Rhode Island Motor Vehicle Accident Attorneys
A traffic accident can change your life forever. The long-term costs of a serious injury can be in the millions of dollars. Few accident victims or their families anticipate the full financial impact that their injuries will cause over the years. An experienced Rhode Island motor vehicle accident attorney will work with medical and financial experts to properly estimate the future costs associated with your injuries and fight for full compensation for you.
Damages
If you have been injured in a motor vehicle accident, you can expect the insurance company to try to avoid paying for your losses and future needs or to offer far less than you should receive. A Rhode Island personal injury attorney will fight for full and fair compensation for all of your economic and noneconomic damages such as:
- Medical expenses and future medical expenses
- Home health care
- Long term care
- Rehabilitation and therapy
- Special equipment and home modifications to accommodate disability
- Lost income and future lost income
- Lost earning capacity
- Physical pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Shortened life expectancy
- Disability
- Disfigurement
- Loss of consortium, for spouse child, or parent as applicable
If You Were Partly to Blame
Rhode Island recognizes pure comparative negligence. If you are found to be partly to blame for your accident, you can still recover damages. In pure comparative negligence you can receive compensation for your injuries even if you were 99% to blame. Your damages are reduced by your portion of fault. For example, if you were 40% to blame and your damages are $100,000, your award would be reduced to $60,000.
Failure to Wear Seat Belt or Helmet Inadmissible
Rhode Island law is very clear on the issue of seat belts and helmets in motor vehicle accident lawsuits. Failure to wear a seat belt in an auto accident or a helmet in a motorcycle accident cannot be used against you. Neither can be admitted as evidence in a civil trial.
Time Limits
The statute of limitations for personal injury, in Rhode Island, is three years. That means you have three years from the date of your accident to file your lawsuit. The statute of limitations is tolled, meaning it is put on hold, for minors until they turn 18. It is also tolled for those of “unsound mind” until the disability is removed.
Three years may seem like a long time, but you should not put off getting started. There may be elements that give you far less time to take legal action. The statute of limitations is not the only deadline you have to consider. If it turns out that you must sue a government entity, you will have a very short amount of time to give notice. In some cases you have as little as 40 days.
If you lost a loved one in a fatal crash or if you or a loved one suffered serious injuries in an accident in Rhode Island, the motor vehicle accident lawyers listed in this directory are available for free initial consultations.