Personal Injury Law in Manchester, NH
Were you hurt due to another’s negligence in Manchester? If so, it may have far-reaching consequences such as a loss of wages or extensive medical treatment. Personal injury law allows an injured person to get damages if the responsible person acted recklessly. A personal injury attorney in Manchester, NH can help navigate the lawsuit to make sure you receive all of the compensation you deserve.
What Is Personal Injury Law?
In Manchester, personal injury law focuses on securing compensation for injuries caused by another party’s negligence. These cases allow the injured party, or plaintiff, to seek financial recovery for expenses and losses tied to the defendant’s careless actions. Often, both parties’ insurance companies are involved, and many cases settle before moving to court.
Examples of Personal Injury Claims in Manchester, NH
Some personal injury claims are more common than others. However, almost any incident that ends with a physical or mental injury could qualify, depending on the circumstances.
A few of the most common personal injury claims are:
- Car Accidents
- Slip and Fall
- Dog Bites
- Medical Malpractice
- Workplace Accidents
- Burn Injuries
Most Common Injuries in Manchester
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has gathered data indicating that the leading cause of death in New Hampshire, is heart disease. However, when compared to the rest of the U.S. New Hampshire rates 9th in unintentional injury or accident deaths per capita. Accidents such as falls, and motor vehicle crashes are the most prevalent causes of injury. In larger cities like Manchester, these accidents occur more often than in other areas of the state.
Steps in a Personal Injury Lawsuit in Manchester, NH
Once you determine that you wish to proceed forward with a personal injury action in New Hampshire
A lawsuit begins when you file a complaint with the court and serve it to the defendant. This complaint claims that the defendant’s negligence caused your physical or mental harm. From there, you may go through depositions, independent medical exams, and document exchanges in a discovery phase, which can be lengthy and may end with either a settlement or a trial.
Once you’ve gathered evidence and consulted with your Manchester attorney, it’s often wise to attempt a settlement first. If that fails, filing a complaint starts the formal legal process, prompting the defendant’s response and launching depositions. This path ultimately leads to either a negotiated settlement or a trial.
New Hampshire Personal Injury Settlement
With most personal injury cases, insurance companies and injured parties prefer settlement negotiations rather than going to court for a trial. You may wonder how much you should seek in your settlement and the factors that impact the final amount.
Manchester, New Hampshire has a higher rate of falls than most cities due to more extreme winter conditions according to the state’s Injury Prevention Plan.. On average, across the U.S. it is estimated that personal injury cases tend to see between $3,000 and $75,000 in settlements. However, after you factor in damages like medical bills, or work loss compensation, your personal injury claim in Manchester could be even more become significant.
If the other party has insurance, the insurance company likely wants to settle out of court to avoid leaving the final settlement decision to a jury. Settlements benefit injured parties as much as they do insurance companies. This is because accepting a settlement means you receive compensation sooner rather than later. Also, by going to court in NH, that means you risk not receiving any compensation at all.
Damage Awards in New Hampshire
If your New Hampshire personal injury lawsuit goes before a judge or jury, your legal team will be ready with a request for damages. In personal injury cases, there are three types of damage awards a court may order the defendant to pay to compensate you for the damage he or she inflicted.
Special compensatory damages reimburse you for things such as lost income, medical bills, and insurance deductibles. You submit receipts proving these losses.
General compensatory damages are subjective. If you receive special compensatory damages, you may also collect general damages. If your injury was particularly painful, you might request that the judge order the defendant to compensate you for the pain and anguish.
Punitive damages are the most rarely awarded and are up to the court. The judge or jury may determine that the defendant’s negligence was particularly heinous and the resulting injury to you was equally horrific.
There are no caps on the damages you can seek for a personal injury case in New Hampshire.
Statute of Limitations in Manchester, NH Personal Injury Law?
The injured party may have a set amount of time to file suit for a personal injury case. State law establishes statutes of limitation. Commonly, the plaintiff’s injury or discovery of the injury begins the statute of limitations. However, the latter factor is trickier, as the plaintiff will have to prove when the injury was first realized.
In New Hampshire, the statute of limitations dictates that you have two years from the date of your injury to file a personal injury suit.
We recommend you speak with a personal injury lawyer for this matter. Don’t wait too long and miss out on receiving the compensation you deserve for your injury.
Work With an Experienced Manchester, NH Lawyer
Pursue a personal injury claim in Manchester against the responsible person if you are dealing with an injury caused by someone else. One of our experienced lawyers can help you navigate your personal injury claim. We can even help you connect with an attorney across New Hampshire state lines.
Submit a request online or call us today at (866) 345-6784 to get in touch with an experienced lawyer in your area!
About the Author
Aaron is a professional legal writer with a B.S. in English Education from Southern Illinois University – Carbondale. He has written, published, and edited thousands of legal articles for RequestLegalHelp, which has connected over 5 million people to legal help in the United States.
With over five years of experience writing thousands of legal articles for law firms across the U.S. and Canada, Aaron specializes in covering federal, state, and city-level legal issues ranging from auto accidents to wrongful terminations.
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