Case Background

On the evening of March 4, 2023, Ashley Lancey was driving west on Fairfield Avenue in Bridgeport, Connecticut. As she approached the intersection with Howard Avenue, she was following the flow of traffic and a green signal. At that moment, Jose Antonio Torres came down Howard Avenue from the north. Despite a red traffic light, he entered the intersection and crashed into Lancey’s car. The impact was severe and left her with serious injuries. According to the complaint, Torres acted carelessly when he failed to respect the traffic signal and caused the collision. This accident became the centre of a court case between Lancey, Torres, and her insurance company, Progressive Direct Insurance Company.

The cause that led to the dispute

Lancey claimed that Torres caused the crash by ignoring the traffic light and failing to operate his car with reasonable care. According to her complaint, he failed to keep a proper lookout, didn’t apply his brakes in time, and didn’t try to swerve or warn her about the pending collision. In short, the crash happened because he violated the basic rules of the road. The claim stated that he acted negligently and violated several sections of the Connecticut General Statutes, including those related to obeying traffic controls and staying within the correct lane.

Injury suffered

The collision caused significant harm to Lancey. Medical records showed she suffered a neck injury with pain that travelled down both arms, a left shoulder and left arm injury, a back injury, and trauma to both ankles. The force of the crash shook her entire body and caused long-l