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Your Canaan Personal Injury Attorney
The short answer. In New Hampshire most injury claims must be filed within three years (RSA 508:4, I). The trial court for Grafton County sits in North Haverhill, at 3785 Dartmouth College Highway, North Haverhill, NH 03774. To talk it through, send the form on this page and we will work to connect you with an attorney in our network.
If you are reading this after an accident in Canaan, you are probably tired, sore and unsure whom to trust. That is normal. A few rules learned early can keep you from making choices that are hard to undo.
We match people with attorneys; we do not advise on cases. Treat what follows as a plain language guide to New Hampshire law drawn from the statutes. When you want to talk to an attorney, the form at the top of this page is the way to start.
What To Ask Before You Choose An Attorney In Canaan
Ask these in any first conversation:
- If you were partly to blame. Ask what happens to your award if a jury finds you share the blame (RSA 507:7-d).
- The deadline. Ask the attorney to name the exact last day to file for your claim. The general limit for injury claims in New Hampshire is three years (RSA 508:4, I).
- Limits on damages. Ask whether any rule restricts the amount you could recover in New Hampshire.
- The money terms. Ask how fees are calculated and which costs come out of a recovery.
- The people. Ask who will be in touch with you and how quickly they return calls.
Kinds of Injury Claims
Vehicle crashes
Vehicle injuries start with the same few steps: medical care first, then photographs of the scene, names and numbers of anyone who saw it, the other driver’s insurance information and any estimates for repairs.
Pedestrian and bicycle injuries
If a driver hit you while you were on foot or on a bike, note exactly where it happened, what the signals and lighting were like, and who saw it. Ask the people who stopped to leave their names and numbers.
Falls and unsafe property
Falls on someone else’s property usually depend on what the owner knew or should have known about the hazard. Photograph the spot before it changes, report the fall in writing, and keep the shoes you were wearing.
Wrongful death
When a death is caused by someone else’s wrongful act or neglect, the claim works differently from an injury claim. A wrongful death claim follows its own rules in New Hampshire; ask an attorney which deadline applies. This is a hard moment to decide anything, and an attorney can walk you through the steps without hurrying you.
Injured in Canaan? Get matched with an attorney now.
When You Were Partly At Fault
An insurer may stress your own mistakes, and in New Hampshire the percentage it can attach to you matters. RSA 507:7-d sets the rule.
You can recover if your share of the fault is 50 percent or less, and your award is reduced by your share; above 50 percent the claim is barred (RSA 507:7-d). Photographs, witness names and medical records help show where the fault lies.
What The Law Says About Damages
In an ordinary injury claim in New Hampshire, the amount depends on the facts of the claim. What you can recover turns on the bills, the missed work and the lasting effects.
Lasting effects and missed work are part of what is proved.
How Long You Have To File
The general time limit for an injury claim in New Hampshire is three years (RSA 508:4, I). A child may have more time, and a few other limited situations extend the period too (RSA 508:8).
If a government body may be responsible, the steps can differ (RSA 507-B:7, I and RSA 541-B:14, IV). Missing the filing deadline usually ends the case, and a late notice can also cause trouble, so ask any attorney to name the exact last day for yours.
Insurance Limits To Know
A driver in New Hampshire may have no liability insurance at all, and the state sets proof of financial responsibility amounts of $25,000 for injury to one person, $50,000 for injury to two or more people in one accident and $25,000 for property damage (RSA 259:61, I and RSA 264:20).
Those figures are floors, not a measure of what your claim is worth. Before you accept a payment, check for every policy that might apply.
Courts and Hospitals Near Canaan
The Census Bureau places Canaan in Grafton County. The New Hampshire court directory lists the superior court for Grafton County in North Haverhill, at 3785 Dartmouth College Highway, North Haverhill, NH 03774. The state trauma list names Speare Memorial Hospital (C) in Plymouth, in Grafton County as well, as a Level IV trauma center. Another facility on the state trauma list, Littleton Regional Hospital (C) in Littleton, is also in Grafton County; it is listed as a Level III trauma center.
Keep copies of everything the hospital or clinic gives you, ask for an itemized bill, and note each appointment as it happens. If you moved between facilities, collect the records from each one.
Reaching Out For Help In Canaan
Start with the form at the top. It asks a few questions about the injury. NeedAnAttorney.net reviews your details and works to match you with an attorney in our network who may handle cases in New Hampshire. Using it is free, and it does not create an attorney client relationship.
Meanwhile, jot down the facts while they are fresh: date, time, place, who was there, what care you have had and what work you have missed. Save every bill and every message from an insurer.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the New Hampshire statute of limitations for an injury claim?
Generally three years (RSA 508:4, I). The period can be longer for a child, and a few other situations extend it too (RSA 508:8). A claim against a government body has its own notice step (RSA 507-B:7, I and RSA 541-B:14, IV).
What happens to my claim if I share some of the fault?
New Hampshire answers this directly. You can recover if your share of the fault is 50 percent or less, and your award is reduced by your share; above 50 percent the claim is barred (RSA 507:7-d). How the blame is assigned matters. Keep notes about how the injury happened.
Is there a limit on damages for an injury in New Hampshire?
It depends on the bills, the missed work and the lasting effects, and an attorney can tell you whether any rule limits the amount. How fault is assigned can also change the amount. Lasting effects and missed work are part of what is proved.
How much insurance does the other driver have to have?
Not always. New Hampshire does not generally require drivers to carry liability insurance; the proof of financial responsibility amounts are $25,000 for injury to one person, $50,000 for injury to two or more people in one accident and $25,000 for property damage (RSA 259:61, I and RSA 264:20). A serious injury can cost more than the other driver’s policy pays. Keep the other driver’s insurance details from the day of the crash.
Which papers should I hold on to after a crash?
Keep your medical records and itemized bills. Take photographs of the injuries and of where it happened. Pay records, repair estimates and insurer emails should go in the same place.
Can I talk to the other side’s insurance company?
You may speak with them, but you do not have to give a recorded statement right away. Saying that you want advice first is a reasonable answer. Before you sign anything, have someone review it.
Is there a notice requirement for a claim against a city or county?
Special rules may apply. Special claim or notice steps can apply (RSA 507-B:7, I and RSA 541-B:14, IV). The rules for public bodies differ from the rules for private parties. Do not wait to ask.
What should I do right after being hurt?
Get medical care first. Tell the police or the owner of the property what happened. Take photographs and write the details down while they are fresh.
Help Elsewhere in New Hampshire
The same matching service covers more of New Hampshire. Pick the community closest to where it happened.
