Many different situations can lead to an injury, but not all injuries require an insurance claim, personal injury lawyer, or lawsuit. Personal injury lawyers help those who have suffered harm as a result of another party’s negligence. For example, a person can slip and fall in a restaurant, suffer injuries in a drunk driving accident, or develop a disease because of toxic chemical exposure.

Severe injuries or illnesses often alter someone’s life, and even minor injuriescan prove expensive. In the wake of an injury, victims must suffer physical pain as well as the emotional trauma of knowing that such pain was preventable. Also, many victims cannot work as they amass medical expenses, creating serious financial hardship for some households.

You should not have to absorb the losses from an injury when another personor entity victimized you with their negligence. Fortunately, the law allows those who have suffered harm at the hands of others to seek compensation for damages related to their injuries in civil court.

The legal team at the Law Office of Walter J. Manning understand the physical, mental, and economic consequences of a severe injury. We are here to guide you through the legal process of recovering damages. If you have sustained injuries because another party acted carelessly, contact us today online or by calling (401) 886-9240 to discuss the event that led to your injuries, how your injuries have affected your life, and the best path forward for your particular circumstances.

The legal team at the Law Office of Walter J. Manning has extensive

experience negotiating, settling, and litigating a wide range of personal

injuries. The firm’s passion for seeking justice and commitment to

professional excellence has led to the recovery of millions of dollars in

damages in settlements and jury awards for clients who suffered injuries due

to someone else’s negligence.

INJURIES COMMONLY ASSOCIATED WITH

PERSONAL INJURY CLAIMS

People can seek compensation for damages after suffering a wide range of

injuries. At the Law Office of Walter J. Manning, we have the knowledge

and resources necessary to handle most personal injury cases, but some types

of injuries lead to claims more often than others.

These include:

 Multiple fractures and crushed bones

 Neck injuries

 Back injuries

 Brain injuries

 Spinal cord injuries

 Burns

 Dog bites

 Amputations

 Emotional trauma

EVENTS COMMONLY ASSOCIATED WITH

PERSONAL INJURY CLAIMS

Various events can lead to the injuries discussed above. The Law Office of

Walter J. Manning represents clients who have suffered injuries as a result of

the following events and others:

CAR ACCIDENTS

According to the Department of Transportation, each year, more than

200,000 traffic accidents occur on Rhode Island, Connecticut and

Massachusetts’ roads and highways. Careless drivers cause car crashes when

distracted, driving under the influence, fatigue, or breaking traffic

regulations. Accident victims can suffer minor, severe, or fatal injuries,

leading to major losses. Personal injury lawyers help accident victims hold

negligent drivers accountable.

TRUCK ACCIDENTS

Those who suffer injuries in a truck accident are lucky to survive or only

suffer minor injuries. Semis and large trucks are heavy; a loaded semi weighs

up to 80,000 pounds. This weight creates a massive impact that causes

devastation, death, and destruction when a collision occurs. More than

100,000 truck accidents leading to injuries occur throughout the nation each

year, including thousands in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut.

Negligent truck drivers and trucking companies open themselves to liability

when their actions harm others on the road.

MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENTS

Motorcycle enthusiasts who love a joyride can find gorgeous views

throughout New England, whether on the coast or in the mountains. Also, a

motorcycle is a great way to get around the traffic-filled Providence, Boston

and Hartford area. In either case, bikers do risk accidents and injury because

of careless drivers and the open nature of riding. Somewhere between 1,500

and 2,000 motorcycle accidents occur in Massachusetts each year, resulting

in dozens of fatalities. Those who suffer motorcycle accident injuries rely on

legal counsel to help them seek compensation.

BICYCLE & PEDESTRIAN ACCIDENTS

Fortunately, the amount of bicycle and pedestrian accidents, injuries, and

fatalities in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut has drastically

declined over the last several years. Yet, many cyclists and pedestrians suffer

injuries each year when negligent motorists run into them. This is especially

true in Providence and Boston and other areas with heavy traffic. Pedestrians

and bicyclists have no protection from injuries when accidents occur. This

leads to more severe injuries that sometimes lead to life-changing, permanent

injuries. A personal injury attorney helps injured cyclists and pedestrians

recover compensation to ensure that they get the care they need.

BOAT ACCIDENTS

Rhode Island has over 400 miles, Massachusetts has almost 200 miles and

Connecticut has over 600 miles of coastline, making these states a favorite

location for boating enthusiasts in the Northeast. Residents and visitors alike

enjoy boating, fishing, skiing, and more. Boating accidents are dangerous and

sometimes lead to severe accidents and fatalities. Boat operators have a legal

duty to handle their vessels with care. When negligent boat operators engage

in reckless behavior, use alcohol, excessively speed, or do not pay attention,

the consequences are potentially deadly.

WORKPLACE ACCIDENTS

More than a two hundred thousand workplace injuries and illnesses occur

each year in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut. If you’ve been

injured at work or contracted an illness, your first step typically involves

filing a workers’ compensation claim. Claim denial and employer retaliation

are two situations when you should retain an attorney after a workplace

injury or illness. An experienced worker’s compensation attorney can also

help identify other parties who might bear liability for your injuries, such as

the property owner of a worksite or a motorist who hit a company vehicle and

caused injuries.

PREMISES LIABILITY CASES

Property owners have a legal duty to maintain a safe environment for visitors

to their properties, whether homes, businesses, or land. Negligent property

owners who do not uphold their duty to ensure visitors’ safety put them at

risk for accident and injury.

Premises liability cases include a wide range of accidents and scenarios, such as:

 Slip and fall accidents

 Elevator/escalator accidents

 Swimming pool accidents

 Theme park accidents

NURSING HOME ABUSE & NEGLECT CASES

Deciding to put the elders you love in a nursing home to live out their golden

years is never easy. Once the choice is made, we expect nursing homes to

provide exceptional care and treat our loved ones with the dignity and respect

that they deserve. Unfortunately, nursing home abuse and neglect occurs far

too often and is often underreported. When nursing homes are negligent, and

caregivers are abusive and neglectful, the Law Office of Walter J. Manning is

here to help you stop the behavior and hold nursing homes and caregivers

responsible for their actions.

DEFECTIVE PRODUCT ACCIDENTS

Product manufacturers have a legal obligation to ensure the safety of their

products when they introduce them to the market. Product defects can occur

during the design or manufacture of a new product. From a legal standpoint,

manufacturers who do not warn consumers about potential dangers or

hazards related to their product open themselves to liability. Other parties

involved in bringing a product to market, such as wholesalers and retailers,

may also face liability. A wide variety of defective products could lead to

injuries. The Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) collects data

about defective products, such as chemicals, home decor, children’s products,

furniture, electronics, and toys.

SEXUAL ABUSE

If you were a victim of childhood sexual abuse by a clergy member or

anyone else, and your parents did not file a suit on your behalf, you may

qualify to recover compensation for damages related to your abuse. Our

empathetic legal team understands the gravity of your injuries and how they

can stay with you into adulthood. For some, the first step to healing is facing

their abuser and taking action. If you are unsure whether you want to file a

lawsuit, schedule a confidential case evaluation with one of our childhood

sexual abuse attorneys to learn more about your legal options.

WRONGFUL DEATH

Any of the above events or accidents and others can lead to fatal injuries.

Wrongful death refers to death resulting from the wrongful act or negligence

of another person, business, or entity. If you have tragically lost a loved one,

you may qualify to file a wrongful death suit and receive compensation

related to your losses. A Massachusetts personal injury lawyer can evaluate

your case and advise the right course of action for you and your family.

SEEKING COMPENSATION IN A PERSONAL INJURY

LAWSUIT

Not all accidents lead to injury, and not all injuries need medical treatment.

Many who experience accidents or suffer injuries return to their day-to-day

activities without going to the doctor or bringing a lawsuit. However, severe

injuries come with economic consequences on top of the physical pain.

Fortunately, victims of negligence can seek compensation for damages in

civil court.

Whether from a settlement agreement or a jury verdict, the most common

losses that victims recover include:

MEDICAL EXPENSES

Rhode Island and Connecticut are at-fault insurance states meaning the at-

fault driver’s insurance pays for damages whereas Massachusetts is a no-fault

insurance state, so victims who suffer injuries in a traffic accident will seek

compensation for medical expenses under their mandatory personal injury

protection (PIP) coverage. The minimum PIP coverage is $8,000 in

Massachusetts, which victims of negligence easily meet or exceed when they

suffer severe accident injuries. Accident victims can recover damages beyond

their PIP in a personal injury lawsuit.

Regardless of the cause of injury, victims of negligence can recover costs for

ambulance service, emergency room visits, hospitalization, X-rays, lab tests,

surgery, aftercare, and medication. Severe injuries that cause permanent

disability or extensive recovery often entitle victims to future medical

treatment costs to cover long-term nursing care, physical therapy,

occupational therapy, and assistive devices, like wheelchairs and prosthetic

limbs. Abuse victims also typically seek trauma counseling to cope with their

abuse.

LOST WAGES

Sustaining injuries, undergoing treatment and/or surgery, and recovering

sometimes requires weeks or months away from work. Even after weeks of

healing and recovery, those with labor-intensive jobs sometimes still have

restrictions. Those who suffer injuries can claim lost wages in their personal

injury lawsuit to recover income lost due to their injuries. Those who suffer

catastrophic injuries might also receive compensation for future lost wages

when they cannot return to work or seek future employment.

NON-ECONOMIC LOSSES

Medical expenses and lost wages make up a large part of a personal injury

claim, but victims also suffer from non-economic losses, which are more

difficult to quantify. Think of non-economic losses as the negative ways that

your injuries have impacted your life, especially regarding things that you

cannot measure by adding up receipts, bills, and payroll information. Some

common non-economic losses include physical pain and suffering, emotional

distress, diminished quality of life, loss of consortium with a spouse, and

scarring and disfigurement.

Suffering injury or illness resulting from the carelessness, negligence, or

willful harm of another is a traumatic event. Fortunately, many injuries heal

independently without intervention, and victims can return to their normal

routine without ongoing medical treatment, missing work, or filing a lawsuit.

However, more severe injuries come with more medical expenses, more

emotional distress, and more economic loss.

If you have recently suffered injuries because of negligence or intentional

harm, you are likely dealing with emotions ranging from anger to

hopelessness to uncertainty. Your first step to moving on with your life is to

contact an experienced personal injury attorney to review the facts of your

case and advise you on the right path forward.