The types of compensation you may be eligible to recover depends on the damages and injuries you suffered. Some of the main factors that affect the amount of compensation include the severity of your injuries, how your ability to work was affected, how your future ability to work was affected, how your quality of life has been diminished, the amount of your medical bills, whether the accident has left you severely impaired or disfigured and how your personal relationships – such as those with your spouse – have been negatively impacted by your accident.

Some examples of types of compensation available to victims of Rhode Island car accidents include:

Medical expenses – These include bills for hospital stays, emergency room visits, ambulance fees and other medical costs related to the injuries suffered in the accident.
Future medical expenses – If the injuries suffered in the crash will require ongoing treatment, the estimated cost should be included in a settlement or court award.
Lost wages – If you are not able to work due to your injuries, you may be entitled to compensation for your lost wages. Compensation may be recovered even if you were able to take sick leave or other paid absences.
Lost earning capacity – lf disabilities related to your injuries in the accident make you unable to perform the work you did before the accident, you may be entitled to compensation if you are required to take a lower-paying job or are unable to work at all.
Additional types of compensation may include hiring individuals to help with housework, loss of consortium, loss of society and companionship, pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life and other types of damages.

In Rhode Island, the party or parties who were at fault are required to compensate accident victims for their losses. The negligence of non-drivers may have also played a role. For example, the manufacturer of a defective automotive part or the government agency that failed to repair a dangerous road condition may also be liable. Companies that employ negligent drivers – trucking companies, for example – may also be held responsible for accidents their employees cause.

In many cases, it is critical to conduct an independent investigation to determine which parties may be held responsible. Marasco & Nesselbush frequently work with investigators, accident reconstructionists and other experts to uncover what really happened in a crash and who should be held responsible for it.

Rhode Island law limits how long you have to file a lawsuit after an accident. This is known as a “statute of limitations.” The amount of time you have to file suit depends on the type of case you are involved in. For a car accident that causes personal injury, you have three years from the date of the accident to file a lawsuit under most circumstances. For fatal car accidents, the statute of limitations for a wrongful death claim is three years from the date of death under most circumstances. Although three years may seem like a long time, it is important to get started on a claim as soon as possible. Important evidence and witnesses may become unavailable as time passes. Your attorneys need time to develop a strong legal claim for your right to recover compensation. The sooner you talk to us, the better.

However, even if a significant amount of time has passed, you should not be deterred from discussing your case with a legal professional. In some situations the statute of limitations may be extended, particularly in cases involving minors and disabled adults.

Texting while driving is illegal for all drivers in Rhode Island. If the driver who hit you broke this law by texting behind the wheel, leading to the crash, that driver may be held responsible.

Even if the driver was not charged with violating the texting ban – or was charged but the charges were dismissed – you may still be able to hold him or her liable for your injuries. Civil liability for an accident is a separate matter from traffic violations.

It may be possible to obtain cell phone records that indicate the other driver was sending or receiving a text message at the time of your crash. Witness statements may also support that the other driver was texting. It is critical to work with an experienced attorney who can gather these and other types of evidence to build your claim for full and fair compensation.

You can afford help from Marasco & Nesselbush. That’s because we charge nothing for initial consultations and claim reviews, and we handle injury claims on a contingency fee basis. This means that if we agree to take on your case, we charge no upfront fees. We get paid only if we recover compensation for you. An agreed-upon percentage would be deducted from your final settlement or court award. If no compensation is recovered, you owe us nothing for our legal services.

You may be entitled to recover compensation for your loss through a wrongful death claim. Rhode Island law allows certain family members to recover damages when they lose a relative in an accident caused by someone else’s negligence, such as that of a drunk driver. Dealing with the loss of a loved one is difficult, particularly when the death was caused by someone else’s recklessness. Getting help from a qualified Rhode Island wrongful death attorney at Marasco & Nesselbush can allow you to focus on putting your life back together while we deal with the legal issues related to securing the compensation you deserve for your tragic loss.

Our team put their negotiation, arbitration, mediation and litigation skills to work on your behalf. We use these tactics to obtain full and fair settlements, verdicts and awards every day.

Insurance companies understand that unless they offer our clients a fair settlement, our Rhode Island personal injury lawyers will sue them and obtain justice in court. Because of our sterling reputation as personal injury lawyers who are willing to fight for justice, we are generally successful in obtaining excellent settlements for clients without using the court system.

Call us as soon as possible or fill out a form anywhere on our site. After we meet with you and agree to take your case, we will work hard to establish fault to ensure prompt and full compensation. Marasco & Nesselbush’s professional, experienced team maintain continuous communication with insurance companies and adjusters to stay on top of your case.