AN ACCIDENT?
Charlestown Personal Injury Lawyer
Skilled Representation for Parties in Personal Injury Matters
Charlestown is an idyllic place to live and work, offering miles of sandy beaches and multiple parks where people can engage in watersports and other outdoor activities and music and seafood festivals. Charlestown is home to numerous healthcare facilities as well, where people can seek behavioral health treatment, work with physical therapists, and receive other care. There are many benefits to residing in town, but like any community, it experiences its fair share of accidents, many of which cause lasting personal injuries. Although some mishaps are unavoidable, most are caused by careless behavior. If you suffered harm in an incident in Charlestown, you might be able to recover damages from the party that caused your injuries, and you should speak to an attorney as soon as possible. Representing clients throughout Rhode Island and Massachusetts for over two decades, David Tapalian has ample experience helping people injured by the negligence of others in the pursuit of compensation, and if you hire him, he will work tirelessly on your behalf.
Scenarios That Require the Assistance of a Personal Injury Attorney in Charlestown
Many accidents can cause painful and lasting injuries, but some occur in Charlestown more commonly than others. For example, many people will be involved in motor vehicle collisions at some point in their lives. Typically, reckless drivers, like those that drive while distracted or under the influence of drugs or alcohol, people that fail to abide by Rhode Island’s traffic laws, and inexperienced motorists, cause car crashes. Defective vehicles and poorly designed roads can lead to car accidents as well.
Slip and fall accidents in public places like stores, restaurants, sidewalks, and parking lots often lead to significant physical trauma, including fractures, soft tissue injuries, lacerations, and contusions. Such accidents are often brought about by the property owner’s failure to maintain their premises in a safe condition. Medical malpractice, defective products, and dog bites also cause many injuries in Charlestown.
The Plaintiff’s Burden of Proof in Personal Injury Cases
People hurt in preventable accidents often experience not only significant physical pain and emotional trauma but also incur substantial medical bills and are unable to work because of their injuries. As such, they will often seek to recoup some of their losses via claims asserted in a personal injury lawsuit. A person hurt in an accident that occurs in Charlestown, RI, should seek advice from a Charlestown personal injury attorney right away.
While each case presents unique facts, a plaintiff in a personal injury case usually needs to prove that the defendant was negligent. In Rhode Island, establishing negligence requires a plaintiff to show that the defendant owed them a duty.
In most cases, the duty owed is to act as a reasonable person would under the circumstances. In some instances, however, the defendant owes the plaintiff a different duty. For example, in medical malpractice cases, the duty owed is to comply with the applicable standard of care, which is the care that a competent doctor would offer when presented with a similar set of facts.
The plaintiff then must prove that the defendant breached the duty owed in some manner. Lastly, the plaintiff needs to show that the defendant’s breach caused the plaintiff to suffer measurable losses. While the defendant’s actions do not need to be the sole cause of the plaintiff’s harm, they must be a significant factor in bringing it about.
Depending on the complexity of the case, the plaintiff may need to hire an expert to explain the duty imposed on the defendant, the ways in which they failed to uphold the duty, and how their acts or omissions led to the plaintiff’s harm.
In some cases, the plaintiff can assert other claims in addition to negligence. For example, people harmed by defective products may also be able to seek compensation via strict liability and breach of warranty claims. People injured by dog bites can set forth strict liability claims as well, but only if the attack occurred off of the dog owner’s property.
Speak to an Assertive Charlestown Personal Injury Lawyer Today
Harmful incidents can cause lasting physical pain and mental and emotional distress, and people that negligently cause such damages should be held accountable. If you were hurt in an accident caused by another party’s carelessness, it is smart to speak to an attorney about your rights. David Tapalian is an assertive personal injury lawyer helping people throughout RI and MA, and if you engage his services, he will help you to pursue justice for your losses. Mr. Tapalian’s main office is in Providence, Rhode Island, and he is also available by appointment at his satellite office in Seekonk, Massachusetts. You can reach Mr. Tapalian at 401-552-5000 or through the online form to set up a free and confidential consultation.