspended license.

At the Law Offices of Mark E. Salomone & Morelli, a Connecticut auto accident attorney at our law firm can work with you if you’ve been injured in an auto accident. We know what’s legal or against the law in Connecticut.

We also realize that no two accidents are the same. Every one is unique – just like you. That’s why we can work with you and design a strategy that fits your specific legal needs. Sometimes, you may need to file an auto accident lawsuit in Connecticut. We can help you sort through all your options.

In the case of the 24-year-old woman who died in an auto accident, her insurance company initially didn’t want to pay her family the full amount. “I think they thought that we would just turn our tails down behind us and walk away,” the 24-year-old’s mother told The New York Times.

The woman’s family took her insurance company to court and won. Taking on insurance companies in court can be a daunting task for many people. They don’t scare us. We’re prepared to do whatever it takes to get you the money you rightfully deserve. Contact a Connecticut auto accident lawyer who will fight for your rights. Contact the Law Offices of Mark E. Salomone & Morelli, 100 Farmington Avenue, Hartford, CT 06105.

Driving in New England can be challenging any time of year. Sudden blizzards or violent rainstorms. Aggressive drivers on Interstate 84. Confusing street patterns created by Colonial settlers based on chaotic cow paths.

Add to the list the dramatic differences in state traffic laws throughout New England. What’s legal in Massachusetts can often be against the law in Rhode Island or Vermont. Here are some of the highlights from a recent article published by The Boston Globe.

Take Connecticut’s confusing traffic laws. Connecticut is a hands-free state in terms of cell phones. This means you need a headset if you want to make calls on the road. Talking on a cell phone without a headset while driving can result in a $125 fine. The same fine applies to texting while driving in Connecticut.

Connecticut has a “primary” seat belt law, which means a police officer can pull you over and fine you whenever an officer sees someone unbelted in either front seat. As for passengers riding in the back seat, Connecticut’s seat belt laws only require passengers under 16 years old to buckle up.

Connecticut’s child safety restraint laws are also unique. Children under 7 years old or less than 60 pounds must sit in either a child booster or car seat that’s belted into place. All others must be buckled up. Meanwhile in Massachusetts, children must be strapped into a car safety seat until they are either 8 years old or 4 feet, 9 inches tall.

At the Law Offices of Mark E. Salomone & Morelli, a Connecticut auto accident attorney at our law firm can work with you if you’re dealing with a car accident. We know what’s legal or against the law in Connecticut.

That might sound simple. But keeping up with Connecticut’s constantly changing laws can be complicated. Allow us to help you cut through the red tape and decide what’s the best thing for you to do, including whether to file an auto accident lawsuit in Connecticut.

Don’t let Connecticut’s complex laws prevent you from getting the justice you rightfully deserve. Contact a Connecticut car accident lawyer who will fight for your rights. Contact the Law Offices of Mark E. Salomone & Morelli, 100 Farmington Avenue, Hartford, CT 06105.