The holidays carry a certain magic — a chance to slow down, celebrate, and hold close the people who matter most. But for one Connecticut family, this past Christmas almost never happened the way they hoped.
Because their year began not with celebration, but with a crash.
A Summer Afternoon That Changed Everything
Back in June, our client Maria was driving home from her late shift at a medical supply warehouse. The sun was still high, kids were riding bikes through sprinklers, and her only plan that day was to cook dinner and enjoy a quiet evening with her family.
As she approached a busy intersection in Manchester, the light turned green. She entered cautiously — and never saw what hit her.
A distracted driver blew through his red light at nearly 50 mph, striking the driver’s side of her SUV. The impact left her vehicle spun into a curb, airbags deployed, driver’s door crushed inward. Witnesses later reported the other driver had been looking down at his phone moments before the collision.
Injuries That Don’t Show on the Outside
At Hartford Hospital, doctors diagnosed:
- A concussion
- Cervical sprain
- Shoulder injury
- Lower back injury
She was discharged with a neck brace, pain medication, and orders to follow up with orthopedics and physical therapy.
Within days, reality set in:
- She couldn’t return to work
- Bills began piling up
- Her short-term disability stalled
- The insurance adjuster kept calling, asking for recorded statements and medical releases she didn’t understand
Meanwhile, her kids watched summer slip by while their mother struggled just to get out of bed.
Her sister finally told her, “Call Haymond. They helped me. Let them help you.”
Taking on the Fight
From the moment she came into our office, we knew Maria didn’t just need a lawyer — she needed protection, clarity, and a plan.
We immediately:
- Took over communication with the insurance companies
- Secured intersection camera footage
- Located witnesses and obtained sworn statements
- Coordinated her specialist appointments and PT
- Calculated her lost wages and future medical needs
- Built a complete liability and damages case
The defense pushed back hard, denying responsibility and minimizing her injuries. They claimed her crash “wasn’t that serious.” They suggested her symptoms were “pre-existing.” They dragged out document requests and depositions for months.
But while they tried to run out the clock, Maria kept fighting through treatment. And we kept fighting for her.
A Breakthrough — Right Before the Holidays
By October, the medical picture was clear: her injuries were real, her pain was ongoing, and the crash had permanently changed her life. Her orthopedic specialist projected future care costs, strengthening our damages claim.
With trial preparations underway, the insurance carrier came back with a dramatically increased offer — a six-figure settlement recognizing:
- Medical expenses
- Future medical care
- Lost wages
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Loss of life enjoyment
The final negotiations wrapped in early December.
When we called Maria to tell her her case had settled, she cried. Not because she was sad — but because, for the first time since June, she felt relief.
A Holiday They Almost Missed
Just days before Christmas, Maria came into our Hartford office to finalize paperwork. Her son rolled her wheelchair through our lobby — her youngest daughter clutching a tiny gift bag for her mother. When her settlement check was handed over, her daughter leaned in and whispered,
“Mom, now we can have Christmas, right?”
This time, Maria didn’t have to fake a smile.
She paid off medical bills, caught up on rent, filled the fridge, and put gifts under the tree. She bought her kids the bikes they’d been begging for since summer — the same bikes she was planning to buy the week of the crash.
Justice Arrived Right on Time
In our line of work, results aren’t always fast. Cases take time because healing takes time — and because insurance companies rarely do the right thing without pressure.
But when all those months of persistence, treatment, paperwork, evidence, and negotiation finally meet at the finish line — moments like this happen.
A crash in June. A fight through fall. A settlement in December. A family’s Christmas saved.
This Is Why We Do What We Do
At Haymond Law Firm, we don’t just secure settlements —
we secure stability, dignity, and second chances.
And sometimes, like in Maria’s case, we get to give families something priceless:
The ability to enjoy the holidays again — together.