Burlington Car Accident Lawyer​

A crash on Shelburne Road, I-89, or a downtown intersection near Church Street can rearrange your life in seconds. One moment you are driving home from work or the University of Vermont campus. The next, you are counting ambulance sirens, watching a tow truck load your car, and wondering how you will pay for any of it. The pain sets in later, and so do the phone calls from an adjuster who sounds friendly but is already building a case against you.

At Promoting Justice Personal Injury & Car Accident Lawyers, we stand with injured Vermonters in Chittenden County and the Burlington area, holding negligent drivers and their insurers accountable for the harm they cause. We represent injured people only. We have never worked for an insurance company, and we never will, and that focus has shaped every case we have handled since 1980. There is no fee unless we recover compensation for you, and your first conversation with our team costs nothing.

Contact us today for a free consultation and discover how our car accident attorneys in Burlington can help you seek the compensation and justice you deserve.

Why Hire a Burlington Car Accident Lawyer?

After a crash, the other driver’s insurance company moves fast. Their adjusters open a file, start building a defense, and look for ways to limit what they pay, often before you leave the hospital. Without someone in your corner who knows their strategy, you are at a serious disadvantage.

We represent injured people exclusively. We have never defended an insurance company, and we never will. Since 1980, our firm has fought for plaintiffs only, and we bring that focused experience to every Burlington car accident claim we take on.

When you work with us, we:

• Investigate your crash: We gather police reports, witness statements, black box data, and available video footage before critical evidence disappears.
• Value your full claim: We calculate your medical costs, lost income, future care needs, and non-economic losses like pain and emotional distress.
• Manage the insurer: We handle every communication with the insurance company and push back hard against lowball offers.
• Litigate when needed: When an insurer refuses to be fair, we file suit and take the case to trial, we are not a settlement mill.

Do I Have a Case Under Vermont Law?

A valid car accident claim requires proving negligence, meaning another driver had a duty to operate their vehicle safely, failed to meet that duty, and caused your injuries as a result. Common examples include distracted driving, following too closely, running a red light, and speeding in winter conditions.

Vermont applies a “modified comparative negligence rule”, which means you can still recover compensation even if you played some role in the crash, as long as your share of fault does not exceed 50%. Insurance companies use this rule aggressively to shift blame and reduce what they owe you.

What to Do after a Burlington Car Accident

The steps you take immediately after a crash on a Burlington road protect both your health and your right to compensation.

Call 911 and Get Medical Care

Always call the police and get medical attention right away, even if you feel fine. Adrenaline masks serious harm, and an early medical record ties your injuries directly to the crash, a link the insurance company cannot easily deny.

Document the Scene and Collect Witness Information

If you are able, photograph the vehicles, road conditions, skid marks, and nearby traffic signs. The photos you take in the first hour are often the most valuable, before cars are moved, before weather covers evidence, and before the scene changes. Get the names and contact information of any witnesses, since independent accounts carry significant weight when liability is disputed.

Decline to Give a Recorded Statement

The other driver’s insurer may call quickly and make it sound routine. It is not. Adjusters use these conversations to find inconsistencies and minimize your injuries, decline politely, then call us.

File Vermont’s Required Crash Report

If the accident caused any injury or more than $3,000 in property damage, Vermont law requires a written report to the DMV within 72 hours. 

Who Pays Your Medical Bills and Lost Wages?

Vermont is an at-fault state, meaning the driver who caused your crash and their insurance company are financially responsible for your losses. If that driver had insufficient coverage, your own Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM) policy covers the gap. Vermont also requires drivers to carry Medical Payments coverage MedPay, which pays initial medical bills regardless of fault while your claim is still being resolved. 

A fully valued claim covers every category of loss, including:

• Past and future medical expenses
• Lost income and reduced earning capacity
• Vehicle repair or replacement
• Pain, suffering, and emotional distress
• Permanent disability or disfigurement
• Loss of enjoyment of everyday life

What Is My Burlington Car Accident Claim Worth?

No honest attorney can give you a precise number without understanding your injuries, your treatment, and how the crash has changed your daily life. We have obtained significant recoveries in cases involving combined auto accidents and workers’ compensation claims, as well as for clients who suffered traumatic brain injuries.

Several factors shape the value of a claim:

If the crash caused a fatal injury, Vermont law allows a wrongful death action on behalf of surviving family members, which may include funeral costs, lost financial support, and compensation for grief and loss.

Settling too soon can also cost you; signing a release before treatment is complete locks in a number that cannot be revised, even if your recovery takes longer or requires more care than expected.

One pattern we consistently see in car accident claims across Chittenden County is that an insurer’s first offer arrives before a client has been referred out of urgent care at UVM Medical Center, long before an orthopedic specialist or a neurologist has weighed in on lingering symptoms. What we see repeatedly is that clients who wait for that second opinion, and who keep every follow-up appointment on the record, end up with claims that hold up far better under negotiation than the ones settled in the first few weeks. In our experience handling these cases out of Burlington, the adjusters assigned to Chittenden County claims know this pattern too, which is exactly why the earliest offer is rarely the fairest one.

How We Prove Fault in a Burlington Crash

We approach every case as though it will go before a jury, gathering hard evidence from the moment you hire us. Our experienced legal team knows what it takes to build a claim that holds up under real pressure.

• Accident reconstruction: For serious or complex crashes, we retain experts who recreate the collision using physical evidence and vehicle data to establish fault with precision.
• Medical documentation: We work with treating physicians and independent specialists to connect your injuries directly to the crash and document your full prognosis.
• Evidence preservation: We send immediate legal notices requiring insurers, employers, and municipalities to preserve dashcam footage, surveillance video, and vehicle records before they are erased.

Insurance Tactics We Recognize and Counter

Insurance companies are not passive participants in your recovery. They are sophisticated organizations with financial incentives to close your claim for as little as possible, and they use specific tactics to do it.

Our attorney Linda Fraas spent years building insurance defenses before joining our firm as a plaintiff’s advocate. She now applies that inside knowledge entirely in your favor. We recognize these moves the moment they appear:

• Delivering a fast, low settlement offer before your full diagnosis is complete
• Attributing your injuries to a pre-existing condition rather than the crash
• Delaying your claim for months, hoping frustration drives you to accept less
• Using recorded statement questions to make your injuries sound minor

A tactic we see repeatedly from adjusters handling car accident claims in Chittenden County is pointing to a client’s prior chiropractic or physical therapy visits as proof that a new injury is really an old one, particularly in cases coming out of the Church Street and Route 7 corridor where fender-benders are common and medical histories run long. What we see across the Burlington claims we handle is that this argument tends to soften considerably once a treating physician documents, in writing, exactly how the new injury differs from anything in the client’s prior chart. Adjusters rarely walk this tactic back on their own, which is why we push for that documentation early rather than waiting for it to become a dispute at the negotiating table.

Burlington Roads and Vermont Winter Conditions

Burlington’s roads demand year-round attention, but Vermont winters add a layer of danger that separates cautious drivers from reckless ones. Black ice on I-89, reduced visibility on Route 7, and heavy foot traffic near Church Street and the University of Vermont campus all contribute to serious collisions. Legally, bad weather does not excuse careless driving; every motorist must slow down, clear their vehicle, and adapt to road conditions.

We have handled crash cases throughout Chittenden County and know these roads well. That local knowledge informs how we investigate a scene, which experts we bring in, and how we frame your case for an insurer or a jury.

Vermont’s Deadline to File a Car Accident Claim

Vermont law gives you three years to file a personal injury lawsuit from the date of your accident. This rule is called the statute of limitations, and missing it means permanently losing the right to seek compensation, regardless of how severe your injuries are.

Three years sounds substantial. It is not. Surveillance footage is overwritten, witnesses relocate, and physical evidence vanishes well before that clock runs out. If your crash involved a government vehicle or resulted in a death, different timelines may apply; contact us early, because it is the most important step you can take.

Our Process from First Call to Final Check

Working with us is straightforward. We carry the legal weight so you can focus on getting better.

Free Case Review

Your first call costs nothing and obligates you to nothing. We listen to what happened, answer your questions honestly, and tell you what we believe your case is worth.

Investigation and Expert Work

We begin building your case immediately after you hire us, advancing every cost, filing fees, expert witness fees, and medical record requests, so you owe nothing out of pocket while your case is active.

Demand and Negotiation

We compile a comprehensive demand package documenting your injuries, your losses, and the other party’s negligence, then negotiate aggressively for the full compensation you deserve.

Trial Preparation and Litigation

If the insurance company refuses to settle fairly, we file suit and go to court. As our founding attorney Dennis Shillen has said, we are motivated by helping our fellow man and by the fact that we hate to lose.

Lien Resolution and Final Payout

Before your recovery reaches your hands, we negotiate with health insurers and medical providers to reduce any liens and the repayment claims they hold against your settlement, putting more money where it belongs: with you.

“Attorney Mackall and his paralegal Brianna handled every aspect of my son’s personal injury case from start to finish. The results were more than we ever expected.” – Paul T.

Why Burlington Families Trust Promoting Justice

Our firm was built around one principle: we fight for injured people only. We have never represented a corporation or an insurance company, and we never will.

Our legal team brings credentials that matter in a courtroom and at a negotiating table. Dennis O. Shillen holds an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell, the highest available, and has been recognized by Super Lawyers for more than four decades of practice. D. James Mackall is a published legal author and Board of Governors member of the Vermont Association for Justice. Nicholas Seldon and Jack Spicer are admitted in multiple jurisdictions, including Vermont, New Hampshire, and New York.

Our dedicated legal assistants have extensive experience supporting personal injury clients; there is always someone who knows your file and can answer your questions.

You owe us nothing unless we recover money for you. That is the contingency fee model, no hourly billing, no retainer, and no upfront expenses of any kind.

“Dennis Shillen represented me in a car accident case and he was fabulous! He was proactive and meticulous in his approach. He interacted regularly with the opposing side and managed their expectations brilliantly. He was always easy to reach and explained to me his strategy going forward in clear, understandable terms. When it came time for negotiating a settlement, he did an outstanding job, resulting in a generous settlement. I have been involved in a number of litigations in the course of my life and I would say without qualification that Dennis is the best attorney ever to represent me.” – Jim M.

Call Promoting Justice at (802) 457-4848 or contact us online for a free consultation. We do not get paid unless you do.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I Accept the Insurer’s First Settlement Offer after a Burlington Car Crash?

First offers are designed to close your claim before you understand the true cost of your injuries, once you sign a release, you cannot seek more compensation even if your condition later worsens.

What Happens if the At-Fault Driver Had No Insurance in Vermont?

Your own Uninsured Motorist (UM) coverage is designed exactly for this situation. We identify every available policy that may apply and pursue compensation through each one.

Can I Still Recover Compensation if the Police Report Blames Me for the Crash?

Yes, a police report is one piece of evidence, not a legal verdict on fault, and we regularly challenge inaccurate findings using physical evidence, expert analysis, and witness accounts.

How Long Does a Burlington Car Accident Claim Take to Resolve?

It depends on the severity of your injuries and whether the insurer negotiates fairly. Minor claims may settle within a few months, while serious injury cases can take a year or longer, particularly if litigation becomes necessary.

Are Vermont Car Accident Settlements Taxable?

Compensation for physical injuries and related medical expenses is generally not taxable under federal law. Portions attributed to punitive damages or lost wages may be treated differently, consult a CPA for advice specific to your situation.