Each prospective case is immediately evaluated by Ms. Faraone. If you have suffered a serious injury, our investigators go to the scene of the incident the day the call is received, in order to take photographs, gather important evidence and preserve it for trial. Potential litigants should consult our office as soon as possible after their injury, before evidence is lost and witnesses’ memories fade. ‘The call to our office and initial consultation are free.

Our firm handles all of its accident cases on a “contingency” basis. Under this system, we earn attorneys’ fees when your case is successfully resolved. If your case fails to earn a settlement and loses at trial, there still is no cost to you. Generally, fees are 33.3% of your settlement amount ( in workers’ compensation cases, the fees are limited to approximately 20%)

This is one of the most difficult questions to answer, and you should be wary of any attorney who claims to know what your case is worth when you first talk to him or her. Normally, the value of a case cannot be accurately determined until “discovery” is conducted, which involves testimony under oath of yourself, witnesses to the incident, and others. The reason this fact-finding must occur is that a case value is based on two factors: “liability” and “damages.” Liability is the “fault” of the defendant, and damages are the total losses that you have incurred, including pain and suffering, lost wages, and medical bills. The stronger the liability in a case, the more likely settlement will occur at close to full value of the damages. The more difficult it is to prove liability, the more likely settlement will occur at less than full value of damages. But remember, if settlement does not occur and the case goes to trial, your case is worth whatever the jury decides it is worth.

In Rhode Island, under the Statute of Limitations, you are limited to Three years (with the exception of Workers Compensation Claims which are limited to two years) following the date of your injury for most types of cases. However, there are exceptions such as medical negligence and uninsured motorist claims that must be filed within one year. Even if the statute is two years, you should not wait that long before you contact an attorney. Valuable evidence for your case may disappear if you wait, so it’s important to consult an attorney sooner rather than later.