When you are seriously injured in a car crash, a tractor-trailer collision, or other accident in Connecticut, your primary focus should be on physical recovery. But for many victims, a harsh financial reality intervenes: the driver responsible for the accident doesn’t carry enough insurance to cover the financial compensation you deserve.
In Connecticut, the state-mandated minimum liability coverage for a motor vehicle is often vastly inadequate to pay for emergency surgeries, extensive rehabilitation, and months of lost wages. When a victim’s medical bills soar past a defendant’s policy limits, some injury law firms advise clients to simply accept the available insurance check.
The highly experienced and deeply strategic Personal Injury attorneys at Rome, Clifford, Katz & Koerner LLP take a fundamentally different approach. We are trial lawyers, and we do not let a negligent party hide behind a small, inadequate insurance policy. When insurance coverage is lacking, our legal team aggressively pursues alternative avenues—including the powerful use of Connecticut’s Pre-Judgment Remedy (PJR) statutes.
The Problem: The Low-Insurance Shortfall
If an at-fault driver carries a standard minimum policy but causes a catastrophic accident resulting in $200,000 in medical expenses, there is a severe insurance shortfall. To maximize what our clients recover, we look at every available option:
- Underinsured Motorist (UIM) Claims: We thoroughly evaluate our client’s own automotive policies to trigger underinsured coverage.
- Asset Searching: We investigate to identify the defendant’s personal assets, such as real estate equity, bank accounts, and business holdings.
However, simply identifying personal assets is not enough. Litigation takes time, and a major risk in any high-stakes injury case is that a defendant might try to spend down their savings, transfer property to relatives, or hide assets before a final court judgment is delivered.
That is where an aggressive litigation strategy makes all the difference.
The Solution: Freezing Assets Early with a PJR
Under Connecticut General Statutes, a Pre-Judgment Remedy (PJR) is a sophisticated legal mechanism that allows a plaintiff to attach or freeze a defendant’s personal assets while the lawsuit is still pending.
Instead of waiting years for a trial verdict to find out if a defendant can pay, RCKK’s injury attorneys can bring the case before a judge at the outset of litigation. If we can demonstrate probable cause that the plaintiff—our injured client— will win the case and that the final judgment will exceed the defendant’s insurance coverage, the court can issue a PJR.
Once granted, a PJR provides significant legal leverage by allowing us to:
- Place a legal lien on the defendant’s real estate.
- Freeze funds directly inside their bank accounts.
- Secure personal property to ensure financial recovery is actually collectible down the road.
Beyond securing the funds, a PJR dramatically changes the dynamics of a lawsuit. It shifts the pressure entirely onto the defendant and their legal counsel, often forcing a substantial, fair settlement long before a case ever reaches a jury.
Fierce Advocacy for Complex Injury Claims
Partner Alan Rome
Securing a Pre-Judgment Remedy requires meticulous preparation, extensive discovery, and a willingness to litigate aggressively from day one. It is a tool utilized by firms that treat every case as if it is heading to trial, rather than the “settlement mills” that typically look for the path of least resistance.
Recognized as a Tier 1 firm for Plaintiff’s Personal Injury Litigation by Best Law Firms®, RCKK Law and our experienced Partners have a proven track record of securing maximum compensation for accident victims across Connecticut—even in the most challenging insurance scenarios.
Have Questions About an Accident Claim?
Partner Chris Sica
If you or a loved one has suffered a serious injury, do not assume you are limited by the at-fault driver’s insurance policy.
Contact Partners Alan Rome or Chris Sica at 860-232-3000 for a no-cost legal consultation or email them at arome@rckklaw.com and csica@rckklaw.com.
Attorneys Rome and Sica, along with Attorney Joe Serrantino, are routinely honored as Connecticut Super Lawyers for their injury case work.
We serve clients across Connecticut in all types of accident cases – including car, truck, and motorcycle accidents, as well as all other types of Personal Injury cases, including slip-and-fall accidents, injuries caused by unsafe property conditions, construction and workplace accidents, product liability matters, fatal accidents, and medical malpractice.
About RCKK Law
Rome, Clifford Katz & Koerner is a Hartford-based law firm whose attorneys collectively have nearly 100 years of experience in a wide variety of legal areas. Whether you are dealing with a motor vehicle accident, a Workers’ Compensation injury, or a Family Law matter, our skilled lawyers will aggressively advocate on your behalf. We represent individuals and businesses in Connecticut and throughout the New England states.