Navigating the legal landscape can be challenging for those who are not attorneys versed in car accident laws or personal injury cases. If you’ve been injured in a car accident or a fall, you may not know your rights. Here are three things you may not know about personal injury laws in New Hampshire and Massachusetts.
1. If you were not at fault in a car accident, you have several rights.
Car accident laws differ across the United States, so if you are involved in auto accident litigation in New Hampshire or Massachusetts, you’ll want to find a law firm that understands car accident laws unique to those states.
If you were not the “at-fault” driver in a car accident, you have the right to be “made whole,” both physically and emotionally, according to the Law Office of Todd D. Beauregard, P.C. Additionally, your insurance carrier is mandated by law to handle your claim in a commercially responsible fashion. You also have the right to be compensated for your personal injuries.
2. Personal injuries can represent physical, emotional and/or psychological damage.
A personal injury, according to the law, relates not just to damage to the body, but can also indicate damage to the mind or emotions, according to the law office of Todd D. Beauregard, PC.
If you have been injured and are now experiencing pain, suffering, depression, loss of work or a change in your lifestyle as a result of your accident, you could be due a legal settlement.
3. Personal injury laws cover both car accidents and slip and fall injuries.
When most people think of a personal injury claim, they might be thinking about injuries incurred during an automobile accident. But personal injuries can also take place due to:
– pedestrian accidents
– slip and fall accidents
– motorcycle accidents
– medical malpractice
– workplace injuries
– product liabilities
– dog bites
– nursing home abuse
4. When you venture onto someone’s property, you have rights.
If you slip and fall in someone’s home or at their place of business, you could be due a settlement for your personal injury. In New Hampshire, the homeowner, business owner, or caretaker has a care of duty owed to those on their property. If they breach that duty, they could be liable to pay punitive damages as well as economic compensation for the injury to your personal health.
5. You may not have to pay your lawyer unless you win in a personal injury suit.
Retaining a lawyer for a car accident, slip and fall case or other personal injury suit does not have to be costly. You may already be short on cash or in debt due to medical bills and other expenses. You may even be out of work and unable to keep up on our regular monthly expenses.
Personal injury lawyers such as Todd D. Beauregard work on a contingency basis, where his fee is determined as a percentage of your settlement. This means there is no financial risk for pursuing your case.
Due to the statute of limitations on personal injury settlements, it’s important to contact a lawyer very quickly after your accident. Not only can you receive your settlement faster by acting sooner, but your lawyer will help you work with the insurance companies to minimize out of pocket expenses and to ensure you get the medical care and support that you need.
Online Stock Trading says
Nice article. Everybody should know about this especially those who are insured. Now, I know both car accidents and slip and fall injuries are covered by a personal injury lawyer.
Kate @ Money Propeller says
Such a good topic, I’m sure lot of your readers will learn a lot from this one. Honestly, I didn’t know that you don’t need to pay your lawyer unless you win in a personal injury suit.
Rose Henderson says
I had no idea personal injury cases could include emotional pain. I’m really glad to hear that is something that is being taken seriously. I can see how people could abuse the system with that though. I suppose that is what the hearing if for though. To see who is really at fault and what-not.
Ted Smith says
I didn’t know that personal injuries not only included physical injuries, but emotional and psychological as well. I will have to tell my friend about this. My friend has had some emotional trauma recently and I wonder if he could get compensated for it. Will my friend need to hire personal injury lawyer to help him?
Emily Smith says
I didn’t know that some lawyers only have you pay them if you win the case. That is nice because it gives the lawyer incentive to give his all in the case. The Lawyer wants to be paid, so it makes sense that he or she would do their best to win. I would like to hire a lawyer like that. Does anyone know of a lawyer that does this?
Derek Wilson Law says
Great Post! Many people don’t know that some personal injury lawyers don’t take fees in advance and they work on a contingency basis. You have really done a good work by enlightening people about the facts about which they are not aware.
Callie Marie says
My car was recently backed into in a parking lot, and while it wasn’t serious, it made me wonder what my rights are if my family and I had been hurt. Thanks for the great information about personal injury, it answered a lot of my questions. I had auto accidents in mind, but it is good to know that ‘slip and fall’ injuries are covered by personal injury laws as well.
Emily Smith says
This was an interesting post about personal injury laws. I didn’t realize that personal injuries can include physical, emotional and psychological damage. It is good to know this information. You never know when it might come in handy! It is also good to know that there are lawyers to help understand these laws as well.
Emily Smith
DoloresB says
I didn’t know about number one until my mom was in an accident. She was stopped at a red light when someone hit her from behind. The police officer and insurance companies were a lot easier to work with since she wasn’t at fault, which was really nice. Normally it’s hard to work with insurance companies.
Natalie Darcy says
I don’t know very much about personal injury law and what goes into them, but I have recently been very interested in learning more about it. I didn’t know that personal injuries could represent emotional and psychological damage as well as physical. I think it’s kind of nice that it helps people who are more than just physically hurt! Thank you for such an informative and easily understood article!
Veronica Teller says
Great post about personal injury law. Thanks for highlighting the importance of quickly contacting a lawyer. We are always hearing about ‘statute of limitations’ on tv, but I think that few people really understand what that means. Thanks for the post!
Natalie Darcy says
I have never know much about personal injury law, which is not good because it is the are of law that I am most likely to have an experience in. I didn’t know about the rights that you have as the person at fault in a car accident. It is nice to know that you still have the right to be compensated for your personal injuries! Thank you for such an informative article.
Paige Smith says
It is interesting to learn that personal injuries can be not only physical, but also emotional or psychological damage. This leads me to think about bullying and sexual harassment. However, we have to ask ourselves are we too sensitive and just getting offended too easily, or are honestly being harassed?
Bill Barnett says
Thanks for giving us 2 bonus points in the article! I have been the victim of two car accidents caused by other this past year. It is definitely worth it to consult a legal officer to know your rights and your case.
Deanna R. Jones says
I was feeling really worried that I wouldn’t be able to find a personal injury lawyer to help me with my case before reading this. I’ve always thought that people usually get help with compensation for injuries like slip and fall accidents and car accidents. I was walking around the block to visit one of my friends when my neighbor’s dog attacked me. The bite marks on my arms and shoulder were severe enough that I needed hospital treatment. Now that I know that there are lawyers who specialize in cases dealing with dog bites, I can get the representation that I need to pay for my medical bills. Thanks for the information!
Jessy Shaw says
Especially, when it comes to car accidents, documenting everything can really help should you ever need to go to court. My husband was in a pretty bad car accident a few days ago and we are having issues with the other driver and their insurance company. We are thinking about consulting with a personal injury attorney about what the best course of action should be. This information will be really helpful to us, thanks for sharing!
Joel says
I didn’t know physical injury lawyers could represent emotional or psych damage. I wonder how that’s even measured? Kind of interesting to know. My friend was recently in a car accident and ended up getting an attorney to settle the claim with the insurance company. Evidently it was a good idea, because she ended up getting thousands more than what the company originally offered. Thanks for sharing!
Zach Thalman says
I really didn’t know that personal injury cases could also be because of emotional or psychological damage. Would that mean that a traumatic even could count as a personal injury? That would mean that more people could file a personal injury case. I wonder how many people actually try and get compensated for emotional distress.
Drew says
Great information on personal injury lawsuits. There are a lot of different parts to what makes someone liable so it’s best to speak directly with a professional to find out if you have a case or not. Great advice!
Breck Lewis says
I really like how you said that, “Personal injuries can represent physical, emotional and/or psychological damage”. People don’t realize that after you have been in an accident that you are also emotionally damaged as well. My friend was in a car accident not too long ago and they just gave him a settlement check. How are they able to measure the pain that someone will feel in a dollar value?
Eliza Cranston says
These are some great facts about personal injury cases! I was injured in a car accident a while ago and I was not at fault. However, it was the fault of the city traffic lights rather than another driver. Is it possible to make a personal injury claim against a city rather than a person?
Logan Murphy says
I think it’s important to understand that a personal injury lawyer can help you even if the injury is not physical. Like you mentioned, an injury can be emotional or psychological. I have a friend who was in that situation and received a lot of great help from his lawyer. It’s nice to know that we can be protected in those situations. Thanks for the wonderful insights.
Jake White says
My daughter just got in a car accident, and she claims that it wasn’t her fault. I am glad that I came to this article, because we are trying to determine what rights she has. She did sustain a few minor injuries so it appears that she should have the right to be covered for those. Thanks for sharing!
Joel says
Thanks for explaining some of the rights you have on someone else’s property. It’s also great to know that you may not have to pay your attorney unless you win the claim. A friend of mine works for a local accident attorney. I’ll have to show her a copy of this post and see what she thinks. Thank you!
Carter Michaelson says
Getting involved with a personal injury case can definitely be intimidating and scary if you don’t know what you are doing. When it comes to hiring a lawyer, it is best to do extensive research before you hire them. Ask friends and family for references and pay attention to reviews if there are any. Make sure that you keep a record of everything that happened with the incident as well as the events following. This all will help the process be a little easier and go a little faster.
June Robinson says
Wow, I had no idea that there were so many little details that went into personal injury laws. I have always thought that they only covered physical damages, but it is good to know that they cover emotional and/or psychological damage as well. With so many unknowns, hiring a lawyer to help navigate through the system is probably the best way to go. Thanks for the information!
Ian Johanson says
Thanks for your article. I wasn’t aware that personal injuries could cover so much. I knew about car accidents, malpractice suits, and workplace injuries, but I didn’t think of considering dog bites or falling at a friends house. Probably because it doesn’t happen all that often, but now I have more incentive to clean up before I invite guests over.
Zach Thalman says
Thank you for explaining what thinks people don’t normally see in personal injury law. I think people forget that they still have rights still. I think it would also be helpful to know more about what you can do in those situations.
Raylin Sutter says
I really appreciate this post as my husband recently got bit by a dog at work. It got infected and he had had to take some time off due to that. I have been wondering whether or not he should talk to an attorney and make a personal injury claim about this. However, I had never heard of anyone doing that, but this post puts it on the list. Do you have any case examples that we could look at? I think that that would be very helpful to him.
James Hobusch says
It’s interesting to read that personal injury can cover things such as product liabilities. I was unaware of these sorts of cases, and I think that this raises some concern for my brother and I. I will definitely have to talk this over with him, as I have been worried about the safety of our products. Thanks for sharing!
Kyle Ross says
This is some great information, and I appreciate your point that personal injury lawyers aren’t just for car accidents. I didn’t realize that you could use a personal injury attorney for things like slips and falls! I haven’t ever had to use one, but I’ll definitely keep in mind that I can hire a lawyer even if I slip and fall. Thanks for the great post!
Jeff Curtis says
I wasn’t sure if hiring a lawyer for a personal injury would be worth it. I also didn’t think the same layers would deal with car accidents and other types of injuries. My brother lost his job because of a knee injury, I wish I would have known this information when that happened, thanks!
June Robinson says
Before reading this, I also didn’t know that these three things existed in the personal injury law world, so I really appreciate you bringing light to them. It is interesting that personal injuries can represent physical, emotional, and/or psychological damage. I was recently in an accident and had a lot of emotional drama so this would have been great to know during that. I imagine that having a personal injury lawyer would help you navigate through these laws and how you can get all you deserve. Thanks for sharing this!
Jordan Leavitt says
I really like how you explained that, “If you were not the “at-fault” driver in a car accident, you have the right to be “made whole,” both physically and emotionally” This is very good to know because your health is super important. I was in an accident a few months ago and I am still feeling pain from it. When is it too late to file a claim against the person who was at fault?
Grace Turner says
That is cool that you have the right to be “made whole” after an accident. I feel like a lot of things could be encompassed in this statement. You could say you need a lot of things to be made whole after an accident. I’m glad I know this so that if I’m ever in an accident I’ll be ready.
Pancho says
Personal injury lawyers in my mind usually meant car accidents, but now I know that it isn’t always the case. I didn’t know that slips or falls can be covered by personal injury laws. Now if I ever fall or slip in a business I know that I have some sort of leverage.
Jeff Curtis says
Thanks for the helpful information on personal injury laws. I didn’t know that people could make a claim for car accidents and for slip and fall injuries. That means that there is a pretty wide variety of different types of lawyers that cover this stuff. Does that mean that there are really specific types of lawyers that cover those specific types of cases?
Kyler Brown says
I’m glad that I read this, especially because my daughter was recently involved in an accident. I didn’t realize that personal injuries can include emotional and psychological damage as well. My daughter has been traumatized ever sine the accident, and so I may have a case for her. Thanks for sharing.
Tara Jones says
Thank you for mentioning how most of these lawyers work on a contingency basis! My mother was injured very badly in a car accident, and I’m just sick thinking about how she won’t be able to pay for all her bills and how I won’t be able to help her out that much either. I had completely written off the idea of hiring an attorney because I thought it would cost us so much money. But, now that I know this, we have some hope and I will start looking for a lawyer for her now. This is a blessing; thank you for mentioning it!
Wade Joel says
I could not imagine getting into a car accident. I think it would really stink because n not only is your car damaged but, you might be as well. I did not know that if you were not at fault in the car accident that you would be entitled to personal injury case.
Hazel Adams says
I think that it is important to learn a little bit about personal injury lawyers. If you are in an accident then it is important to document everything. That way you can have more solid evidence.
Kevin says
It’s important for everyone to meet with a professional and experienced personal injury lawyer. Many people we see don’t do the right things after facing any kind of accident or they just can’t decide what they should do. You explain completely professional about the best three things about personal injury laws.
Kendall Ryder says
It is good to know that personal injury lawyers represent individuals with damages other than physical. I don’t think most people know this. I know I wasn’t aware of this, but I am happy to know in case of any sort of accident or problem. If people know this, they will start looking for a lawyer to help them out!
Jack Mulligan says
I didn’t know that workplace injuries were covered under personal injury. I got hurt at work a few years ago and I wish I had done something about it. If you ever get hurt, I would recommend talking to a lawyer just in case.
Jade Brunet says
I appreciate this helpful information about personal injury lawyers. I did not know that personal injury laws cover both car accidents and slip and fall injuries. It is good to be aware of this in preparation for future incidents. Something to consider would be to seek references before selecting a lawyer.
Jerry says
They don’t always. If insurance company’s offer of compensation is acceptable to you, no attorney needs to get involved. If, however, they lowball you or try to deny liability, then it is pretty hard for Joe T. Individual to bargain with the insurance companies who have far greater resources — including attorneys and actuaries backing them up. You also may not know whether an offer of compensation is fair —- it might be helpful to get an attorney to help you evaluate that.
Of course, the last thing you want to do is give that attorney a 25% chunk of your recovery just for telling you that an offer is fair or out of self-interest (perhaps unconscious) to tell you that he can get you more, induce you to turn down the initial offer, then negotiate a better deal on paper with the insurance company that actually nets you less because of the fee.
If you just want advice on whether an offer is fair, make clear when you schedule your appointment that you will under no circumstances hire that attorney/firm to represent you. You would like the attorney to evaluate an offer and to recommend acceptance/hiring a different attorney whom that attorney will not be recommending. Insist on paying hourly for this service and be prepared to spend up to maybe $2000.00 for that advice. In that way you get real, non-self interested advice. This, of course, assumes that your case is worth enough to make that $2000.00 money well-spent.
The foregoing is not legal advice but general information and possible strategies. You should consult with an attorney licensed in your jurisdiction if you need specific advice related to your situation of personal ingury lawyer
Braden Bills says
I think it’s important to know that personal injuries can be physical, emotional, and also psychological. It makes sense that you would want to get a lawyer if you suffer any of that kind of pain! It’s good to get compensated for your pain.