Personal Injury

Personal injury representation from Nashua’s largest law firm, advocating for injured plaintiffs across New Hampshire for over 48 years.

If you or a family member has been injured in an accident in Nashua, the legal process that follows can be difficult to navigate without experienced representation. Personal injury cases involve multiple parties, competing insurance interests, and procedural deadlines that affect the outcome of every claim.

Welts, White & Fontaine, P.C. is based in Nashua and has spent over 48 years representing injured plaintiffs across New Hampshire. Our Nashua, NH personal injury lawyer is focused on one thing: recovering the compensation our clients are owed. Call our office to discuss your claim.

Personal Injury Lawyer Nashua, NH

A personal injury attorney represents people who have been physically harmed because of another party’s negligence. That could mean a rear-end collision on the Everett Turnpike, a fall in a Nashua restaurant, a dog bite in a public park, or a workplace incident at a local warehouse. What ties these cases together is that someone else failed to act with reasonable care, and that failure caused harm.

Representing a personal injury client in Nashua requires a methodical approach to case development. The attorney must establish fault through evidence, document the full scope of the injuries with medical records, and calculate both current and projected damages. From there, the attorney engages with insurance companies to pursue the actual value of the claim, not just the initial offer.

Types of Personal Injury Cases We Handle in Nashua

Welts, White & Fontaine, P.C. handles all major categories of personal injury claims for plaintiffs in Nashua and across southern New Hampshire. Below are the types of cases our attorneys take on.

• Car accidents. Rear-end crashes, intersection collisions, and distracted driving wrecks make up the largest share of personal injury cases we handle. We pursue compensation from at-fault drivers and their insurers for medical costs, missed income, and pain and suffering in car accident claims throughout the Nashua area.
• Motorcycle accidents. Riders face elevated risks every time they are on the road. Even when the motorcyclist did nothing wrong, adjusters frequently try to shift blame. We represent clients in motorcycle accident cases and build the factual record that proves otherwise.
• Truck accidents. Commercial truck claims involve federal trucking regulations, carrier liability, and insurance policies with higher limits than standard auto coverage. Our attorneys handle truck accident litigation that goes well beyond the accident scene.
• Pedestrian accidents. A pedestrian struck by a vehicle almost always suffers severe injuries. We handle pedestrian accident claims arising from crosswalk collisions, parking lot incidents, and other pedestrian-vehicle accidents in and around Nashua.
• Bicycle accidents. Cyclists have the same right to the road as motorists but far less protection in a crash. Our firm represents riders in bicycle accident cases caused by negligent drivers, including hit-and-run incidents.
• Slip and fall injuries. Property owners in New Hampshire owe a duty to keep their premises reasonably safe. When a fall results from ice, wet floors, broken steps, or similar hazards, we pursue slip and fall claims against the responsible property owner.
• Dog bites. New Hampshire holds dog owners strictly liable for bite injuries. The owner is responsible regardless of whether the dog had a known history of aggression, and our attorneys handle dog bite injury claims throughout Nashua.
• Wrongful death. When negligence causes a death, the victim’s estate can bring a claim for funeral expenses, lost future income, and loss of companionship.

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

Attorneys Rooted in Nashua With Decades of Injury Litigation

Israel F. Piedra was born in Nashua and raised in Milford, NH. He earned his J.D. from Boston College Law School and joined the firm in 2015, becoming a shareholder in 2022. Piedra handles personal injury, civil litigation, and appellate work. He is admitted to practice in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Vermont, and Maine, and he has argued before the U.S. Supreme Court and the First Circuit Court of Appeals. He serves on the Board of Governors of the NH Association for Justice and has been named to the SuperLawyers Rising Stars list every year from 2017 through 2025. In 2024, he received the Robert E. Kirby Award from the New Hampshire Bar Foundation for civility, perspective, and advocacy.

Michael J. Fontaine has led the firm as managing director since 1985. He has over 35 years handling personal injury, workers’ compensation, and family law cases, and he is a member of the NH Bar Association Workers’ Compensation Section. Jack S. White has tried personal injury and commercial cases in New Hampshire courts for more than 40 years and was selected for inclusion in Best Lawyers in America for plaintiff’s personal injury litigation. He is a member of the American Bar Association and has served on numerous committees of the New Hampshire Bar Association throughout his career.

The firm has helped clients recover millions of dollars across personal injury settlements and verdicts. When you need a personal injury attorney in Nashua, NH, our lawyers bring the preparation, courtroom experience, and local knowledge necessary to pursue full compensation.

Understanding Personal Injury Cases

Damages, Liability, and Compensation for Personal Injury Cases

Damages in a personal injury case fall into two broad categories. Economic damages are the losses you can document: hospital bills, surgery costs, physical therapy, prescription medication, lost wages, and diminished earning capacity if the injury affects your ability to work going forward. Non-economic damages cover what is harder to put a number on, including pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, and loss of consortium.

Where the defendant acted with particular recklessness, New Hampshire courts can award enhanced compensatory damages. But most cases do not reach that threshold.

Liability is governed by a modified comparative fault rule in New Hampshire. Under this rule, an injured plaintiff’s own negligence does not automatically prevent recovery, but it will reduce the damages awarded based on their share of responsibility. If the plaintiff’s degree of fault crosses a certain threshold, recovery can be barred altogether. The specifics of how fault is apportioned shape how insurers evaluate offers and how attorneys prepare for trial.

Important Aspects of Personal Injury Cases

Building a personal injury case in Nashua, NH requires work on several fronts at the same time.

First, negligence has to be proven under New Hampshire law. That means showing the other party owed a duty of care, breached it, and that the breach directly caused the injuries. In a car crash, this could involve the police report, traffic camera footage, and eyewitness testimony. In a slip and fall case, it may hinge on maintenance logs and inspection records.

Second, medical documentation has to support the claim. A gap in treatment, even a short one, gives the insurer an opening to argue the injury was not serious. Follow the treatment plan your doctor sets. Keep every bill and every record.

Filing deadlines are another critical factor. In most personal injury cases, New Hampshire law provides a three-year window to file a lawsuit, though certain circumstances can shorten or extend that deadline. While three years may seem like sufficient time, evidence can deteriorate, witnesses become harder to locate, and insurers frequently use procedural delay as a negotiation tactic.

Personal Injury Case Timeline

Personal injury cases in New Hampshire generally move through distinct stages. How long the process takes depends on the severity of the injury, the insurer’s willingness to negotiate, and whether the case has to be litigated.

• The investigation begins right after the accident. Your attorney gathers the police report, medical records, witness statements, and physical evidence.
• Treatment has to run its full course. Settling too early almost always means undervaluing the claim. No responsible attorney will push you to close your case before you know the full extent of your injuries.
• Once treatment is complete, a demand letter goes to the insurer outlining every category of damages and the basis for liability. The negotiation process that follows can take weeks or months depending on the complexity of the claim and the insurer’s willingness to offer fair terms.
• If the insurer will not agree to fair terms, a lawsuit gets filed. Discovery, depositions, and motion practice follow. Some cases proceed to trial.
• The case resolves either through a settlement agreement or a jury verdict.

What to Bring to Your Personal Injury Consultation

When you sit down with a Nashua personal injury attorney for the first time, bringing certain materials will help the attorney evaluate your case right away.

• The police or incident report
• Photographs of the accident scene, damage, and any visible injuries
• All medical records and bills connected to the injury
• Proof of lost wages or missed work
• Any letters or emails from an insurance company
• Your auto insurance policy, if the case involves a vehicle

It is important not to provide a recorded statement to the other party’s insurer before consulting with an attorney. Insurance adjusters are trained to ask questions that limit what the company pays, and early recorded statements can be used against you during negotiations or at trial.

New Hampshire Legal Resources for Personal Injury Cases

New Hampshire law governs personal injury claims filed in the state. Below are several public resources that provide starting points for understanding the relevant statutes.

• The NH General Court website publishes RSA 508:4, which establishes the general filing deadline for personal injury lawsuits in the state, along with exceptions that may apply in certain circumstances.
• RSA 507:7-d, the state’s comparative fault statute, governs how a plaintiff’s own negligence affects their ability to recover damages and the amount they can receive.
• The NHTSA tracks motor vehicle crash fatalities and publishes annual safety data used in traffic accident claims nationwide.
• The CDC Injury Center provides data on unintentional injury trends, including motor vehicle and fall-related injuries across the United States.

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

If you have been injured in Nashua, NH, our firm is ready to evaluate your case. We take personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis, which means you owe no attorney’s fees unless we recover compensation on your behalf. Contact us to schedule a free initial consultation with a personal injury attorney in Nashua.