In Connecticut, workers' comp settlements often land in the low five figures, but a third-party injury case involving a commercial truck can be worth much more. The myth is that if it happened at work, workers' comp is all he gets. That is only half true.

Next 24 hours: Treat this as two claims until proven otherwise.

If your brother was hurt while working, he likely has a workers' compensation claim against his employer. But if the vehicle that hit him was a pest control truck owned by another company, he may also have a personal injury claim against that outside driver and company.

Do not let anyone tell him the employer's exclusive remedy rule blocks every lawsuit. In Connecticut, that rule usually blocks suing his own employer, not a negligent third party.

Right now, he should:

• report the injury to his employer in writing
• get medical care and say clearly this happened at work
• keep photos of the scene, truck markings, floodwater, debris, and damage
• get the Stamford Police incident number if officers responded

Next week: Push the paper trail. For workers' comp, Connecticut uses the Workers' Compensation Commission, and a formal Form 30C notice can matter. For an accidental injury, the deadline is usually 1 year from the date of injury, but waiting is how people get burned.

Also get the crash report, witness names, job assignment details, and payroll records showing missed hours. If this happened near I-95, Route 1, or coastal flooding closures in Fairfield County, weather and road conditions may help show why the commercial driver should have slowed down.

Next month: Figure out whether this is a dual-track case.

He may have:

• workers' comp for medical bills and wage benefits
• a third-party lawsuit for pain and suffering and fuller lost-income damages

Connecticut's general negligence deadline is usually 2 years. If road design or a public agency is involved, notice rules can be much shorter, sometimes 90 days for certain highway defect claims. That is why "just file comp and move on" is bad advice.