Posted on January 06, 2020 in Personal Injury

Snow, sleet and freezing rain are already pounding Connecticut. Temperatures under the freezing mark may continue for Bridgeport and the surrounding areas. In fact, The Old Farmer’s Almanac predicts the next two months show snow, snow and more snow.

This weather may cause stores to close and children to miss school. It also brings out those who get up at the crack of dawn to ensure that the roads are safe for drivers who must get out in the winter mess.

Safety practices

Snowplow drivers put themselves in dangerous situations when plowing snow-covered roads. Not only must their focus be on the road in front of them, but they must also be aware of those who are not paying attention. If you must be on the streets, here are some tips to be mindful of when sharing the road with a snowplow.

1. Snowplow drivers have limited visibility when clearing the roads. With the wind blowing, snow clouds are often thrown back and restrict vision. Staying clear of the snowplow may prevent the snow from blowing on you. The Connecticut Department of Transportation advises drivers to keep at least three car lengths behind the plows.

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 Posted on January 02, 2020 in Premises Liability

Depending on the details of the traffic accident, you could potentially have a case against a retail store after an accident on an icy parking lot. Owners are responsible for maintaining their parking lots during the winter.

There could be various parties involved in your case. Some maybe obvious, such as other drivers involved in the incident. There could also be people or companies whose involvement may not be so immediately apparent.

This is where store owners come in. Store owners are responsible for the safety in their buildings. They are also responsible for maintaining their sidewalks and parking lots, especially during the winter months when snow and ice can pose serious dangers to people walking and driving in their lot.

Parking lots see their fair share of accidents. This is especially true during the winter. Motorists may slide through the parking lot, and pedestrians may slip and fall trying to walk to and from the store.

Even if you’ve lived in Connecticut your entire life, slipping and falling on an icy parking lot or sidewalk is a risk you face every year. Did the store owner remove the snow in a timely manner and put salt down? This is a reasonable question to ask if you or a family member has suffered a serious injury on their property.

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 Posted on December 20, 2019 in Car Accidents

It is a well-known fact that the Connecticut roadways become more dangerous during the winter. Ice, snow and blinding storms can lead to accidents on highways. Ice may also cause cars to fail to stop at intersections. People who live on or below a hill may also struggle to get in and out of their driveways.

USA Today reported the following findings when it came to winter car accidents:

• Winter-related car accidents outnumber deaths from other weather-related incidents, such as tornados or hurricanes.
• The most dangerous times to be on the road are between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m.
• Friday and Saturday were the two days with the most deadly accidents.

Esurance identifies black ice and regular ice as the main culprits. Ice forms when wet roads experience below-freezing temperatures. This affects the ability of tires to get a firm grip on the road. Black ice is harder to recognize and looks like a wet spot on the asphalt. Drivers often do not realize it is ice until they have lost control of their vehicles.

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 Posted on September 20, 2019 in Car Accidents

In Connecticut, the Dram Shop Act establishes liability for a bar that serves alcohol to an already intoxicated person. If another driver causes a collision with your vehicle while under the influence after leaving a bar, you may be able to sue the bar for costs associated with your injuries.

If you are currently pursuing a personal injury lawsuit after a DUI, familiarize yourself with the Connecticut Dram Shop Act, which covers bars, restaurants, liquor stores and similar establishments that serve alcohol.

How to file a claim

First, you must give written notice to the bar in question within 120 days of the accident, or 180 days if the accident resulted in serious incapacitation or death. This notice must include the following:

• The name and address of the injured person
• The name of the driver who was responsible for the accident

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 Posted on August 17, 2019 in Car Accidents

Getting into an auto accident is a terrible situation. If you do not have enough auto insurance coverage, then it can go from terrible to devastating. You probably know that by law you have to have a specific amount of auto insurance. The State of Connecticut Insurance Department explains that you must have a minimum of $25,000 per person/$50,000 per accident in bodily injury coverage and property damage liability in the amount of $25,000 per accident. However, it is important that you note this is the minimum requirement.

All recommendations are that you should have more than the minimum. If you do not have adequate coverage to pay for the expenses of an accident, then the excess will come out of your own pocket. This means you might have to sell assets or deplete your savings to pay for an accident.

Minimum coverage is not enough

According to SuperMoney, the costs of a car accident can easily exceed your coverage limits if you only carry the minimum coverage the law requires. While $50,000 may seem like a huge amount of money to cover injuries in a single accident, it really is not. If a person has to spend time in the hospital or undergo surgery, expenses can easily go over $100,000, and that is just for one person. What happens when the vehicle has multiple passengers?

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 Posted on June 20, 2019 in Dog Bites

Many Connecticut residents believe that dog is man’s best friend, but what do you do when a dog turns on you and bites you? Despite the training the dog has been through, the reality is that there is no way to predict exactly how an animal will react. Even the best dogs may snap at one point and lash out at their owners or another person.

The state’s dog bite statute states that there is no need for the victim to prove the keeper or owner of the dog was negligent or expected the dog to be vicious. This is called a strict liability, which is imposed on the dog’s owner or keeper.

Unless you were injured as you trespassed, abused, tormented or teased the dog, the dog’s owner is liable for property damage or injury caused by the animal. If the person bit is under the age of seven, the law automatically assumes that the dog was unprovoked unless the owner has evidence that shows otherwise.

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 Posted on June 19, 2019 in Personal Injury

Beauty treatments at spas in Connecticut and elsewhere are meant to relax, restore and enhance. Due to the state’s licensing policies for those who perform such treatments, however, spa-goers may be at risk for suffering serious injuries or illness, as well as death.

Estheticians and nail technicians in the state of Connecticut do not require licensing or certification in order to perform certain beauty treatments. Consequently, those performing such procedures in spas throughout the state may not be adequately trained on how to give people these treatments. Further, those receiving these treatments have no way to know the qualifications of the person working on them.

This was the case for a 61-year-old woman who went to a now-closed Bridgeport spa to have her eyebrows waxed. According to ctpost.com, the woman suffered permanent damage to her eye when the spa’s manager, who was performing her treatment, dropped hot wax into her eye. As a result of the scarring the woman suffered, she now experiences light sensitivity and vision impairments, as well as tearing and pain.

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 Posted on April 21, 2019 in Firm News

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Victim was an altar boy in the 70s and 80s when assaults occurred

Father Walter Phillip Coleman, who once served as priest of St. Patrick Parish, now known as The Cathedral Parish, of Bridgeport, has been named in yet another sexual abuse lawsuit.

To date, five victims have accused Coleman of sexual abuse dating back to the late 1970s and early 1980s. Now, a sixth victim has come forward.

"Father Coleman was sexually exploiting, assaulting, and abusing minor children in his parish for years, with impunity," said Atty. Jason Tremont, of the Bridgeport-based law firm Tremont Sheldon P.C.. "Parents and guardians entrusted their children to the care and protection of the church. Rather than protect them, Father Coleman violated them physically, morally and spiritually."

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 Posted on April 21, 2019 in Firm News

A Bethel church has been accused in a lawsuit of turning a blind eye to sexual assaults on young girls by its former youth minister. In the lawsuit filed Tuesday in state Superior Court in Danbury, the family of a girl says leaders of the Walnut Hill Community Church allowed Matthew Anastasia to be in a position where he could get close to girls even though he had been arrested for harming one. "The minor plaintiff and her family looked to the church as a safe place to worship and find spiritual peace and instead a 13-year-old girl was deceived and harmed," said lawyer, with the Bridgeport law firm Tremont Sheldon P.C., who is representing the family. Church officials did not immediately return calls and emails for comment. Anastasia’s mother, Janice, is the Children’s Ministry Team coordinator for Walnut Hill, and his father, James, had served as a church elder. Both are named as defendants.

In July 2011, Anastasia was sentenced to one year in prison and five years’ probation after pleading guilty to fourth-degree sexual assault, risk of injury to a minor and unlawful restraint for assaults against the girl in 2009.At the time, he was on probation for forcing a 16-year-old girl to touch his genitals while parked in 2008. Anastasia refused to drive the girl home or let her out of the car until she complied, the warrant affidavit in that case states.Despite the 2008 crime and other allegations, the lawsuit states the church allowed Anastasia to remain in his position.All of the 2009 encounters occurred during church services, according to both Anastasia and the teen, court records show.The girl told police Anastasia "touched my private parts over my clothing, he tried to go further, and I told him I didn’t want to at all," she said in her statement. "Matt tried to take my pants down."Anastasia also sent the girl a photograph of his genitals as well as a video of him touching himself, court documents state."I cut off the romantic involvement because morally, it’s kind of sick and twisted," Anastasia told police, according to the affidavit.Last July Anastasia was arrested and charged with third-degree assault, disorderly conduct and violating a protective order.State’s Attorney Stephen Sedensky III declined to comment on a pending case, but police sources said the arrest involved a domestic violence incident with a girlfriend. By Dan Tepfer, CT Post.

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 Posted on November 16, 2018 in Car Accidents

While a lot of shopping is done online these days, the parking lots at local shopping centers and businesses still become extremely crowded. With those crowds often comes an increase in motor vehicle accidents.

What many shoppers want to know is, who is at fault in parking lot accidents? Better yet, knowing who has the right-of-way can help to avoid accidents in the first place.

In order to determine fault, we first have to know the right-of-way rules in parking lots. Although many drivers may never have realized it before, there are clear rules about which drivers must yield in parking lots. Obviously, knowing who has the right-of-way is important because there are so many cars going different directions in a contained area.

Pay attention to traffic signs: For many, traffic signs in parking lots just don’t have the same effect as they do out on the roadways. Some people even think they can completely disregard traffic signs in parking lots if they don’t see anyone else coming. This is illegal. Traffic signs in parking lots must be followed in order to prevent accidents. They are not optional and clearly show who has the right-of-way.

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