Personal Injury Cases We Handle in Rhode Island and Massachusetts

What We Handle, and What Decides Each Case

Every case below runs on the same principle: someone owed you reasonable care, they failed, and you were hurt because of it. What changes is how you prove it — and the proof looks very different depending on the case type and which state you are in.

• Car AccidentsFault and coverage decide these. Rhode Island gives you three years to file. Massachusetts pays your first $8,000 in medical bills through PIP either way.Rhode IslandMassachusetts
• Slip and FallNotice is the hardest element — whether the owner knew, or should have known. Massachusetts snow and ice claims require written notice within 30 days.Rhode IslandMassachusetts
• Dog BitesRhode Island imposes strict liability for bites outside the owner's enclosure. You do not have to prove the dog was known to be dangerous.Rhode IslandMassachusetts
• Motorcycle AccidentsInsurer bias is the real obstacle. Adjusters apply assumptions to riders they never apply to drivers. Rhode Island requires helmets for operators under 21 and all first-year riders.Rhode IslandMassachusetts
• Premises LiabilityYour legal status on the property — invitee, licensee or trespasser — sets the duty the owner owed you.Rhode IslandMassachusetts
• Product LiabilityStrict liability applies. You need not prove the maker was careless, only that the product was defective and it injured you. Preserve the product.Rhode IslandMassachusetts
• Pedestrian AccidentsRight of way governs. Drivers must yield in marked crosswalks, and crossing outside one does not end your claim in Rhode Island.Rhode IslandMassachusetts
• Uber and LyftWhich of three coverage phases was active decides everything. Uber and Lyft carry $1 million while a ride is in progress, far less when the app is merely on.Rhode IslandMassachusetts
• Truck AccidentsA commercial truck brings federal safety rules, driver hours-of-service logs and a company insurer into the case. Electronic records can be overwritten, so these reward acting early.Rhode IslandMassachusetts
• Bicycle AccidentsCyclists have the same right to the road as drivers. Fault usually turns on lane position, door-zone collisions and whether a driver failed to yield.Rhode IslandMassachusetts
• Boat AccidentsRhode Island's coastline makes boating claims a real practice area here. Operator negligence, alcohol and equipment failure are the usual causes.Rhode Island

What Compensation Actually Covers

People tend to think of a settlement as payment for the injury. It is broader than that, and the categories most often left on the table are the ones worth the most.

Medical costs, present and future. Emergency care and treatment already received, plus care you will still need. Future care is recoverable but has to be proven with evidence — it is not assumed, and insurers rarely offer it unprompted.

Lost income and lost earning capacity. Wages missed while recovering, and the longer-term question of whether you can still do the work you did before. Massachusetts PIP covers 75% of lost wages up to the policy limit; the rest is pursued through the claim.

Pain and suffering. There is no fixed formula in Rhode Island. Insurers and courts use two main approaches, and which one is applied can change the figure substantially.

Scarring, disfigurement and psychological injury. Real and compensable, and routinely undervalued in first offers — particularly after dog attacks and burns.

How Long It Takes

An honest answer: it depends on your treatment, not on us. We do not make a demand until your medical picture is clear, because settling before you know the full extent of an injury is how people end up paying for their own future care. A straightforward claim can resolve in months. One involving surgery, disputed fault or a contested policy limit takes considerably longer. We will tell you which one yours looks like early, and we will not let a filing deadline pass while it develops.

What Every One of These Cases Has in Common

A deadline. Rhode Island gives most injury victims three years. Claims involving government property require written notice within 60 days — miss it and the claim is gone regardless of how strong it was.

An insurer working against you. The adjuster who calls in the first week is friendly and is not on your side. You are not required to give a recorded statement.

No cost to find out where you stand. We work on contingency. You pay nothing upfront, and nothing at all unless we win.

Not Sure Which One Applies?

Most people who call us do not know what category their case falls into, and they do not need to. Describe what happened. We will tell you whether you have a claim, which state's law governs it, and what it is realistically worth.

Call (401) 288-3888. Attorney on call 24 hours a day. Free consultation, in English, Spanish or Portuguese.

See also: all Rhode Island practice areas · all Massachusetts practice areas · the cities we serve · what is my case worth · how our no fee promise works