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Rhode Island Wrongful Death Lawyer
While others say justice for all, we say justice for you.
While no legal action can undo the loss of a loved one, a wrongful death claim can help hold those responsible accountable and ease the financial burden on the family left behind. We approach every case with the compassion, care, and respect families deserve during such a difficult time.
35+
Years experience
1,000+
Case representations
100+
Businesses served
24/7
Available to you
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Do you have a wrongful death claim in Rhode Island?
Most claims come down to three questions. If the answer to all three is yes, it is worth a conversation, and the conversation costs nothing.
Was the death caused by negligence or a wrongful act?
A crash, a fall, medical negligence, a defective product, a workplace hazard, or violence. If the person could have brought an injury claim had they lived, the family can bring a wrongful death claim.
Are you a surviving family member?
Rhode Island's statute directs recovery to the surviving spouse, children, or next of kin. The claim itself is brought through the estate.
Is it within three years?
Rhode Island allows three years from the date of death. These claims also require opening an estate, which takes time.
What we do for you
How Tarro Law will help you
From the first call to the final payment, this is what working with us looks like.
A free, honest case review
Tell us what happened. We tell you whether there is a claim, and we say so plainly if there is not.
We deal with the insurer
Every call, letter, and recorded-statement request goes through us from the first day. You speak to no adjuster alone.
We move on the evidence first
Preservation letters, camera footage, and witness accounts are secured before they disappear, usually within days.
You focus on recovery
We track every bill, record, and lost workday while you concentrate on treatment.
No fee unless we recover
The contingency fee is set out in writing before we start. If there is no recovery, no attorney's fee is owed.
Direct access to your attorney
Phone, email, and the client portal, with a lawyer who knows your file. Hablamos español.
Wrongful Death
How we handle a Rhode Island wrongful death claim
Establishing the cause
Police and medical examiner reports, witness accounts, and expert review of what went wrong and who was responsible.
Opening and administering the estate
The claim cannot proceed without a personal representative. We coordinate the probate filing so the family is not managing two processes alone.
Valuing a life, properly
Lost income and benefits over a working lifetime, the value of services the person provided at home, and the loss of their companionship and guidance, with economists where the numbers warrant it.
Protecting the family from the insurer
Insurers contact grieving families early. All communication runs through us from the first call.
Compensation
What a claim can cover
Not every category applies to every case. Which ones apply to yours depends on the injury, the evidence, and the insurance available.
Money you have lost
Emergency care, hospital stays, and surgery
Ongoing treatment, therapy, and medication
Projected future medical care
Wages lost while unable to work
Reduced earning capacity going forward
Property damage
Harm that has no invoice
Physical pain, during recovery and after
Emotional distress and loss of sleep
Scarring and disfigurement
Loss of the activities that made life yours
Loss of companionship within a marriage
How it is paid
Through the responsible party's insurance
Through your own uninsured or underinsured coverage where it applies
By settlement, or by verdict if a fair settlement is refused
With every deduction itemized in writing before you sign
Right now
What to do next
What you do in the first days affects what the claim is worth months later. None of this requires hiring anyone.
1
Take care of the family first
There is no step you must take today. Deadlines are measured in years, not days.
2
Keep documents, do not sort them
Hospital paperwork, the death certificate, police reports, insurance correspondence. We will organize them.
3
Do not sign anything from an insurer
Early settlement offers after a death arrive fast and low. A signed release ends the claim.
4
Note who was there
Witness names and contact information, if you have them, before memories fade.
5
Call when you are ready
A conversation costs nothing and commits you to nothing.
About the firm
Local roots in Providence. Statewide reach across Rhode Island.
Tarro Law Associates has spent more than 35 years representing businesses, families, and injured people from its office on Broadway in Providence. Clients work directly with their attorney, not a call center, and our attorneys are licensed in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Florida.
No office visit is needed. Most matters can be handled entirely from home:
Sign your agreement and documents electronically
Upload records and photos through the secure client portal
Follow your matter online and reach your attorney by phone, text, or email
Common questions
Wrongful Death questions we hear first
Who can file a wrongful death claim in Rhode Island?
The executor or administrator of the deceased person's estate files it, on behalf of the surviving spouse, children, or next of kin. Family members do not file individually, but they are the ones who recover.
What can the family recover?
The economic value of the person's lost earnings and services, the loss of companionship and guidance, medical expenses before death, and funeral costs. Rhode Island also provides a statutory minimum recovery where liability is proven.
Is there a deadline?
Three years from the date of death for most claims. Claims involving a city, town, or state agency have additional notice requirements that are shorter.
What if the person was partly at fault?
Rhode Island's pure comparative negligence rule applies. The recovery is reduced by the deceased's share of fault but is not eliminated.
Do we pay anything up front?
No. Wrongful death cases are handled on a contingency fee. The consultation is free, there is no hourly billing, and the fee is a percentage of any recovery set out in a written agreement. If there is no recovery, no attorney's fee is owed.
More ways we can help
Other services at Tarro Law
Personal Injury
Crashes, falls, medical negligence, and catastrophic or fatal injuries across Rhode Island.
Wills, Trusts & Estates
Estate plans, trusts, powers of attorney, probate, and estate disputes.
Fractional General Counsel
A dedicated business attorney on a month-to-month plan, for a set monthly fee.
Other Rhode Island injury claims we handle
Next step
Make the Call™
Tell us what happened in your own words. We will tell you whether you have a claim, what the deadline is, and what we would do first. Someone answers 24/7.
Main office
Providence, RI
425 Broadway, Providence, RI 02909
Serving
Every city and town in Rhode Island, and clients in Massachusetts and Florida.
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