Personal Injury, Wrongful Death, & Survivor Damages in Providence Rhode Island

Injuries caused by the negligence of another give you a right to recover monetary damages to compensate you for your losses. However, if you or a loved one has suffered an injury, you likely know that money alone often cannot fully compensate for personal injury losses. Be that as it may, money is the only legal remedy available in these difficult situations and you should receive monetary damages for your loss. Providence personal injury lawyers and Providence wrongful death lawyers are experienced in assessing monetary awards and know what type of a settlement or award you might be able to expect from your claim.

When determining the value of a Providence personal injury or wrongful death case, you must first consider the type and degree of loss or injury involved. The most severe loss is death, and there is a body of law dealing specifically with wrongful death claims. For more information on Providence wrongful death claims, visit our Wrongful Death Damages page, or view the brief summary of wrongful death law below. Although death is one of the most tragic types of losses, many other personal injury claims can be devastating on an individual or an entire family. Providence personal injury lawyers deal with all types of injury and accident cases, and know what types of damages you might expect to recover in your situation. Contact one of the qualified Providence personal injury lawyers listed on this page to discuss your options.

Providence Wrongful Death Lawyer

Rhode Island is one of the few states with an in depth set of laws covering wrongful death cases. Rhode Island has a unique law that places a minimum recovery of $250,000 on wrongful death cases. If it can be shown that someone caused the wrongful death of another, the estate will be entitled to at least $250,000 in damages. This and other Rhode Island Wrongful Death laws can be found in Laws of Rhode Island: Title 10 - Chapter 7:

• 10-7-1. Liability for damages for causing death
• 10-7-1.1. Pecuniary damages--How determined
• 10-7-1.2. Liability for loss of consortium--Liability for loss of society and companionship
• 10-7-2. Persons who may bring actions--Limitation of actions--Minimum recovery period
• 10-7-3. Action by beneficiaries
• 10-7-4. Cause surviving death of person liable
• 10-7-5. Liability for medical expense and diminution of earning power
• 10-7-6. Executor or administrator to bring s. 10-7-5 action--Amount recovered to estate
• 10-7-7. Pain and suffering recoverable--Limitation of action
• 10-7-7.1. Punitive damages
• 10-7-8. Cause surviving death of person liable
• 10-7-9. Criminal proceedings not prerequisite
• 10-7-10. Damages not to estate or asset of estate
• 10-7-11. Applicability to pending actions
• 10-7-12. Applicability to actions commenced after passage
• 10-7-13. Severability
• 10-7-14. ''Homemaker'' defined

What legal actions should you take if your loved one has recently passed away?

When a family member or close friend passes on, it can be extremely difficult to think of all the mundane tasks that must be accomplished to get their estate in order, deal with bank accounts, pension funds, social security benefits, and any potential lawsuit you may want to pursue related to their death. If your loved one has been been killed in a wrongful death accident, you may feel lost and need guidance on your proper course of action. Click here for a detailed list of steps you should take following the death of a family member. In most cases, an executor or administrator of the deceased person is placed in charge of the estate, and this person brings the lawsuit. Specific damages are allowed for certain family members, including:

(a) Whenever the death of a married person shall be caused by the wrongful act, neglect, or default of another person, the decedent's spouse may recover damages against the person for loss of consortium.

(b) Whenever the death of a parent or parents of a son or daughter shall be caused by the wrongful act, neglect or default of another person, the son or daughter may recover damages against the person for the loss of parental society and companionship.

(c) Whenever the death of a son or daughter shall be caused by the wrongful act, neglect, or default of another person, the parent or parents of the son or daughter may recover damages against the person for the loss of the son's or daughter's society and companionship. (10-7-1.2. Liability for loss of consortium--Liability for loss of society and companionship).

What are the types of damages available when someone is killed through negligence?

The discussion above centered on which relatives and close family members have status to file a wrongful death claim. This section will explain what monetary damages are recoverable under Rhode Island law. Providence area claimants are entitled to damages for: 

1. Immediate Expenses associated with the death (e.g. medical and funeral);
2. Loss of benefits as a result of the victim's death;
3. Any loss of inheritance that comes from the untimely demise of the victim;
4. Loss of the victim's future earnings until the age of his estimated retirement or death;
5. The pain and suffering or mental anguish endured by the survivors;
6. Loss of companionship, care and protection by the survivors from the victims death; and
7. General & punitive damages.

If you or your family members have witnessed a loved one who is a close relative being injured due to negligence or intentional wrongdoing, and are now suffering mental anguish as a result, you may be entitled to compensation. Contact a Providence personal injury attorney or Providence wrongful death lawyer today to discuss your legal rights and remedies.

Negligent or Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress

In some cases, Rhode Island families may be put through severe emotional trauma and anguish due to the negligence, recklessness, or intentional wrongdoing of another party. When this occurs, a Providence personal injury attorney can help them pursue a claim for Negligent Infliction of Emotional Distress (NIED) or Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress (IIED). This claim may be brought in addition to other claims for monetary damages, and is often brought by the family members of an injury victim or deceased family member, for example, after witnessing a severe trauma inflicted upon their loved one. The specifics of when this type of claim can be brought are very complicated, but if you or your family members have witnessed a loved one who is a close relative being injured or killed due to negligence or intentional wrongdoing, and are now suffering mental anguish as a result, you may be entitled to compensation. Contact a Providence or Providence County personal injury attorney today to discuss your legal rights and remedies.

Providence wrongful death attorneys represent clients in claims involving a wide range of accidents and catastrophes and have the experience and skill necessary to get the job done right. Knowledge of a potential damage award is crucial to settling or successfully prosecuting any claim for wrongful death, and a Providence wrongful death lawyer's experience with these types of cases can help you assess your options from the get-go.If you or your family members have witnessed a loved one who is a close relative being injured or killed due to negligence or intentional wrongdoing, and are now suffering mental anguish as a result, you may be entitled to compensation. Contact a Providence personal injury attorney or Providence wrongful death lawyer today to discuss your legal rights and remedies. Click here for more information regarding wrongful death actions and damages.

Providence Personal Injury Lawyer:

What are some common types of injuries for which Metro Providence residents may be compensated?

(1) Death - Obviously the most severe injury is death and compensation for wrongful death actions are, of course, available to bereaved family members, as discussed above. However, sometimes death is not instantaneous and additional compensation may be available. Above, "conscious pain and suffering" was discussed as an element of recovery. Whether a decedent suffered consciously prior to death is a very important area of investigation for the Providence personal injury law firm. For example, in an explosion case, sometimes the injury attorney will need to retain an accident reconstructionist to explain that the death was not instantaneous. This can be very hard for the family to listen to at trial, but it is essential to prove if monetary compensation is to be awarded by a jury, and is also necessary to send an adequate message to the party responsible for causing the death;

(2) Back, Neck, & Spinal Injuries - Spinal injuries are the most common injuries seen in car accidents and work related injuries. This is because the spinal vertebrae, soft tissue, discs, and ligaments extend from the base of the skull all the way down to the hips and are especially vulnerable to auto accidents, other high velocity impacts, and repetitive motion and occupational injuries. Spinal injuries are best treated by an orthopedic surgeon but neurosurgeons may also treat the spine, though they tend to concentrate more heavily on the cervical (neck) region rather than the lumbar (lower back) region. In Providence, there are also an abundance of chiropractors, and, in less severe cases, they may treat the injury victim. Since chiropractors cannot perform spinal surgery, they are generally limited to physical therapy, including whirlpool, ice pack treatments, heat treatments, and electrical stimulation. There are a wide array of spinal injuries including:            

(a) Whiplash or back and neck strain;            

(b) Herniated Discs - Usually diagnosed by a cervical MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) or a Lumbar MRI. Herniated discs can also be diagnosed by a CAT scan (computed tomography) and/or a Cervical or Lumbar Myelogram. However, a myelogram is an invasive procedure and the MRI has consequently been the preferred diagnostic procedure since about 1987. The normal course of treatment, if the disk herniation is not emergent, is a conservative treatment program involving physical therapy (PT). If, after 6 to 12 weeks of PT, the pain does not resolve itself, a prudent doctor will order an MRI. If the MRI is "positive," which actually is bad in the sense it has demonstrated a problem in the disc, the next step is epidural steroid injections, which consist of injecting a corti-steroid directly around the disc and joint in question. This may resolve the problem entirely or it may resolve it temporarily. If relief proves to be only temporary, it may be repeated after a month or so. If the pain is not tolerable, the orthopedist or neurosurgeon may discuss spine surgery as an option. Surgical options may range from a laminectomy to a removal of the disc and a fusion. Some fusions are done with natural bone while others are done with "instrumentations." If you have suffered a herniated disc, you should pursue necessary medical treatment and contact a Providence personal injury attorney;           

(c) Paraplegia or Quadraplegia - In truck, car, and other serious accidents, the trauma to the spine can result in a severe injury to the spinal cord. Depending upon the level of trauma, the result can be horrific and sometimes even permanently disabling. A victim may be paralyzed from the waist down or from the neck down, depending on the specific spinal injury involved. Most rollover accidents result in injuries to the C2/C3 or C3/C4 region of the cervical spinal vertebrae and result in full quadriplegia.

(3) Brain Injuries - Brain Injuries range from extremely noticeable to very minor; however, despite the severity of the brain injury, it can affect your ability to perform a variety of daily tasks. Memory, motor function, or other complicated neurological processes may be compromised or fully destroyed. If you believe you may have suffered a brain injury, you should contact a doctor as well as one of the experienced Providence personal injury attorneys listed above.

(4) Burn Injuries - Burns can happen anytime, anywhere and can change a person's life forever, leaving painful, difficult-to-mask scar tissue and, many times, requiring painful skin grafts. Burns can also leave the injury victim subject to long, excruciating rehabilitation and lifelong social stigma, resulting in a variety of damages. Perhaps even more critically, burns leave a person extremely vulnerable to infection and a variety of complications can occur following a severe burn. Burn injuries might occur in an industrial explosion, or due to another party's negligence or the negligence of their employees. Although a monetary award cannot heal the burns themselves, it can go a long way in terms of helping a burn victim and their family during the rehabilitation process. Moreover, rising healthcare costs have made recovering from a traumatic burn injury more expensive and difficult for many families affected by the trauma. If you or a loved one has been affected by a severe burn injury and you believe you may have a claim against the party responsible, contact one of the Providence personal injury attorneys listed for a consultation.

Providence personal injury attorneys and Providence wrongful death attorneys represent clients in claims involving a wide range of injuries and accidents and have the experience and skill necessary to get the job done right. Knowledge of a potential damage award is crucial to settling or successfully prosecuting any claim for personal injury or wrongful death, and a Providence personal injury lawyer or wrongful death lawyer's experience with these types of cases can help you assess your options from the get-go.

Helpful Resources if your friend, family member, or loved one has suffered an injury:

Providence Area Florist Shops

Why not send your loved one a special reminder showing how much you care?

For your convenience, we have also provided the following map of Providence florists so you can easily locate a shop near you:

Personal Injury and Wrongful Death Lawyers Serve Metro Providence and Surrounding North Rhode Island Communities

• Serving clients throughout Eastern New Hampshire, including Allenton, Ashaway, Attleboro, Bayside, Boston, Bradford, Cambridge, Chepachet, Cranston, Cumberland Hill, East Greenwich, Exeter, Fort Ninigret, Greenville, Harrisville, Hartford, Hope Valley, Kingston, Misquamicut, New Haven, Nooseneck, North Scituate, North Swansea, Pawtucket, Perryville, Providence, Rumford, Shannock, Springfield, Usquepaug, Valley Falls, Wakefield, Warwick, Washington, West Warwick, Westerly, Wood River Junction, Woonsocket, Worcestor, areas in the vicinity of Theodore Francis Green Memorial State Airport, and other communities in Providence County.

Contact one of the qualified Providence personal injury attorneys listed on this page today for a full explanation of your rights after your or a loved one has suffered a serious injury or wrongful death.