When an individual is injured in either an automobile accident or a slip and fall accident or any type of accident, a claim has to be made with the insurance company that insures the person or entity that caused the injury. Your attorney is the best individual to make the claim for you with the insurance carrier since the attorney has experience in making such claims with the insurance companies.

After any type of personal injury or automobile accident, you should try to obtain a copy of the police report if there is one involving the accident. If you have sustained an injury, you should either go to the emergency room right away or go to your own personal physician right away to receive treatment. You should also contact an attorney to put in the claim for you with the insurance carrier for the individual or entity that was responsible for your injury.

In the State of Rhode Island, even if you are partially at fault in causing the accident you can still collect damages for your injury. For example, if it was determined that you were 50 percent at fault in causing the accident, you could still collect 50 percent of your damages from the responsible party and his insurance carrier.

Every case is different and every case takes a different amount of time to settle. If the liability in a case is clear and there is no question that the other party was at fault, then it should not take long to obtain a settlement. As soon as an individual has completed their medical treatment, the attorney can make a demand on the insurance company and get the matter settled rather rapidly.

If there is a dispute in the case over the liability or the damages the person is entitled to, your attorney may have to file a lawsuit in court and that will prolong the time it takes to get the case settled.

In the State of Rhode Island, you have three years from the date the accident occurred to file a personal injury claim.

A personal injury attorney has experience in handling injury claims and dealing with insurance companies. It is very difficult for an individual who has no experience in this area to determine what his/her claim is actually worth, and many times the insurance company will try to settle with an individual for a very small amount. An attorney can help you obtain the full value of your claim from an insurance company. Your attorney can also help you navigate the system dealing with the insurance company, which can sometimes be very difficult.