Waterford ― A near-death workplace accident at Electric Boat in Groton has forever altered the life of 26-year-old Tanessa Pabon.

But more than four years after waking up from an induced coma in the intensive care unit at Yale New Haven Hospital facing years of rehabilitation, Pabon is optimistic about her future.

During an interview at her Waterford home on Dec. 29, Pabon talked about the highs and lows of her recovery and future goals, some of which she has already achieved. She recently earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Connecticut. It’s no small accomplishment considering her limited exposure to the outside world and struggle to maintain normalcy in the face of lingering physical and mental health issues.

By virtue of their positions, police officers are granted the authority to use a reasonable degree of force when necessary for the safety and well-being of all parties involved including the person being detained, the officer, and even bystanders. However, the authority to use force is limited. When officers abuse this authority and use more force than required to gain control of the situation, injuries and even death can follow. As such, with their authority comes tremendous responsibility, prudence, and discretion.

Whether you are being pulled over by law enforcement or stopped by a police officer on the street, an interaction with law enforcement is a stressful experience. While it may seem like law enforcement holds all of the power in a traffic stop, you have equally powerful constitutional rights and protections.

Police brutality has been in the news a lot lately. So, too, has the term “qualified immunity” and the question of whether citizens can sue police officers for civil rights violations. 

Here, we break down the definition of qualified immunity, at both the federal and state levels. We also discuss what the current laws mean for anyone seeking to sue a police officer for a civil rights violation and how a Hartford personal injury attorney can help you.

In the wake of the death of George Floyd and nationwide protests against police brutality, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont signed into law comprehensive police accountability legislation that institutes a new statewide watchdog for police misconduct.

The new law bans the controversial use of chokeholds and no-knock warrants, limits the ability of police officers to withhold officer disciplinary records, and requires all law enforcement officers to wear body cameras. In addition, the new law allows individual officers to be held financially responsible in civil lawsuits over their actions.