Connecticut

Required Car Insurance in Connecticut | Connecticut Injury Lawyer

Published

2 years ago

June 12, 2024

Required Car Insurance in Connecticut | Connecticut Injury Lawyer

Navigating the aftermath of a car accident can be overwhelming, especially when trying to understand the nuances of insurance coverage. For drivers in Connecticut, understanding car insurance requirements is crucial to ensure adequate protection and compliance with the law.

Our Connecticut injury lawyer at Jonathan Perkins Injury Lawyers is here to explain the minimum requirements and optional coverages available and provide tips on finding affordable car insurance in Connecticut.

Minimum Car Insurance Requirements in Connecticut

Connecticut mandates that all drivers carry a specific minimum car insurance to legally operate a vehicle. The state’s mandatory coverage includes:

Liability Insurance

Bodily Injury Liability: This coverage helps pay for injuries you cause to others in an accident. The minimum required limits are $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident.
Property Damage Liability: This coverage pays for damage you cause to someone else’s property. The minimum required limit is $25,000 per accident.

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage

Uninsured Motorist (UM): This covers medical expenses if a driver hits you without insurance. The minimum required limit is $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident.
Underinsured Motorist (UIM): This kicks in when the at-fault driver’s insurance is insufficient to cover your medical expenses. The coverage limits are the same as for uninsured motorist coverage.

No-Fault Insurance

While Connecticut is not a no-fault state, it does require Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage. PIP covers medical expenses and lost wages regardless of who is at fault in the accident.

Understanding Optional Coverages

While the state-mandated minimums may provide basic protection, additional coverages can offer more comprehensive financial security. Some optional coverages available to Connecticut drivers include:

Comprehensive Insurance

This covers non-collision-related damage to your car, such as theft, vandalism, or natural disasters.

Collision Insurance

This covers your car’s repair or replacement costs if it’s damaged in a collision, regardless of who is at fault.

Medical Payments Coverage (MedPay)

This helps cover medical expenses for you and your passengers, regardless of who is at fault in the accident.

Rental Reimbursement

This coverage helps pay for a rental car while your vehicle is being repaired after an accident.

Roadside Assistance

This provides services like towing, battery jump-starts, and flat tire changes, offering peace of mind during unexpected breakdowns.

Factors Affecting Connecticut Car Insurance Rates

Several factors can impact the cost of car insurance premiums in Connecticut, including:

Driving History

A clean driving record typically lowers premiums, while accidents, speeding tickets, and other violations can increase rates.

Age and Gender

Younger drivers, particularly males, often face higher premiums due to perceived higher risk.

Vehicle Type

Luxury and high-performance vehicles generally cost more to insure than standard models.

Location

Urban areas have higher premiums due to increased traffic and higher accident rates than rural areas.

Credit Score

In Connecticut, insurers can use credit scores to determine premiums. A higher credit score may result in lower rates.

The Importance of Being Fully Covered

While meeting the minimum insurance requirements is essential, it may not be sufficient in the event of a severe accident. Here are some reasons why having more than the minimum coverage is crucial:

Financial Protection

Higher coverage limits can provide better financial protection, helping to cover medical bills, legal fees, and property damage costs that exceed the minimum limits.

Peace of Mind

Knowing you have comprehensive coverage offers peace of mind, ensuring you and your loved ones are protected in various scenarios.

Avoiding Out-of-Pocket Expenses

Adequate coverage can prevent you from having to pay out-of-pocket expenses in the event of a serious accident.

The Importance of Car Insurance in a Car Accident

Ensuring Legal Compliance

Having car insurance is often legally required to operate a vehicle. Without it, drivers may face penalties, fines, or even license suspension. Ensuring you have at least the minimum required coverage helps you stay compliant with state laws and avoid legal repercussions.

Financial Responsibility

In the event of an accident, car insurance helps fulfill your financial responsibility to cover the associated costs. This includes medical expenses for injuries sustained by you, your passengers, or other parties involved and repair costs for vehicle damage. Without insurance, you might have to pay these expenses out of pocket, which can be financially devastating.

Support During Recovery

Navigating the aftermath of a car accident can be stressful. Having adequate car insurance provides support during the recovery process by streamlining the handling of claims and facilitating repairs or medical payments.

This allows you to focus on recovering without the added burden of financial stress. Your car accident attorney in Connecticut will be able to communicate with the insurance company on your behalf to ensure all documents and evidence are provided for your claim.

How a Car Accident Attorney in Connecticut Can Help

A car accident attorney in Connecticut can offer invaluable assistance following a car crash, especially when navigating interactions with insurance companies. These attorneys possess the knowledge, experience, and resources needed to handle complex legal processes and negotiate with insurance providers on behalf of their clients.

They can help gather evidence, assess the extent of damages, determine liability, and advocate for fair compensation.

When dealing with insurance companies that may try to deny your claim or minimize the amount you receive, a skilled attorney can protect the injured party’s rights, ensuring they receive the compensation they rightfully deserve.

By leveraging their knowledge of Connecticut’s laws and regulations, car accident attorneys strive to provide effective representation and guidance during the aftermath of a car accident.

Contact Our Connecticut Injury Lawyer

By understanding Connecticut’s car insurance requirements and the benefits of additional coverages, you can make informed decisions to better protect yourself and your loved ones.

Whether you’re a seasoned driver or new to the road, having the right insurance coverage is crucial for peace of mind and financial security. If you have been hurt in a car crash, understanding your car insurance coverage is just the beginning.

At Jonathan Perkins Injury Lawyers, we are here to help you navigate the complexities of your situation. Our experienced Connecticut injury lawyer is dedicated to protecting your rights and ensuring you receive the compensation you deserve. Contact us today for a free consultation to discuss your case and explore your legal options.

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Connecticut

Justice Department sues Connecticut and Arizona as part of effort to get voter data from the states

Published

9 hours ago

January 7, 2026

Press Room

Justice Department sues Connecticut and Arizona as part of effort to get voter data from the states

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Officials in Connecticut and Arizona are defending their decision to refuse a request by the U.S. Justice Department for detailed voter information, after their states became the latest to face federal lawsuits over the issue.

“Pound sand,” Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes posted on X, saying the release of the voter records would violate state and federal law.

The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division announced this week it was suing Connecticut and Arizona for failing to comply with its requests, bringing to 23 the number of states the department has sued to obtain the data. It also has filed suit against the District of Columbia.

Attorney General Pam Bondi said the department will “continue filing lawsuits to protect American elections,” saying accurate voter rolls are the ”foundation of election integrity.”

Secretaries of state and state attorneys general who have pushed back against the effort say it violates federal privacy law, which protects the sharing of individual data with the government, and would run afoul of their own state laws that restrict what voter information can be released publicly. Some of the data the Justice Department is seeking includes names, dates of birth, residential addresses, driver’s license numbers and partial Social Security numbers.

Other requests included basic questions about the procedures states use to comply with federal voting laws, while some have been more state-specific. They have referenced perceived inconsistencies from a survey from the U.S. Election Assistance Commission.

Most of the lawsuits target states led by Democrats, who have said they have been unable to get a firm answer about why the Justice Department wants the information and how it plans to use it. Last fall, 10 Democratic secretaries of state sent a letter to the Justice Department and the Department of Homeland Security expressing concern after DHS said it had received voter data and would enter it into a federal program used to verify citizenship status.

Connecticut Attorney General William Tong, a Democrat, said his state had tried to “work cooperatively” with the Justice Department to understand the basis for its request for voters’ personal information.

“Rather than communicating productively with us, they rushed to sue,” Tong said Tuesday, after the lawsuit was filed.

Connecticut, he said, “takes its obligations under federal laws very seriously.” He pledged to “vigorously defend the state against this meritless and deeply disappointing lawsuit.”

Two Republican state senators in Connecticut said they welcomed the federal lawsuit. They said a recent absentee ballot scandal in the state’s largest city, Bridgeport, had made the state a “national punchline.”

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Connecticut

New businesses heading to West Haven’s shoreline

Published

21 hours ago

January 7, 2026

Press Room

New businesses heading to West Haven’s shoreline

New businesses are soon set to replace old, rundown buildings in West Haven.

By the end of the summer, the former Savin Rock conference center is slated to become the Kelsey, a restaurant and banquet facility.

Crews are currently working on the inside, according to Mayor Dorinda Borer.

Next door, Jimmies of Savin Rock sits empty after it closed last month. It was open for a hundred years and is now for sale.

Borer said it’s another opportunity to draw people to the city.

“When there are new developers in town, and they’re making things all bright and shiny, that makes people attracted to our city,” Borer said. “It just seems like everything’s starting to bust loose at once. It’s a lot of work behind the scenes, and then it all starts to come to fruition.”

Thirty new luxury apartments are set to replace the Debonair Beach Motel that fell into disrepair after its last day open more than a decade ago. Demolition began last fall, and it’s expected to continue in March.

Down the street, new condos were built by the same owner of the restaurant and bar Riva. They opened their doors last summer, welcoming eager crowds.

“The turnout’s been unbelievable,” Riva’s owner, Michael Delvecchio, said. “People traveling from other states, New York, Rhode Island, all over Connecticut. It’s something that West Haven been dying for.”

Riva replaced Chick’s Drive-In, a West Haven hot-dog and seafood staple that closed in 2015 after its owner passed away.

Delvecchio doesn’t ignore that history. A sign that says “The Lodge at Riva” will be removed and replaced with “Chick’s” during the summer, with accompanying pictures of Savin Rock amusement park on the walls.

“Everybody in town has been, with all this shoreline and all this beach, waiting for something to happen,” he said. “Riva’s a little bit of everything.”

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Connecticut

State opens investigation into former New Haven police chief amid stolen money allegations

Published

1 day ago

January 6, 2026

Press Room

State opens investigation into former New Haven police chief amid stolen money allegations

Connecticut State Police and the Chief State’s Attorney have opened an investigation into former New Haven Police Chief Karl Jacobsen and allegations that he misused public funds.

The City of New Haven reported the allegations to State’s Attorney John Doyle on Monday.

New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker said Monday Jacobson admitted to stealing money from a fund used by the New Haven Police Department to pay for an support its confidential informant program.

Several officers flagged irregularities in the account and notified the three assistant chiefs in the department, according to Elicker. It was then that the assistant chiefs confronted Jacobson on Monday morning.

Elicker said after being confronted, Jacobson admitted to taking the funds. The assistant chiefs then notified Chief Administrative Officer Justin McCarthy, who then notified Elicker.

Jacobson was called in for a meeting with Elicker, where he was to be placed on administrative leave. Elicker said that before the meeting, Jacobson handed in his paperwork to retire, effective immediately.

The mayor was unable to share additional details on how much money was reportedly taken or for how long due to the ongoing investigation.

Assistant Chief David Zannelli has been appointed as the acting police chief.

State police will conduct the investigation and Chief State’s Attorney Patrick Griffin has appointed New Britain Judicial District State’s Attorney Christian Watson to oversee the investigation to avoid any potential conflicts of interest.

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