{"id":376100,"date":"2016-11-14T18:18:58","date_gmt":"2016-11-14T23:18:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/state\/rhode-island-law\/pain-and-suffering-damages-in-rhode-island.html"},"modified":"2018-12-11T18:23:16","modified_gmt":"2018-12-11T23:23:16","slug":"pain-and-suffering-damages-in-rhode-island","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/state\/rhode-island-law\/pain-and-suffering-damages-in-rhode-island.html","title":{"rendered":"Pain and Suffering Damages in Rhode Island"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Pain and Suffering Damages in Rhode Island<\/h1>\n
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Even though it’s the smallest state in the United States, Rhode Island has a lot to offer its residents and visitors. Beautiful sandy shores and lively cities are just two of the state’s many draws. Unfortunately, the Ocean State isn’t free from the accidents and mishaps that happen every day across the country. If you are suffering injuries from an accident, it may be in your best interest to seek compensation for pain and suffering damages. However, determining a specific amount of damages for pain and suffering is difficult because Rhode Island has limitations and specific rules that may affect your case. Read on to learn about pain and suffering damages in Rhode Island.<\/p>\r\n

What Are Pain and Suffering Damages?<\/h2>\r\n

Damages are the losses or harm<\/a> that result from an injury to person, property, or reputation. Damages can be divided into two categories: (1) economic and (2) noneconomic. Economic damages are specific economic harm<\/a>, like medical expenses and lost wages due to missed work. Noneconomic damages are intangible losses that are difficult to assign monetary values to. Pain and suffering are considered noneconomic damages, which include mental distress and impairment of ability to work.<\/p>\r\n

Rhode Island has a specific rule on "pain and suffering recovery<\/a>" in wrongful death actions. As a personal injury claim, a wrongful death action can be filed by another person to seek compensation for the estate or surviving family member. In order to recover pain and suffering damages, the plaintiff<\/a> has to establish that the decedent<\/a> did not die instantaneously and had conscious pain and suffering before dying.<\/p>\r\n

Here’s a list of major limitations in Rhode Island cases:<\/p>\r\n

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Statute of Limitations<\/b><\/td>\r\n
Damages Caps<\/b><\/td>\r\n
Pure Comparative Negligence Standard<\/b><\/td>\r\n