You may believe you have to cover the cost of an injury you suffered due to no fault of your own. Fortunately, this is not always the case. If you partner with an Apponaug personal injury lawyer, you may be able to request compensation from the liable party.
Members of the legal team at Rhode Island personal injury lawyer have held leadership positions in the Rhode Island Trial Lawyers Association and Rhode Island State Bar. We are available to review your injury case and discuss your legal options with you. To get started, reach out to us.
Definition of a Personal Injury
You may get hurt as a result of someone else’s actions. In this situation, you may be dealing with a personal injury. If left untreated, this injury may affect you long into the future.
If you suffer an injury in a car accident or any other situation, get help immediately. Even if someone else is liable for your injury, you need to take care of it. In the days after your injury, you may meet with an Apponaug personal injury attorney who may be able to help you hold the at-fault party accountable.
An attorney may help you submit a claim for compensation from the party who caused your injury to happen. The team at Gemma Law Associates, Inc. has decades of legal experience, and we may be able to assist you with your injury claim. For more information, get in touch with us.
For a free legal consultation with a Personal Injury lawyer serving ApponaugCall 401.467.2300
Personal Injury Claim Statute of Limitations
According to Rhode Island General Laws §9-1-14, you may have up to three years from the date you suffered an injury to pursue damages from a liable party. For example, you may buy a product that proves to be defective and causes you to get hurt. In this scenario, you may be able to seek damages from the product manufacturer or another liable party within three years.
A personal injury lawyer in Apponaug can help you promptly submit your claim. They may work with you to gather evidence to support your request. Proof you may use to show a party was liable may include medical records and accident scene photos and videos.
It may be in your best interests not to wait too long from the date of your injury to pursue damages. The statute of limitations for an injury claim may not be extended. Beyond three years from the date of your injury, you may be 100% responsible for your medical bills and other economic and non-economic losses.
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Cost of a Personal Injury
Personal injury case results depend on the situation. An individual who suffers a traumatic brain injury (TBI) or similar issues may be eligible for more damages than someone who deals with minor harm. A personal injury attorney in Apponaug can help you figure out how much to request in damages.
You may request economic and non-economic compensation. Reasons why a judge or jury may award economic damages for your medical bills and other quantifiable losses. You may receive non-economic compensation based on pain, suffering, and other subjective losses.
What you ask for in damages may not be what you receive in compensation. You may have the opportunity to negotiate a settlement before your case goes to trial. Or, a judge or jury may award you less damages than what you initially requested.
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Comparative Negligence
Rhode Island has a pure comparative negligence statute. Based on this, the damages you receive in your injury case may be reduced by how much you were at fault. Alternatively, you may be able to request compensation for an injury, even if you are primarily responsible for it.
To understand how comparative negligence applies to your injury case, consider an example. You may be involved in a car accident in which a court says you are 10% liable. If so, you may receive 90% of the damages you originally requested.
Your Apponaug personal injury attorney will work with you to craft an argument designed to show a judge or jury you are in no way responsible for your injury. They may help you build a body of evidence. Also, they may look for ways to show the defendant in your case was negligent and should be required to pay you damages.
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Proving Negligence in an Injury Case
Your attorney can answer common questions about personal injury cases, including those relating to negligence. It is your responsibility to prove an at-fault party was negligent. To do so, you must show a court that the four elements of negligence were present at the time your injury occurred, including duty of care, causation, and a breach of the duty of care.
If you have an abundance of evidence and a compelling argument, you may be well-equipped to get a court to rule in your favor. The at-fault party may also struggle to dispute the claims against them. This may lead the defendant in your case to propose a settlement.
Injury Case Settlement
You are not legally obligated to settle an injury case. However, it may be beneficial to do so. If you approve a settlement that lines up with your expectations, you will get money right away and not have to move forward with a trial.
If you receive a settlement proposal, you may want to go over it with your attorney. This allows you to share any concerns or questions you have about the offer with your attorney. There may be times when an attorney advises their client on how to respond to a first personal injury settlement offer.
You make the final decision on a settlement offer. If you are not happy with a proposal, you can decline it without incurring any penalties. From here, you and your attorney can continue to look for ways to strengthen your case.
Hire an Attorney
You can get legal help with your injury case from an Apponaug personal injury lawyer at Gemma Law Associates, Inc. We can evaluate your case and provide tips and recommendations on what to do next. To schedule a free consultation, contact us today.
Call or text 401.467.2300 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form