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Accidents happen every day. Some are minor, while others change your life forever. If you’ve been seriously injured in an accident, you may be dealing with costly medical bills, property damage, and lost wages. In especially severe cases, you may even face significant disfigurement or permanent disability.
When an insurance claim doesn’t cover your expenses, consider looking into filing a personal injury lawsuit. But with over 2,000 members in the Vermont Bar Association alone, where do you begin? At RP Legal Group, we connect accident victims like you with experienced local personal injury lawyers.
Whether you’re in Montpelier or Burlington-South Burlington, we can help you find a Vermont attorney ready to help you seek compensation for your losses.
To find out what personal injury clients say about our services, read our reviews!
Do I Have a Personal Injury Case?
Not every accident qualifies as a personal injury case. What distinguishes a potential lawsuit from just an unfortunate accident is the concept of negligence. If someone else fails to act in a reasonably careful way — and you are injured as a result — they may owe you compensation for your injuries.
Personal injury lawsuits require you to prove the following elements:
- Negligence — the defendant acted carelessly or wrongfully
- Causation — the defendant’s action (or inaction) caused your injuries
- Damages — your injuries caused financial, physical, or emotional losses
Common Personal Injury Cases
At RP Legal Group, our personal injury lawyers often deal with the following types of cases:
- Motor vehicle crashes: Whether because they are intoxicated, distracted, or violating traffic laws, negligent drivers can face legal liability for the accidents they cause.
- Slips, trips, and falls: Property owners and managers must maintain reasonably safe conditions for visitors. If they fail to repair broken stairs or remove ice from parking lots, for example, you can sue for any injuries you suffer.
- Defective products: When a defective product injures you, you may be able to sue the manufacturer. Examples include dangerous medications, faulty medical devices, or defective machinery.
- Dog bites: In Vermont, you can sue over animal attacks if the owner knew it had aggressive tendencies. Even if an animal doesn’t bite you, you may be able to sue if it causes you to have a car accident or to hurt yourself while protecting your pets.
- Construction accidents: Construction sites pose many dangers to passersby, including heavy equipment, open holes, sidewalk debris, and falling objects.
- Workplace injuries: In most cases, workers’ compensation covers medical expenses and a portion of your income. However, you may be able to sue if your employer doesn’t carry workers’ compensation insurance or a third party caused your injury.
Shared Fault in Vermont Injury Accident Lawsuits
What happens if you were partly to blame for the accident? If you were crossing the road outside a crosswalk when a drunk driver crashed into you, can you still seek compensation for your injuries? Thankfully, for accident victims in Vermont, you can.
The catch? The state’s modified comparative negligence system will reduce any court award by your percentage of fault. For example, if the court finds you 25% to blame for your injuries, you can only claim 75% of the award. You can’t collect compensation if you are more than 50% at fault.
For a free legal consultation with a Personal Injury lawyer serving Vermont, call 888-340-7454
What Types of Compensation Can I Pursue?
In Vermont personal injury cases, plaintiffs can seek compensation for economic (monetary) and non-economic (non-monetary) losses. These include the following financial, physical, and emotional damages:
- Medical expenses (past and future)
- Prescription medication
- Lost income
- Reduced earning capacity
- Permanent disfigurement or disability
- Property damage
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Wrongful death of a family member
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What Evidence Do I Need for a Personal Injury Claim?
All personal injury cases hinge on the quantity and quality of your evidence. To prove that the defendant was negligent and that you suffered damages, your attorney can present the following types of evidence:
- Reports from the police or the business where your accident occurred
- Photos and videos of the accident scene
- Eyewitness testimony from those who saw the accident or events leading up to it
- Expert witness testimony from medical consultants or accident reconstructionists
- Business safety records, including black box data and site inspection logs
- Medical records, communications, invoices, and receipts
- Employment and tax documents showing lost income
You and your Vermont personal injury lawyer will work together to gather evidence to support your case. For example, you can photograph the accident scene, document your recovery, and retain your medical bills. Your legal team can help you secure surveillance footage from local businesses, track down company inspection logs, and hire expert witnesses.
For more information about evidence, damages, and negligence in accident lawsuits, check out our blog!
Ready to find an injury accident lawyer in Vermont? Call RP Legal Group at 888-340-7454 today!
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FAQs
1. Is Vermont a no-fault insurance state?
No, Vermont is not a no-fault insurance state. That means the person at fault for a car accident must pay for the resulting property damage and injuries to others. It also means you can file a lawsuit to pursue compensation for even basic medical costs after a collision.
2. What is the statute of limitations for Vermont personal injury cases?
The statute of limitations for most Vermont personal injury cases is three years (Title 12, Part 2, Chapter 23, Subchapter 2, § 512). However, special deadlines might apply in certain situations. Contact a Vermont personal injury lawyer to determine the statute of limitations in your case.
3. How much does it cost to file a personal injury case in Vermont?
The cost to file a personal injury case in Vermont depends on the court you file in and the value of your claim. In addition, you may need to pay legal fees, investigation costs, and administrative expenses. However, many personal injury attorneys charge on a contingency basis, so you won’t have to pay any upfront legal fees.
For a free legal consultation with a Personal Injury lawyer serving your area, call 888-340-7454