Vernon Town Councilwoman Laurie Abernathy is named in a lawsuit for allegedly being an “uninsured motorist,” when she was involved in a car accident on I-84 in 2023, causing injuries to the passenger of another vehicle who says they’ve had to expend – or may have to expend – “considerable sums of money” for emergency and other ongoing medical treatments.”
According to the lawsuit, Abernathy crossed from the left lane to the right lane of the highway striking the other vehicle on October 16, 2023, just weeks prior to Abernathy’s election to the Vernon Town Council on the Democrat Party ticket. Connecticut State Police records confirm the date of the accident and the names of the parties involved.
The plaintiff, a woman in her seventies, is claiming injury to her right hip and leg, and to her head and neck, along with physical and emotional trauma, and because Abernathy did not have liability insurance at the time, the plaintiff is having to sue her property and casualty insurer for an uninsured motorist claim.
“At all relevant times, the defendant, Laurie Abernathy, did not have liability insurance that would cover her liability for this accident,” the lawsuit states. “Laurie Abernathy was an uninsured motorist as defined by Connecticut law.”
Under state statute, a driver must carry liability insurance of at least $25,000 per person, or $50,000 per accident, to cover bodily harm and $25,000 for property damage. Failure to have insurance can result in a license suspension.
The collision took place just weeks before Abernathy’s election to the Vernon Town Council in November of 2023. The lawsuit, however, was not filed until September of this year, when Abernathy is running for re-election.
Reached for comment on social media, Abernathy said at the time she had collateral protection insurance “provided by my lien holder at the Digital Credit Union,” but was notified that the insurance only covered the damage to her vehicle, which was totaled in the accident. “I gave this information to the court and [plaintiff law firm] Goff Law,” Abernathy wrote.
Connecticut faced a steep increase in motor vehicle accidents during the post-pandemic years, which is only now beginning to subside as the legislature, municipalities, and police have stepped up enforcement, allowed red light cameras, and installed wrong-way driving signals at off ramps following a rash of wrong-way driving deaths.
However, some state officials have exercised poor judgment in their driving habits; according to GPS records for a state vehicle used by the Office of the Governor, someone hit speeds in excess of 100 mph. Following an investigation, the governor’s former Chief of Staff, Jonathan Dach, was found to have used the state vehicle excessively for personal use.
Abernathy, who works as a personal empowerment coach for The Village for Families and Children and maintains a life-coaching practice called Soul Provider, according to the Vernon DTC website, has also faced four other lawsuits from creditors seeking several thousands of dollars. Two of those lawsuits ended in 2024, and two ended in 2025, all with wage garnishments.
Although Abernathy indicated she worked “12 years as a Life & Mentor Coach,” in a series of questions for the Vernon Patch, a motion she filed in March of 2024 requesting a reduced debt payment stated that she had “been unemployed for 3 years with limited benefits,” had “just gained employment” in September of 2023, and was concentrating her funds on catching up on her mortgage.
The accident victim is seeking monetary damages, interest and costs, and any other relief the court may “deem fair and equitable.”
“The State of Massachusetts and the City of Worcester honored Laurie for her selfless work in the community,” the Vernon DTC wrote of Abernathy on their website. “She believes in government transparency and accountability. Laurie is also a supporter of adequate, affordable housing for underserved communities.”
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