Need an Injury Lawyer Rhode Island
People who are injured in accidents caused by the negligence of other parties are entitled to compensation for their damages in Rhode Island.
Rhode Island is the smallest state in the nation in terms of area, but it is the second-most densely populated. Residents and visitors alike in the Ocean State operate I’m pretty close quarters.
Whether it is urban locations or more rural settings, people can suffer serious injuries in all kinds of accidents in Rhode Island that are caused by another party’s negligence. It is important for any person injured in an accident to make sure he or she has legal representation before speaking to any insurance company.
Personal Injury Attorneys in Rhode Island
Need an Injury Lawyer Rhode Island represents residents of and visitors to Providence, Woonsocket, Coventry, North Providence, West Warwick, North Kingstown, Pawtucket, Cumberland, Newport, Johnston, East Providence, Kingstown, Bristol, Westerly, Smithfield, Warwick, South Cranston, Lincoln, and many other surrounding areas of Rhode Island. Our firm can conduct an independent investigation into your accident to determine all negligent parties and will work to help you get justice.
In some cases, particularly severe injuries not only involve significant medical expenses for the immediate care victims require, but also the several weeks, months, or even years of therapy and rehabilitation that follow. Worse yet, some injuries can also leave victims unable to return to work.
The insurance companies for negligent parties in many accident cases will typically reach out to victims and attempt to get them to accept settlement offers instead of pursuing legal action. You should avoid making any kind of recorded statement to an insurer.
Even when an insurance company representative seems completely sincere in his or her concern for your well-being, it is important to keep in mind that insurers are businesses that have a singular goal of ensuring they pay as little as possible to resolve all claims. An experienced personal injury lawyer can make sure that you receive all of the compensation you are entitled to.
You do not need to worry about how you will be able to afford an attorney because Need an Injury Lawyer Rhode Island represents clients on a contingency fee basis. In other words, our firm provides legal representation at no cost to you unless you receive a financial award.
Personal Injury Laws in Rhode Island
Rhode Island General Laws § 9-1-14 establishes that actions for personal injury must be commenced within three years of the date of the injury. Failure to file a claim before that deadline will result in a person forfeiting his or her ability to hold a negligent party legally liable.
When awarding damages, Rhode Island uses a pure comparative fault system for determining negligence in personal injury cases.
In Rhode Island, a plaintiff whose negligence contributed to his or her injuries can still recover damages. Unlike other jurisdictions that use a “51 percent” bar rule that bars recovery for people who are determined to be more liable than defendants, Rhode Island law allows victims to recover even if they are determined to have been 99 percent at fault.
The percentage of fault attributed to the plaintiff will ultimately be deducted from his or her final award. For example, a plaintiff who is awarded $10,000 by as jury but is found to have been 25 percent at fault for his or her injuries will ultimately receive $7,500.
Most personal injury actions will require plaintiffs to prove the four following elements by a preponderance of the evidence (the requirement that more than half of the evidence supports a legal claim, or something is “more likely than not” true):
- Duty of Care — A defendant had a legal or moral duty of care to conduct him, her, or itself in a reasonable manner;
- Breach — The defendant breached the duty of care;
- Causation — The defendant’s breach caused the plaintiff’s injuries; and
- Damages — The plaintiff suffered physical or financial harm as the result of these injuries.
Common Accidents in Rhode Island
Need an Injury Lawyer Rhode Island helps the victims of various accidents in the Keystone State. Some of the most frequent types of accidents we handle include:
- Car accidents
- Driving under influence (DUI) ,of liquor or drugs
- Truck accidents
- Commercial vehicle accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Bicycle accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Uber accidents
- Bus accidents
- Wrongful death
Types of Damages in Rhode Island Personal Injury Cases
The financial awards people receive in civil cases are referred to as compensatory damages. Damages are intended to restore a victim to his or her state before the accident, or at least as close as possible.
Compensatory damages typically come in two forms, special damages and general damages. Special damages are otherwise known as economic damages and are typically much easier to calculate. Special damages typically include awards for medical bills, lost income, and all other out-of-pocket expenses.
General damages are otherwise known as noneconomic damages and are typically much more subjective. Common general damages include pain and suffering, disfigurement, and disability.
In certain cases involving particularly egregious, reckless, or deliberate misconduct by a defendant, a jury may also award punitive damages. Punitive damages are somewhat rare and are intended more to punish a defendant and hopefully discourage others from engaging in similar misconduct.
Rhode Island generally does not cap damages, but punitive damages cannot be awarded in negligence cases. Tort actions against the state of Rhode Island or any political subdivision are limited to $100,000 under Rhode Island General Laws § 9-31-2.
Personal Injury Attorney in Rhode Island
Did you sustain catastrophic injuries or was your loved one killed in an accident caused by another party’s negligence in Rhode Island? Need an Injury Lawyer Rhode Island represents people in communities throughout Bristol County, Newport County, Washington County, Kent County, and Providence County.
You can contact our firm 24 hours a day, seven days a week to take advantage of a free consultation that will allow our Rhode Island personal injury attorneys to provide a complete evaluation of your case.