Case Background

On the morning of January 14, 2025, a collision happened between a cyclist, Arthur Mulhern, and a motorist, Frederick Petersen, in Hartford. Mulhern was riding his bicycle when he entered the roadway. Petersen was driving towards him when the crash occurred. The accident caused serious injuries to Mulhern, who filed a complaint seeking compensation for medical costs, future medical treatments, lost earnings, pain and suffering, and loss of quality of life. The case went to trial, where both sides gave very different accounts of what happened.

The cause that led to the dispute

Mulhern claimed Petersen acted negligently. According to the complaint, Petersen failed to slow down, ignored traffic signals, and didn’t pay enough attention to the cyclist. Mulhern said Petersen failed to swerve or stop in time and caused the collision.

Petersen disagreed. In his answer, he argued that Mulhern caused the accident by riding from the curbside suddenly, making a sharp turn, or entering the path of his car when it was too late for him to react. Petersen stated that Mulhern violated t