After suffering a debilitating injury in an automobile accident involving a drunken driver, many times victims and their families wonder what went wrong. They wonder why someone would drive drunk and put the lives of everyone around them, and even themselves, at risk. Though the news is constantly filled with such stories, nevertheless people continue to drive drunk. Often these drunk drivers have been out drinking at various restaurants, bars, and clubs. In such cases, these alcohol-serving establishments may actually share part of the liability for any serious automobile accidents which result.

Restaurants, bars, and clubs have a responsibility to deny service to patrons who appear to be drunk or overly intoxicated. But, as many of these establishments earn a significant portion of their revenue through alcohol sales, it is safe to assume that too many of them look the other way when serving patrons who have already had too much to drink. There is a well-established legal history of victims of these patrons, who were served excess amounts of alcohol and then went on to cause serious car accidents, filing suit against such alcohol-serving establishments.

If you have been injured in an automobile accident involving a drunk driver, you may be entitled to compensation from any alcohol serving establishments which neglected its duty to cut the patron off after they’d had too much to drink. Call the accident attorneys at Danbury accident attorneys – Hastings, Cohan & Walsh, LLP  now for an immediate consultation.

 58 Post Road Danbury, CT 06810    (888) 244-5480  

A recent report, ranking the pedestrian safety of every state in the Union, found that Connecticut was ranked 27th worst for pedestrian safety. Between 2003 and 2012 the state saw 351 residents killed while walking on state roads.

Harford, New haven, and Fairfield counties were ranked as the top three most deadly counties in the state for pedestrians. The shockingly high number of pedestrian deaths in the area prompted Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch to launch a public awareness campaign in 2013, aimed at making city streets safer for pedestrians and bikers. The campaign allowed the city’s police department to target drivers which speed in areas known to have high concentrations of pedestrians and bike riders.

Other efforts to reduce the number of pedestrians killed in the state include a call by the Tri-State Transportation Campaign to modify Route 1. 11 pedestrians were killed on the roadway from 2010 to 2012.

While the numbers may be somewhat alarming, they are far from the worst seen in the country. For example, Florida, a state with a much larger population than Connecticut, saw 5,189 pedestrian deaths from 2003 to 2012, resulting in a pedestrian danger index of 168.6. By contrast, Connecticut’s pedestrian danger index is 35, while the national averages 52.2.

If you have been the victim of a pedestrian accident in Connecticut, call the accident attorneys at Danbury accident attorneys – Hastings, Cohan & Walsh, LLP  now for an immediate consultation.

 58 Post Road Danbury, CT 06810    (888) 244-5480  

A Danbury teen is recovering after being involved in a hit and run accident earlier this month.

An 18 year-old resident of Danbury, Nicholas Oetero, was recently crossing Lake Avenue Extension between the McDonald’s and the Gulf gas station when he was hit by an unknown driver at about 8:10 PM.  The driver who struck Oetero did not stop to help him or call police, and according to the victim’s mother, Setina Galarza, Oetero only received assistance when the driver of a passing vehicle called and notified police of his situation.  She believes that without his assistance her son may have been run over by a passing vehicle, as the road was dark and rainy at the time of the incident.

Oetero’s injuries were painful, but not life-threatening.  He suffered a right leg which was broken in three places, and other injuries.

As of now police have not identified a suspect in the hit-and-run.

If you or someone you know has been the victim of a serious auto accident, including a hit-and-run, contact the accident attorneys at Danbury accident attorneys  at Hastings, Cohan & Walsh, LLP at  (888) 244-5480 for a free consultation.

Northbound Interstate 95 was the scene of an accident on Friday which reportedly involved a tractor trailer and several other vehicles.

I-95 was closed between northbound exit 30 and exit 31 as a result of a multiple vehicle crash, involving a tractor trailer, on Friday afternoon. No one was killed in the accident, according to state police, but there were at least five people injured which required visits to the hospital.
According to initial reports a ladder fell from a pickup truck which caused other cars on the roadway to swerve. The ensuing commotion resulted in at least five vehicles being involved in multiple crashes, and two of those vehicles running into the cement median.

Though thankfully there were no fatalities in this serious situation, this multi-car accident does continue to underscore the fact that drivers must always remain alert and focused when behind the wheel on the road. April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, a designation which is meant to call drivers’ attention to the importance of avoiding all distractions while driving. We support these efforts, and would like to encourage all Danbury drivers to actively participate in this important awareness campaign.

Danbury accident attorneys – Hastings, Cohan & Walsh, LLP – 58 Post Road Danbury, CT 06810    (888) 244-5480