The next time you’re driving on I-95 or I-84 and a tractor-trailer pulls alongside you, consider this: that truck may weigh up to 20 times more than your car. When something goes wrong, the consequences are rarely minor.
In Connecticut alone, more than 2,600 crashes involving medium and large commercial trucks have been recorded in recent years, according to the University of Connecticut Crash Repository. These crashes are not rare events. They happen regularly across our state. And when they do, the impact is typically life-altering or life-ending.
A truck crash is not simply a larger version of a car crash. The physics are different. The injuries are often more severe or life ending. The financial consequences can be overwhelming.
After a trucking crash, life narrows quickly. You may be in pain. You may be thinking about whether you can return to work, how medical bills will be paid, or how your family will manage if your recovery takes months or permanently prevents you from working your job.
And then the phone rings.
An insurance adjuster may sound calm and sympathetic. They may say they just need your account of what happened. They may ask for a recorded statement or suggest resolving the matter quickly so you can move on.
In a moment filled with uncertainty, that can sound reassuring.
But reassurance is not the same as protection. That insurance adjuster is looking out for the trucking company, not you.
Trucking companies and their insurers often respond immediately after a crash. They collect evidence and statements. They evaluate claims and try to minimize the litigation exposure and losses to the trucking company. That means paying the victim the least amount possible for them to release their claims. Meanwhile, the person injured in the crash and their family are still trying to get medical treatment and understand the full extent of their injuries and their impact. The long-term medical and financial impact is unclear and will remain so. That does not prevent the adjuster from trying to get the victim to release their claims.
Insurance companies are businesses. Their responsibility is to manage financial risk for their insureds—the trucking companies. A recorded statement given too soon can later be used to limit a claim. A settlement accepted early almost never reflects future medical needs, rehabilitation costs, and lost earning capacity—much less human losses such as loss of enjoyment of life, pain and suffering. A decision made under pressure immediately after a crash can have consequences that last for years.
Truck crash claims also are also rarely simple. They may involve multiple parties, layered insurance coverage, and complex questions about responsibility. What appears straightforward at first can quickly become complicated.
This is where many people feel caught. They want stability restored. They want certainty. They want to believe the system will take care of them.
How Chaffin Luhana Can Help
Let Our Attorneys Fight For You & Your Family
However, there is a risk to talking with insurance adjusters without understanding your rights.
You are not required to provide an immediate recorded statement. You are not required to accept the first offer presented to you. And you are not required to handle the process alone.
Before agreeing to anything, it is wise to consult a reputable law firm with trial lawyers experienced in serious truck crash cases—and dedicated to representing only victims and not big trucking companies. A trial lawyer experienced in trucking cases can evaluate the full scope of your case, preserve critical evidence, and develop the full evidence of your harms and losses, and help you make decisions thoughtfully and professionally, rather than hurriedly with an adjuster.
No one expects a routine drive on I-95 or I-84 to change their life in an instant. But when a collision with a commercial truck occurs, the consequences can be quick and profound. In those moments, taking the time to consult with a trial lawyer and understand your options is not about being adversarial. It is about protecting your and your family’s future.
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Eric Chaffin is a trial lawyer and founding partner of Chaffin Luhana LLP, a plaintiffs-only law firm with offices across Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. The firm represents individuals and families in serious injury, truck crash, and product liability cases nationwide.
Original press release published March 4, 2026, via New Haven Register [View the full Article.]
Original press release published March 4, 2026, via Connecticut Post [View the full Article.]
Original press release published March 4, 2026, via Stamford Advocate. [View the full Article.]
Original press release published March 4, 2026, via Greeenwich Time. [View the full Article.]
Original press release published March 4, 2026, via The News Times. [View the full Article.]
Original press release published March 4, 2026, via The Middletown Press. [View the full Article.]
Original press release published March 4, 2026, via The Register Citizen. [View the full Article.]