Personal Injury Law in New Hampshire

Were you hurt due to another’s negligence in New Hampshire? 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 New Hampshire can help navigate the lawsuit to make sure you receive all of the compensation you deserve.

What Is Personal Injury Law?

Personal injury law in New Hampshire relates to the legal process of getting compensation for an injury caused by someone else’s negligent behavior. These cases involve one party, the plaintiff, trying to seek financial compensation for expenses incurred and money lost as a result of the defendant’s reckless behavior. These cases involve both parties’ insurance companies and may even settle before proceeding to litigation.

Examples of Personal Injury Claims in New Hampshire

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 New Hampshire 

According to the New Hampshire State Injury Prevention Plan, the top 3 causes of injury deaths were falls, motor vehicle crashes, and poisonings. Most motor vehicle accidents occurred on commuter roads, and most falls occurred in residential zones. The Children’s Safety Network helped publish this data to prevent injuries to New Hampshire children, who represent a significant part of the state’s injured population.

Steps in a Personal Injury Lawsuit in New Hampshire

Once you determine that you wish to proceed forward with a personal injury action in New Hampshire

A lawsuit begins when a complaint is filed with the court and served on the defendant. The complaint alleges your assertion as the plaintiff that the defendant’s negligent behavior resulted in damage to your body or mental state. As the process proceeds forward, you may have to go through depositions, independent medical evaluations and document production. This discovery process is lengthy and ends in either settlement or a court appearance.

The New Hampshire Judicial Branch encourages parties to reach a settlement. If that cannot be done, you file a complaint with the court. This leads to the answer and deposition or evidence exchange process. That then either leads to a settlement, or 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 factors that impact the final amount.

Most personal injury settlements are handled outside of court, and typically average under $15,000. New Hampshire has a higher rate of falls than most states due to more extreme winter conditions according to the states Injury Prevention Plan. Falls cause enough damages to keep New Hampshire personal injury settlements in line with the national average of anywhere between $3,000 to $75,000.

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. In order to adequately 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 compensate you for the pain and anguish.

Punitive damages are rare and are usually left up to the court. The judge or jury may determine that the defendant’s negligence was particularly heinous.  Resulting in an injury to you that is equally horrific. 

There are no caps on damages for personal injury cases in New Hampshire. Damages for both economic damages like medical costs, and non-economic damages like pain and suffering are not limited.

Statute of Limitations in New Hampshire 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 New Hampshire Lawyer

Pursue a personal injury claim in New Hampshire 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!

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