Personal Injury Lawyer in Shelton, CT
No fee unless we recover · Admitted in Connecticut · Serving Fairfield County
Call to schedule an appointment, in person or by video.
If you were hurt in a car crash, a fall, or a dog attack in Shelton, Trumbull, Stratford, Milford, Bridgeport, or anywhere else in Fairfield County, we can help you recover what the injury has cost you: medical bills, lost wages, and the pain and disruption that do not show up on a receipt. We handle Connecticut personal injury claims on a contingency fee, which means you pay nothing up front and no fee at all unless we recover money for you.
The attorney handling your case is the one you meet. A paralegal helps assemble records and bills, but David LaFollette reads every medical record, deals with the adjusters himself, and prepares the demand personally. When your case needs a decision, the person making it already knows the file.
Here is how it starts. You call, or send the form below, and we talk through what happened, who was involved, and what treatment you have had so far. There is no charge for that conversation. If we take the case, we notify the insurers, gather the police report and medical records, and tell you what to expect while you focus on getting better. If it is not a case we can help with, we say so plainly and, where we can, point you to someone who can. You are never billed hourly and you never write us a check: our fee comes out of the recovery at the end, and only if there is one.
Car, Motorcycle, Pedestrian and Bicycle Accidents
Many of the injury claims we handle start on the road. It might be a rear-end collision on Route 8 or the Merritt, a left-turn crash at an intersection in town, or a driver looking at a phone instead of a crosswalk. A collision that looked minor at the scene can still produce injuries that need imaging, injections, physical therapy, or surgery, and the insurer's first offer rarely reflects that.
We open the claim with the other driver's carrier, keep the property damage and rental claim moving separately, gather the crash report and medical records, and build the demand once your doctors know the full extent of the injury. If the other driver was uninsured or carried too little coverage, we pursue your own uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage under Connecticut General Statutes § 38a-336. Many people do not realize they bought that coverage, and there are notice and consent requirements that can void it if handled carelessly.
If this sounds like your accident, call (203) 254-1387 or use the form below for a free case review.
Slip, Trip and Fall Injuries
Connecticut property owners are liable for a fall when they knew, or should have known, about the hazard and did not fix it or warn of it. Proving that notice is the whole case. We move quickly to preserve surveillance video, which many businesses overwrite within weeks, and to document the defect before it is repaired.
Ice and snow cases have their own rules. Under Connecticut's ongoing storm doctrine, an owner generally is not required to clear walkways until a reasonable time after the storm ends, so the timing of the fall matters. A fall on a public sidewalk or road is different again: a claim against a town for a highway or sidewalk defect requires written notice to the town clerk within 90 days under § 13a-149, and missing that deadline ends the claim. If you fell on public property, call us well before the 90 days run.
Dog Bites
Connecticut is a strict liability state for dog bites. Under § 22-357, the owner or keeper is responsible for the damage the dog does, without any need to prove the dog had bitten before or that the owner was careless, unless the victim was trespassing or teasing, tormenting, or abusing the dog. These claims are usually paid by the owner's homeowner's or renter's insurance, which is why a claim can proceed even when the owner is a neighbor or a friend.
Wrongful Death
When an accident is fatal, Connecticut law allows the estate to recover for the death itself and for what the person went through before dying. The claim is brought by the executor or administrator, so opening the estate in Probate Court is the first step, and we handle that alongside the injury claim. Wrongful death claims must be filed within two years of the death under § 52-555.
Injured at Work
If you were hurt on the job, workers' compensation is usually your remedy against your employer, but it is not always the only one. When someone other than your employer caused the injury, such as another driver, a property owner, or a subcontractor, you may have a separate negligence claim worth far more than the compensation benefits. We look at both. See our Injured at Work page.
Deadlines and Fault
Most Connecticut negligence claims must be filed within two years of the injury under § 52-584. Some claims have much shorter notice periods, like the 90-day municipal notice above, and some require notice to your own insurer to preserve coverage. Bring us the claim early enough to protect every deadline.
Connecticut follows modified comparative negligence under § 52-572h. If you were partly at fault, your recovery is reduced by your percentage of fault, and you are barred from recovering only if you were more than 50 percent responsible. Adjusters often overstate a claimant's share of fault to justify a low offer. Do not accept their number as the last word.
Not sure where your deadline stands? Call (203) 254-1387 or use the form below and we will tell you.
How Our Fees Work
Personal injury cases are handled on a contingency fee: no retainer, no hourly bills, and no fee unless we recover money for you. Case costs, such as records and expert fees, are advanced by the firm and repaid only from the recovery. If there is no recovery, you owe us nothing, including those costs. Connecticut sets the maximum contingency fee by statute (§ 52-251c), and our written fee agreement follows that schedule. Before any money is disbursed, you receive a written settlement statement showing the recovery, the fee, each cost, every lien paid, and your net. Call (203) 254-1387 or use the form below for a free case review.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I talk to the other driver's insurance company?
Not before speaking with a lawyer. Adjusters ask for recorded statements early, when you do not yet know the extent of your injuries, and those statements are used later to minimize the claim. You are required to cooperate with your own insurer, but even that is best done after you understand your coverage.
What is my case worth?
It depends on the injury, the treatment, the effect on your work and daily life, the fault picture, and how much insurance is available. Anyone who quotes a number at the first meeting is guessing. We give you an honest range once the medical picture is complete.
How long will my case take?
Most claims settle after treatment is finished and the records are in, which is usually months, not weeks. Cases that go into suit take longer. We will not settle a case before the injury is understood just to close the file.
What if the driver who hit me had no insurance?
Your own policy's uninsured motorist coverage steps in, and underinsured coverage applies when the other driver's limits are too low. There are notice requirements, so tell us about your own policy at the first meeting.
Who pays my medical bills while the case is pending?
The other driver's insurer does not pay your bills as they come in; it pays once, at the end. In the meantime your bills run through your own auto policy's medical payments coverage, if you bought it, and then your health insurance. Health insurers and Medicare often have a right to be repaid from the settlement, and we handle those lien negotiations so the repayment is as small as the law allows before you receive your net.
Can we meet by video instead of coming to the office?
Yes. Many consultations are held by video, which is often easier for someone who is injured or in treatment. Call to schedule an appointment, in person or by video.
If you have been hurt in Fairfield County, call (203) 254-1387 for a free case review or use the form below.