Rhode Island car accident laws

The rules in one table

Deadlines can be shorter or longer for minors, for injuries found later, and for claims against a government. A lawyer licensed in Rhode Island can tell you the date that applies to you.

Next steps after a Rhode Island crash

Questions

Sources

1. Deadline to sue for an injury (R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-1-14(b)): webserver.rilegislature.gov/Statutes/TITLE9/9-1/9-1-14.htm

   (b) Actions for injuries to the person shall be commenced and sued within three (3) years next after the cause of action shall accrue, and not after

2. Deadline for a wrongful death claim (R.I. Gen. Laws § 10-7-2(c)): webserver.rilegislature.gov/Statutes/TITLE10/10-7/10-7-2.htm

   (c) Except as otherwise provided, every action brought pursuant to this chapter shall be commenced within three (3) years after the death of the person. With respect to any death caused by any wrongful act, neglect, or default that is not known at the time of death, the action shall be commenced within three (3) years of the time that the wrongful act, neglect, or default is discovered or, in the exercise of reasonable diligence, should have been discovered.

3. Insurance system (R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-47-9(a)): webserver.rilegislature.gov/Statutes/TITLE31/31-47/31-47-9.htm

   (a) Any owner of a motor vehicle registered or required to be registered in this state who shall knowingly operate the motor vehicle or knowingly permit it to be operated in this state without having in full force and effect the financial security required by the provisions of this chapter

4. If you were partly at fault (R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-20-4): webserver.rilegislature.gov/Statutes/TITLE9/9-20/9-20-4.htm

   In all actions hereafter brought for personal injuries, or where personal injuries have resulted in death, or for injury to property, the fact that the person injured, or the owner of the property or person having control over the property, may not have been in the exercise of due care or the fact that the danger or defect was open and obvious shall not bar a recovery, but damages shall be diminished by the finder of fact in proportion to the amount of negligence attributable to the person injured

5. Minimum liability coverage (R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-47-2 (owner's policy limits)): webserver.rilegislature.gov/Statutes/TITLE31/31-47/31-47-2.htm

   Every owner’s policy of liability insurance shall provide insurance subject to the regulation against loss from the liability imposed by law for damages, including damages for care and loss of services, because of bodily injury to, or death of, any person and injury to, or destruction of, property arising out of the ownership, maintenance, use, or operation of a specific motor vehicle or motor vehicles within the state of Rhode Island or elsewhere in the United States, in North America, or the Dominion of Canada, subject to a limit, exclusive of interest and costs, with respect to each motor v…

6. Dog bites (R.I. Gen. Laws § 4-13-16): webserver.rilegislature.gov/Statutes/TITLE4/4-13/4-13-16.htm

   If any dog kills, wounds, worries, or assists in killing, wounding or worrying, any sheep, lamb, cattle, horse, hog, swine, fowl, or other domestic animal belonging to or in the possession of any person, or assaults, bites, or otherwise injures any person while traveling the highway or out of the enclosure of the owner or keeper of that dog, the owner or keeper of the dog shall be liable to the person aggrieved, for all damage sustained, to be recovered in a civil action, with costs of suit.

Read October 2, 2026. Laws and fees change; the linked page is the authority.