I recently took a friend of mine out to play golf at my club. On one hole, after hitting his drive, he was approximately 175 yards away from the hole. I stood about 30 yards to his right as he wound up to hit his golf ball. Without any warning, the ball came flying off his club – sideways – and was coming right at me. At the last second, I put my hand up to block the ball from hitting my face and after striking me, I fell to the ground.

Fortunately, I was not injured. However, my friend asked me what would happen if somebody was seriously injured in that type of situation and I told him that in most circumstances, the person who hit the ball would be covered under their homeowner's insurance policy.

My friend expressed that he was quite surprised to hear this was the case and had no idea that there might be insurance coverage under this type of situation. This got me to think about a number of other situations where most people might not realize that they could have a claim that might be very well covered by insurance.

So here are five situations where there might be insurance coverage to compensate you for your injuries and damages:

1. Hit and run accidents- Most people think that if they are hit by another vehicle that takes off and they are unable to get the license plate number or identify the driver that they will not be able to collect any money for their injuries and damages. In this instance, you would be able to submit a claim to your own motor vehicle insurance company and access your uninsured motorist coverage;
2. Hit by a driver with no insurance- As is the case with a hit and run accident, you could file a claim against your own motor vehicle insurance company under the uninsured motorist coverage section of your policy;
3. Hit by a drunk driver who does not have insurance and you have no insurance available to you- If the drunk driver became intoxicated at a bar or restaurant, or another similar facility, and then injured someone, for example in a drunk driving accident, under certain situations you might have a claim against the establishment that served the intoxicated individual in a dram shop claim. This is a somewhat complicated area of the law that has a reduced notice requirement so if you have such a case you should consult with a lawyer immediately;
4. Hit by a driver with no insurance when you don't own a motor vehicle- If you live with a close family member who you are related to then in certain situations you might be able to access their motor vehicle insurance policy to receive compensation for your injuries and damages; and
5. Bitten by a dog while you are on their property without being an invited guest- There are a number of situations where you could be covered under the owner or keeper of the dog's homeowner's insurance policy or tenant's insurance policy even if you were bitten while coming onto their property without being invited. Generally speaking, you might be covered unless you were teasing, tormenting, or committing some type of tort.

If you are seriously injured it is important that you contact an experienced personal injury lawyer as soon as possible because there may be a number of different places where you can access insurance coverage to compensate you for your injuries and damages. There are many different situations where more than one person or entity could be responsible to compensate you.

It is important that you contact an experienced personal injury lawyer immediately because there are a number of things that might have to be done which could include having our private investigator contact and interview the witnesses, having our premises liability expert take pictures and measurements of the accident site or file notices with municipalities or other entities regarding your claim.

If you have any problems or questions about any issues regarding your potential Connecticut personal injury case please feel free to contact one of our lawyers who will be happy to help you without any cost or obligation. If we decide to take your case, we will do so on a contingency fee basis and we will advance the costs to develop your case. This means that you do not have to come up with any money out of your own pocket.

To find out more, contact us today!