Car accidents can happen at a moment’s notice, leaving us needing to make insurance claims for vehicular damage or medical expenses. We may not need a trial, but we do need legal representation. Whether you’re in Warwick, Woonsocket, or Pawtucket, it’s important to find the right car accident lawyer to be able to properly assess and address your situation, making sure that their understanding of personal injury law comes to your benefit.
Finding the Right Car Accident Attorney
If you’re looking for an experienced attorney, you may find yourself Googling “car accident lawyer in RI” for proper legal representation. It’s important to find a counselor who is fluent in the law of the state of Rhode Island and will be able to provide the legal services needed to address an automobile accident. You may be seeking financial compensation from an insurance company or from another party in a car accident, or you could be seeking to protect your own interests in the event of a lawsuit filed against you.
It’s all about maintaining a transparent attorney-client relationship. Starting from a free consultation, personal injury lawyers will take an assessment of your car accident case to understand the legal issues at hand. This will give an idea of whether your attorney will want to attempt to settle the matter out of court or take it to trial to achieve maximum financial compensation for the circumstances. If you’re found to be in the wrong, a lawyer may direct you to settle on the grounds of negligence.
Car Crashes and the Law
Whether you’re in Cranston or Coventry, it’s important to have an attorney on your side who has an understanding of the law in Rhode Island. For example, there is a statute of limitations that sets a time limit on filing a personal injury case, including auto accidents. Generally, the impacted party has three years after the date of the crash to file a lawsuit. However, that can change in the event of medical expenses for injuries that are discovered well after the time of the wreck.
Rhode Island law also has a “comparative fault” rule that reduces the number of damages an injured person can recover if they’re at fault in a car crash. At trial, the percentage of fault could be determined, effectively divvying up the financial compensation in accordance with that ruling. Let’s say a car accident happens where you’re T-boned by a driver running a red light, but an accident report determines you were speeding. You may be deemed 10 percent at fault, having that percentage deducted from your settlement.
Preparing a Car Accident Case
If you’re an injured party in an auto accident, it’s important to seek medical treatment right away. If you don’t, it throws a significant wrench in a car accident lawsuit. Be sure to collect invoices and documentation from everything from emergency room visits to doctor’s visits. From there, a consultation with a lawyer will help you determine how to approach the claim. An attorney will investigate, then consider making demands and negotiating with the at-fault party to determine the best approach to settle.
Once the case is filed in Rhode Island civil court, it could take one to two years to reach trial. A trial then enters the discovery phase to make for transparency between all parties regarding documentation. Mediation and negotiation can take place with these concise details in place, avoiding a trial in a court of law that can be drawn out for months and lead to an even longer appeals process. Overall, it’s about finding the right personal injury attorney to fit your needs.