Personal Injury Law

Personal Injury Law
I Was Just Injured in a Car Accident: Should I Use My Health or Auto Insurance To Pay My Medical Bills?
ByParnell, Michels & McKay Law Offices April 18, 2024August 15, 2025
We never want to be in a situation where we get into an accident with another vehicle, but unfortunately accidents happen. If you are injured, the question will come up at your doctor’s office whether to bill your health insurance or auto insurance. At PMM Law, we handle injuries in New Hampshire and Massachusetts. Likewise, the answer depends on many factors, including what state you live in, what your health insurance plan requires, and other factors. In New Hampshire, the “no fault” coverage for medical expenses is called “medical payment coverage” or “MedPay” for short. Importantly, these benefits are non-subrogable (i.e. do not have to be repaid) under RSA 264:17. This means that any payments made by your auto insurer under the MedPay portion of…
Read More I Was Just Injured in a Car Accident: Should I Use My Health or Auto Insurance To Pay My Medical Bills?
Personal Injury Law
PI Day: How Can a PI Claim Come From Pie?
ByParnell, Michels & McKay Law Offices March 15, 2024August 15, 2025
While many people associate personal injury law with motor vehicle accidents, slip and falls, and so on, this is only a portion of the types of valid personal injury claims. One of the lesser discussed types of personal injury comes from foreign objects found in food. These types of situations begin when a consumer purchases food. This could be food served at a restaurant, purchased from a gas station, or a pie purchased in celebration of pi day from your local baker or grocery store. In any of these situations, the law acknowledges that people make certain assumptions about the food they are consuming when they bite into it and are unlikely to inspect something like a pie thoroughly before eating it. Because we place…
Read More PI Day: How Can a PI Claim Come From Pie?
Personal Injury Law | Workers Compensation Law
Can Mario’s workers’ compensation claim really be denied by the neutral risk test?
ByParnell, Michels & McKay Law Offices January 12, 2024August 15, 2025
Mario was working as a plumber. He was hired to clear out some pipes with some nasty vegetation. As he descended down, he slipped on some mushrooms and broke his leg. He is upset because the workers’ compensation carrier, Turtlespikes Ins. Co, has denied his workers’ compensation claim. They told him it was a “neutral risk”, and thus not covered. He’s upset because now he cannot work, and his brother has to do double duty. Is Turtlespikes Ins. Co. right? Is this claim barred by the neutral risk test? First, we have to look at what a Neutral risk is in the eyes of the law. Neutral risks are neither distinctly employment nor distinctly personal in character. Determining whether an injury resulting from a neutral…
Read More Can Mario’s workers’ compensation claim really be denied by the neutral risk test?
Personal Injury Law
Do You Know What To Do If Your Grandma Gets Run Over By a Reindeer?
ByParnell, Michels & McKay Law Offices December 22, 2023August 15, 2025
It’s Christmas Eve and your lovely grandmother, Susan Jackenheimer, was walking home during a light snow storm. Out of nowhere a massive red sleigh came up behind her and ran her over. Leading the sleigh were eight reindeer, and a jolly large man yelling “Ho! Ho! Ho!” was behind the wheel. Sadly, you found poor Grandma lying face down in the snow, hoof prints on her forehead, and footprints all over her back. While you wonder if the old man driving the sleigh has had a recent eye exam for his license, you are left with trying to help your grandmother recover from her injuries. She has been diagnosed with a significant concussion syndrome and her back is in excruciating pain. She is worried about…
Read More Do You Know What To Do If Your Grandma Gets Run Over By a Reindeer?
General Litigation | Personal Injury Law | Workers Compensation Law
How will my settlement be taxed after a personal injury, worker’s compensation, or employment case?
ByParnell, Michels & McKay Law Offices October 27, 2023August 15, 2025
Our clients who receive settlement payments often have questions about how these settlement payments will be taxed, or if they will be taxed at all. While our firm does not practice tax law, and we always advise our clients to discuss these matters with an experienced accountant or tax preparation service, this article discusses the general rules for taxation of settlement payments in the areas of law our firm practices. Taxation in personal injury cases is simple: you will not pay taxes on a personal injury settlement in almost all circumstances. The IRS does not tax settlement money for personal injury claims because these funds are intended to make an injured person whole again. In other words, the federal government does not consider settlement of…
Read More How will my settlement be taxed after a personal injury, worker’s compensation, or employment case?
Family Law | General Litigation | Personal Injury Law
I feel I was wronged in trial court, can I file an appeal to the Supreme Court?
ByParnell, Michels & McKay Law Offices September 29, 2023August 15, 2025
The words “appeal” are prevalent in our society today. Typically, following a flashy criminal trial, or much publicized civil one, the losing lawyer states they’re “going to appeal”. Most people assume that appeals occur as a matter of course or that they are automatic. This is incorrect. In New Hampshire, parties need to file what is called a notice of appeal and comply with several other trial court and Supreme Court rules to effectively commence an appeal. On their face, notice of appeals appear to be easy. The Court’s form requires basic information about the trial court, dates of hearings, parties, and some other obvious information. However, while they are relatively easy to file, parties need to take care in preparing their filing. First what…
Read More I feel I was wronged in trial court, can I file an appeal to the Supreme Court?
General Litigation | Personal Injury Law | Workers Compensation Law
What is a Permanent Impairment and am I entitled to compensation?
ByParnell, Michels & McKay Law Offices September 22, 2023August 15, 2025
In Workers’ Compensation, it is commonly misunderstood by most people what an injured person is entitled to. A person may be able to collect benefits for time missed from work, in addition to have their medical bills paid. Yet, what happens when a person has a permanent injury that prevents them from working? First, it is important to separate that an injury that causes someone to be permanently and totally disabled entitles them to continuing wage (indemnity) benefits from the insurance carrier as long as they can’t work. If they can never work again, they are entitled to receive permanent wage benefits, and also possibly social security disability benefits. Second, the injured worker who has a permanent injury is also entitled to what is called…
Read More What is a Permanent Impairment and am I entitled to compensation?
Personal Injury Law
What happens when I am injured because of criminal conduct?
ByParnell, Michels & McKay Law Offices August 11, 2023August 15, 2025
When someone is injured, it is already a difficult situation. However, when you are victim of a crime like drunk driving and get hurt, the effect can shake your faith in other humans and those on the roads. Clients involved in these collisions can suffer from increased anxiety, and become very fearful of driving after the accident. These folks not only suffer from their injuries, but also from the fact that another person was committing a crime when they were hurt. Ultimately, we get asked, how does this affect my case? The answer, like most in the legal field, is that it depends. Things like crossing a yellow line, speeding through a stop light or stop sign, or something as simple as failing to yield…
Read More What happens when I am injured because of criminal conduct?
Personal Injury Law
Walking in the Street: Whose fault is it when a pedestrian gets hit on the roadway?
ByParnell, Michels & McKay Law Offices May 25, 2023August 15, 2025
A pedestrian getting hit by a vehicle is a tragic situation that in a lot of cases could have been avoided by more attentive driving by the person in the vehicle. Yet, at what point can the pedestrian be held at fault in a civil claim? At PMM law, we have handled many cases where pedestrians were injured severely while walking down the road or crossing it. It’s important to know when to cross the road, and what level protections you have. The first thing to look at is New Hampshire’s Pedestrian Right of Way statute, titled RSA 265:35. A car is required to yield to any pedestrian in a crosswalk. That part seems well understood and obvious. What many people don’t always understand is…
Read More Walking in the Street: Whose fault is it when a pedestrian gets hit on the roadway?
Personal Injury Law | Workers Compensation Law
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
ByParnell, Michels & McKay Law Offices May 12, 2023August 15, 2025
Can I get workers’ compensation coverage when I am assaulted by a magical elf at work? So, you are a Bokoblin Security Guard for Ganon Security Solutions and you were attacked by a blonde haired blue tunic wearing guy with a sword: Are your injuries covered by workers’ compensation? You are Bobthe Bokoblin, and have been working with Ganon Security Solutions for around two years. The benefits are great, the hours are reasonable, and the work is not too demanding. When you were hired, you was assigned to the Hyrule Castle division of Ganon Security Solutions. On May 12th, you came to your regular shift which was standing watch at the Southwest Castle Grounds. Everything was normal until you noticed something peculiar gliding in the…
Read More The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom