Rear-End Collisions

Rear-end collisions are among the most common types of car crashes that occur on the roadway. Although they sometimes are relatively minor, resulting mostly in vehicle damage, they can also be severe and cause a victim to suffer painful and even life-altering injuries. At Tapalian Law, Providence car accident lawyer David Tapalian has assisted numerous residents of Rhode Island and Massachusetts with understanding their legal rights and options following a crash. Even if the accident was minor, you may have legally compensable damages that the person who caused the accident owes you.

When it comes to driving, Rhode Island motorists are under a duty to use reasonable care and skill when operating their vehicles. This includes a myriad of factors, such as driving carefully for the weather conditions and traffic conditions, as well as adhering to all applicable traffic laws. One of these laws requires drivers in the state to maintain a safe distance between their vehicle and other vehicles. One of the most common reasons that a rear-end collision occurs is due to the at-fault driver following too closely behind another vehicle. When combined with other traffic law violations, such as driving at an excessive speed or engaging in distracted driving practices, rear-end collisions can happen rather quickly. To recover compensation from a driver who rear-ends you, you must establish that the other driver failed to act according to the duty of reasonable care.

If you can show that the defendant violated a traffic law at the time of the crash, it will be hard for the defendant to show that they were acting reasonably. Most reasonable people take care to obey traffic laws when they get behind the wheel, recognizing that others may be hurt if they fail to do this.

If the plaintiff has successfully proven that the defendant was driving negligently, they must show that this negligent conduct was the cause of the injuries that they sustained. It is not enough to prove that the defendant failed to drive with due care. In fact, if the defendant can show that some other factor was the substantial cause of your injuries, the defendant will not be required to pay damages to you even if they were driving negligently.

Rhode Island allows a defendant to offer any evidence suggesting that the plaintiff’s own negligence was a factor in the injuries that the plaintiff suffered. The jury can assess this evidence and assign a percentage of fault (if any) to the plaintiff, which will be used to reduce any damages award in the plaintiff’s favor. The final step of a personal injury lawsuit involves determining the amount of compensation that the plaintiff is entitled to receive. To do this, the plaintiff must submit documents and testimony supporting the losses that resulted directly from the accident, including medical bills, lost wages, and future financial damages, such as ongoing medical care and reduced earning capacity. To ensure that you receive the full amount of compensation that you deserve, it is a good idea to keep diligent records regarding any expenses that you incur as a result of the accident as well as the injuries that you suffer.

If you have been injured due to another driver’s carelessness, you may be entitled to compensation. At Tapalian Law, we pride ourselves on treating each client with the personalized, prompt, and tenacious legal counsel that they need during this challenging time. Having served numerous clients throughout the region from our main office in Providence and an additional office in Seekonk, Massachusetts, motor vehicle collision lawyer David Tapalian understands what you are going through and how daunting the legal system may seem. To set up a free legal consultation with an attorney, call us at 401-552-5000 or contact us online. If we take your case, we do not get paid unless we get compensation for you.