Manchester Personal Injury Lawyer

Recognized personal injury representation for injured clients throughout Manchester and southern New Hampshire.

If you have been injured in an accident in Manchester, a personal injury claim involves medical treatment, insurance negotiations, and a legal process with filing deadlines that cannot be missed. The decisions made early in that process often determine the outcome.

At Welts, White & Fontaine, P.C., our Manchester, NH personal injury lawyers have represented injured plaintiffs across New Hampshire for more than four decades. We handle claims from initial investigation through trial when necessary. Contact our office to discuss your situation.

Personal Injury Lawyer Manchester, NH

New Hampshire personal injury law allows people who are harmed by another party’s negligence to pursue compensation for their losses. That includes medical costs, lost income, and non-economic harm such as pain and suffering. The legal standard is straightforward in principle: the other party owed a duty of care, breached it, and that breach caused your injuries.

Proving that standard against an insurance carrier with its own lawyers and institutional resources is where the process becomes difficult. A personal injury attorney in Manchester, NH handles every stage of the claim, from investigating the incident and collecting evidence to calculating damages, negotiating with the carrier, and trying the case in court if the insurer will not offer fair compensation.

Types of Personal Injury Cases We Handle in Manchester

Injury claims in Manchester arise from a wide range of circumstances. Some result from a single collision or incident. Others develop gradually through repeated exposure or ongoing hazardous conditions. The cases we handle reflect that range.

• Car accidents. Crashes on I-93, Route 101, and Manchester’s local roads account for a significant share of the personal injury cases in this area. Rear-end collisions, intersection accidents, multi-vehicle crashes, hit-and-runs, and uninsured motorist claims all fall within our practice.
• Truck accidents. Commercial vehicle crashes involve multiple insurance policies, federal safety regulations, and corporate defendants. Getting accountability from a trucking company requires an aggressive investigation from the beginning.
• Motorcycle accidents. Riders are disproportionately vulnerable to severe injuries including broken bones, spinal cord trauma, and head injuries. They also face bias from adjusters who attempt to shift fault onto the rider regardless of the evidence.
• Pedestrian accidents. A pedestrian struck by a vehicle has no structural protection. The injuries in these cases tend to be severe, and disputes over liability at crosswalks and intersections in Manchester come up regularly.
• Dog bite injuries. New Hampshire holds dog owners liable for injuries caused by their animals. These claims can involve significant medical costs, permanent scarring, and lasting psychological harm. Children are particularly vulnerable.
• Slip and fall injuries. Property owners in New Hampshire owe visitors a duty to maintain safe conditions. Ice, wet flooring, broken stairs, inadequate lighting. When a premises hazard causes injury, the property owner may be liable.
• Workers’ compensation. Employees injured on the job may qualify for medical benefits, wage replacement, and permanent impairment awards through the NH Department of Labor. Employers and insurers frequently contest these claims.
• Wrongful death. When negligence causes a fatality, surviving family members may pursue a wrongful death claim. Recoverable damages include funeral costs, lost financial support, and loss of companionship.

Why Choose Welts, White & Fontaine, P.C. as My Personal Injury Lawyer in Manchester, NH?

Attorneys Who Practice in Manchester

Israel F. Piedra lives in Manchester and has practiced personal injury and civil litigation at Welts, White & Fontaine, P.C. since 2015. Before entering private practice, he represented Manchester as a member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives for two terms and currently sits on the Board of Trustees of the Manchester City Library. He has been selected to the Super Lawyers Rising Stars list every year from 2017 through 2025, received the 2024 Robert E. Kirby Award from the NH Bar Foundation for civility and advocacy, and is recognized in Best Lawyers in America. He serves on the Board of Governors of the NH Association for Justice.

Michael J. Fontaine, a director and shareholder, has been litigating personal injury and workers’ compensation cases at the firm since 1985. He speaks regularly at continuing education programs for attorneys and paralegals across the state. Jack S. White has tried personal injury cases in bench and jury trials across New Hampshire and Vermont since 1980 and received the Nashua Bar Association’s Humanitarian Award in 2013.

Our attorneys have helped injured clients recover millions of dollars across personal injury and workers’ compensation matters throughout New Hampshire.

Understanding Personal Injury Cases

Damages, Liability, and Compensation for Personal Injury Cases

New Hampshire personal injury claims allow injured plaintiffs to pursue both economic and non-economic damages. Knowing the categories before your first conversation with an attorney helps frame the right questions.

• Economic damages. Medical bills, prescription costs, lost wages, diminished future earning capacity, and rehabilitation expenses. These are the financial losses that can be documented with records and receipts.
• Non-economic damages. Physical pain, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, scarring, and disfigurement. A significant portion of many personal injury settlements in New Hampshire comes from this category.
• Wrongful death damages. Funeral expenses, lost financial support, and loss of companionship. These are available to surviving dependents under New Hampshire law.

New Hampshire applies a modified comparative fault standard. Under this rule, you can recover damages as long as your share of fault does not exceed the defendant’s. If a jury finds you 51% or more at fault, the claim is barred. Below that threshold, your damages are reduced by your percentage of responsibility. Insurance adjusters push fault onto injured plaintiffs as a standard negotiation tactic. An attorney who understands how negligence is actually litigated in New Hampshire courts can counter that strategy before it affects the outcome.

What Are Important Aspects of a Personal Injury Case?

Several factors shape the outcome of a personal injury case more than anything else.

• Evidence preservation. Photographs of the scene, witness contact information, police reports, and surveillance footage from nearby businesses all matter. This evidence disappears quickly if no one is actively collecting it.
• Medical documentation. Your treating physician’s records must draw a clear line between the accident and the injury. They need to describe how the injury limits daily function and capacity to work. Insurers will look for pre-existing conditions and argue that your symptoms predated the incident.
• Communication with insurers. Do not provide a recorded statement to the other party’s insurance company before consulting with an attorney. Adjusters are trained to use recorded statements against claimants later in the process.

What Is the Personal Injury Case Timeline?

The timeline for a personal injury claim in New Hampshire varies by case, but most follow a recognizable path.

• Seek medical treatment. Prompt medical attention protects both your health and your legal claim. The records from that initial treatment become the foundation of the case.
• Consult with an attorney. Early involvement allows your attorney to preserve evidence and manage communications with the opposing insurer from the start.
• Investigation and evidence gathering. Police reports, medical records, witness statements, and any other documentation relevant to establishing liability.
• Demand and negotiation. Once treatment stabilizes, we assemble a demand to the carrier. Many personal injury cases resolve through negotiation at this stage.
• Litigation. When the insurer refuses to offer a fair amount, we file suit and prepare the case for trial before the New Hampshire courts.

What Should You Bring to Your Personal Injury Consultation?

Having documentation organized before the first meeting allows your attorney to evaluate the claim more efficiently.

• The accident or incident report, if one was filed
• Medical records and billing statements related to the injury
• Insurance policy information for all parties involved
• Photographs of the scene, your injuries, or property damage
• Written correspondence from the other party’s insurer

Your attorney will review the materials, identify any gaps in documentation, and explain the likely path forward.

What Are Important New Hampshire Legal Resources for Personal Injury Cases?

New Hampshire personal injury law is shaped by statutes within RSA Title LII and RSA Title LIII. The resources below outline the primary legal framework for injury claims in this state.

• The statute of limitations under RSA 508:4 gives injured plaintiffs three years from the date of injury to file a lawsuit. Missing that deadline eliminates the right to bring the case.
• New Hampshire’s comparative fault rule determines how responsibility is divided between parties, which directly controls recovery. The NH General Court publishes the full text of all state statutes.
• The NH Judicial Branch oversees the court system where personal injury cases are filed, heard, and tried.

Reach Out to Welts, White & Fontaine, P.C. to Schedule a Consultation

If you have been injured in an accident in Manchester or anywhere in southern New Hampshire, early legal guidance can make a meaningful difference in the outcome of your claim. Evidence deteriorates, and filing deadlines apply. Contact us to schedule a consultation with a Manchester personal injury attorney at Welts, White & Fontaine, P.C.