A personal injury attorney with 24 years’ experience, James K. Smith takes great satisfaction tipping the scales of justice in favor of individuals who have suffered a personal injury.
For injured persons without an attorney, it’s not a fair fight. Insurance companies are sophisticated businesses that handle thousands of injury claims each year. Insurance adjusters often try to take recorded statements from injured individuals, sometimes tricking them into making damaging statements before they have a chance to consult an attorney. These statements can significantly impair the injured person’s right to full compensation for the injury. Smith believes that the assistance of an attorney is vital to ensuring a just and fair outcome in personal injury cases.
Auto accidents can turn a person’s life upside down: medical bills and physical pain, missed work, lost wages, doctor visits, and of course the loss of the motor vehicle. Smith is proud of his law firm’s ability to make life easier for injured clients. He can help them obtain auto repairs, and to get the medical care they need to feel better while their case is pending. “Knowing that our team has been able to help someone whose life has been turned upside down by physical injuries, that we’ve been able to make it better for them by protecting their rights when they felt the system was against them, that is a great feeling,” Smith says.
Smith is active coaching sports in the Danbury community. With many years of coaching youth baseball, soccer and basketball behind him, Smith currently manages two baseball teams: the New Milford Hurricanes in the Northwest Connecticut Connie Mack League, and the Washington (Ct.) team in the Northeast Baseball Association’s Over 27 League.
Notable cases
Recent success stories for James’ clients:
- $1.15 million for driver of a car injured in a tractor-trailer pile-up on Interstate 95
- $700,000 for a passenger in a vehicle stuck by a tractor–trailer
- $515,000 settlement for a motorcyclist forced to dump his bike when cut off by driver of a car
- $415,000 for a Cambodian immigrant injured as a passenger in an intersection motor vehicle accident
- $250,000 for a construction worker struck by a vehicle at a highway work-site
- $250,000 for a motorcyclist struck by a car
- $390,000 for a woman injured in a collision on Interstate 84
- $100,000 each for a husband and wife injured when driving their classic car which was struck from behind by a car
- $100,000 for a driver against his own insurer when struck by an underinsured driver
Work in the community
Smith manages the New Milford Hurricanes Baseball team in the NW Connecticut Connie Mack League (16-19 Division of the American Amateur Baseball Congress). He also serves as President of the Northeast Baseball Association, an adult baseball league in Connecticut. Among his other activities, Smith contributes to the following organizations:
- Assumption College
- University of Connecticut School of Law
- Veterans of Foreign Wars
- USO
- Dana Farber Cancer Institute/Jimmy Fund
- Paralyzed Veterans’ Association
- Habitat for Humanity
- St. Joseph’s Indian School
- Cheyenne River Outreach
Education
- J.D., University of Connecticut School of Law
- B.A., Politics & History, Assumption College
Bar admissions
- Connecticut
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut
Memberships
- Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association
- American Association for Justice
- Danbury Bar Association
- New Milford (Ct.) Bar Association, Past President
- CTLA Legislative Action Committee
- President’s Council for Assumption College
- Amicus Mediation Group, Mediator/Arbitrator
