Posted on December 05, 2022 in Personal Injury

Did you know that many personal injury lawsuits never even make it to court? It is extremely common for the parties involved in personal injury lawsuits to decide to settle their dispute before it even gets to a judge. However, you must take tax considerations seriously before deciding to settle.

Depending on your circumstances, the settlement monies from a personal injury lawsuit may be non-taxable. According to the IRS, settlements for physical injuries, physical sickness, emotional distress or mental anguish are usually tax-free.

Tax-free settlement money

Typically, any monetary remedy that an offending party pays to you for either physical sickness or physical injuries is tax-free. Let’s assume that you have paid out $50,000 in medical expenses due to injury and you settle with the offending party for $50,000. In this case, you would not pay any taxes on that $50,000 remedy.

The exception to this is if you have deducted the $50,000 from your income taxes on a prior tax return. In this event, the settlement becomes taxable. Monetary remedies for mental anguish and distress work the same way, provided that the anguish and distress relate directly to the injury and you have not deducted expenses related to anguish or distress on prior tax returns. However, if these monies are not related directly to an injury but instead to injury to reputation, this money is taxable.

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 Posted on November 22, 2022 in Personal Injury

After an accident, you have to deal with the damages left behind. Unfortunately, while you focus on healing, you also have to worry about your financial health. Medical bills, loss of income and other damages can wreak havoc on your finances.

While filing a personal injury lawsuit can help you recover damages, you may worry about what it will cost to hire an attorney to help with the process. Fortunately, you do not have to pay upfront costs.

How do you pay a personal injury attorney?

When you hire the firm, you pay a contingency fee. The contingency fee is a fee you pay when you collect your reward. If you do not win, you do not pay any fees. Instead, the lawyer takes a percentage of your award. The contingency fee limits are outlined in Connecticut’s state statutes.

How should you pay your medical bills?

During your lawsuit, you may still have medical bills stacking up. Your first action should be to use your health insurance to pay as much as possible. You may have to pay back the insurance company when you receive your award. For other costs, explain to your medical provider that you have a pending lawsuit. Often, the hospital will put your bills on hold and wait to collect them until you receive your reward.

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 Posted on November 21, 2022 in Car Accidents

In the winter, the rate of crashes rises exponentially due in large part to the weather conditions. Ice on the roads proves a huge hazard, especially in areas not well equipped to quickly clear side roads before people need to use them.

Thus, it is important for drivers to understand how to maximize safety while traveling on icy roads.

Know how your car works

Men’s Journal looks into ways to safely navigate slippery roads. One of the first things suggested is to know what the car comes equipped with. Understand the features of modern cars which may require different actions depending on how the driver wishes to use them. For example, a driver with a car that does not have anti-lock brakes can remove their foot from the accelerator entirely. This will keep the car in motion, as the wheels will not lock up or stop.

The ABS system, on the other hand, prioritizes steering before braking. Drivers should then keep their foot on the brake and steer as necessary to avoid slipping on the ice.

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 Posted on November 16, 2022 in Car Accidents

Pedestrian protection is always a top concern for any city with a mix of pedestrian and automotive traffic. Fortunately, Connecticut lawmakers make a point to push laws forward that prioritize the protection of pedestrians everywhere.

This includes a recently deployed set of laws designed specifically with pedestrians in mind, which to this day are undergoing improvements.

Dooring made illegal

Watch For Me CT lays out the pedestrian laws by which all citizens must abide. Under the updated laws, certain dangerous behaviors have become fine-worthy or even illegal offenses.

This includes dooring, which occurs when a driver parked on the side of the road opens their car door into the street, which can cause bicyclists or pedestrians to run into the door or fall into traffic in their attempt to avoid being hit by it.

Under the new law, drivers parked on the roadside cannot open their doors if the adjacent traffic is moving at a so-called reasonable speed. Drivers also cannot keep the door open longer than the time needed for passengers to disembark.

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 Posted on November 07, 2022 in Personal Injury

If you recently sustained an injury, your main focus is healing and recovering so you can get back to living your life. It is crucial to receive proper medical care and supervision during the recovery process.

The treatment you receive can impact your current and future quality of life, so do not take these decisions lightly. If you are unsure about your current care, here are some circumstances that may warrant obtaining a second opinion.

When should I get a second opinion?

Your health is one of the most vital issues in life, so having a trustworthy doctor is paramount. However, even the most genuine and likable doctor may have limitations in their ability to identify and treat your injury or illness. If any of the following scenarios sound familiar, you may want to obtain a second opinion.

• You are not comfortable with your care team
• The diagnosis is unclear or treatment does not help

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 Posted on November 04, 2022 in Personal Injury

The number of pedestrian accidents in Connecticut has been growing. As noted by News12 New York, a vehicle accident in Stamford sent a husband and wife crossing the street to the hospital in September with the wife’s condition listed as critical. The couple had the right of way and a "Walk" signal. Students from the University of Connecticut-Stamford said they were not surprised; they also came close to getting hit by vehicles at the intersection. Two other accidents involving pedestrians occurred at the same location earlier in the year.

Stamford alone had more than 50 accidents involving pedestrians by mid-September; two were fatal. As reported by CTinsider.com, the number of pedestrian fatalities has doubled. Both 2021 and 2016 saw highs of 65 pedestrian deaths; the other years since 2016 each saw more than 50 statewide fatalities.

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 Posted on October 17, 2022 in Personal Injury

When thinking about the possibility of a time when you cannot make medical decisions for yourself, you may start to panic.

Choosing someone to be your health care proxy means giving them the power to make important medical decisions for you in a crisis, including being able to look at your private information. Knowing some meaningful traits and qualifications may help you pick someone who is right for the job.

Think about stress and pressure

According to the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, it is never too early to begin seriously thinking about this choice. When picking someone, you should consider how calm and prepared they are in emergency situations.

If they are prone to panicking or dislike making quick decisions, it could help you to pick someone else for this role.

Think about your wishes

Whether or not this person understands and respects your medical wishes is important. If someone would make decisions you would disapprove of in your place, that choice may not be the right one for you.

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 Posted on October 14, 2022 in Personal Injury

Personal injuries, like those individuals suffer during falls or in motor vehicle accidents, are disturbingly common in the U.S. In fact, according to the National Safety Council, there were more than 55 million of them in 2020 alone. Sadly, these injuries also contributed to roughly 201,000 preventable deaths that year.

If you sustain an injury, you expect your doctor to listen to your concerns, consider your symptoms and make a correct diagnosis. Unfortunately, though, doctors miss diagnoses all too frequently. If you do not trust your doctor’s diagnosis or treatment plan, you may wonder how you can get a second opinion.

Do not feel awkward

You should not worry about offending your doctor by requesting a second opinion, as second opinions happen all the time in medicine. To begin your request, tell your doctor your concerns. Then, update him or her with the information you uncover.

Request a recommendation

Your go-to doctor may be able to recommend a physician you can see for a second opinion. If the doctor your physician recommends has relevant experience, it probably does not hurt to schedule an appointment with him or her. Otherwise, you can ask relatives, friends or colleagues for their recommendations.

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 Posted on October 06, 2022 in Car Accidents

A car crash can be a harrowing experience, and you may find that your adrenaline surges in the aftermath. However, if you suffer an injury in the wreck and fail to take certain steps following the incident, your lack of action could hurt the strength of your personal injury claim.

Per AARP, many people feel too shaken up following an accident to think and act rationally. Thus, it benefits you to educate yourself about what to do in this scenario ahead of time. When you find yourself involved in a Connecticut car wreck, make sure to take these three steps.

1. Get the authorities on the scene

Failing to call the authorities to a crash scene may lead to numerous complications if you want to pursue a claim later. To avoid this, call the authorities, even after a minor fender-bender. Then, note the law enforcement officer’s name and badge number and be sure, too, to secure a copy of the incident report.

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 Posted on September 20, 2022 in Personal Injury

Having a health care proxy is something that most people do not want to think about. Along with estate planning and writing a will, it is one of those things that reminds people that life is not always pleasant or predictable.

However, a health care proxy is someone who could potentially end up saving a person’s life. They hold a huge responsibility, so it is important to know as much about their role as possible.

What are health care proxies?

Tufts Medical Center discusses why all adults should have a health care proxy. First, what is a health care proxy? In short, these are people who will act instead of someone who can no longer make reasonable decisions on their own. Incapacitated individuals could include those who are comatose due to a car crash, or a person who is confused due to age-related dementia or even a brain tumor.

Health care proxies can be used even if a person is not incapacitated. For example, if a person is undergoing long-term treatment for cancer, having a health care proxy allows that person to speak to all medical professionals on behalf of the individual they represent.

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