Hiring a Car Accident Lawyer in New Hampshire
The deadline to sue after a crash in New Hampshire, how fault is shared, when a crash must be reported, how lawyers usually charge (contingency fees), how to check a lawyer's license, and free help. We do not recommend or rank lawyers.
What a lawyer costs in New Hampshire: fee rules
| If you disagree with a lawyer's bill | The New Hampshire Bar Association's Dispute Resolution Committee tries to resolve disputes between NH attorneys and clients that fall short of an ethics violation, including fee questions. The service is free and voluntary; if the attorney declines, the committee cannot proceed. It does not handle fees set by statute, agency rule or court order, or disputes in pending litigation. Send a written notice (names, the attorney's role, whether a case is pending, the facts, the resolution you want and your contact details) to NH Bar Association, Dispute Resolution Committee, 2 Pillsbury Street, Suite 300, Concord, NH 03301, or email NHBA.DRC@nhbar.org. |
|---|---|
| If a lawyer takes your money | The Public Protection Fund, administered by the New Hampshire Bar Association under Supreme Court Rule 55, reimburses money or property lost through theft or misappropriation by a New Hampshire attorney in New Hampshire, within a client-attorney relationship or while the attorney served as a fiduciary (such as trustee, guardian or conservator), for thefts after June 1, 1998. File within three years of when you discovered (or reasonably should have discovered) the theft, and never more than one year after the attorney is suspended, disbarred, dies or is judged incompetent. The Fund is a last resort: you must show reasonable efforts to collect from the attorney's assets, insurance and sureties, the law firm, and other liable third parties. Send the Statement of Claim form to the NH Bar Association, 2 Pillsbury Street, Suite 300, Concord, NH 03301, Attn: Public Protection Fund Committee; phone 603-715-3289. |
New Hampshire rules to know first
| Deadline to sue | Three years from the act or omission. If the injury and its connection to the act or omission were not discovered and could not reasonably have been discovered at the time, the three years run from when the injured person discovered (or reasonably should have discovered) them. Source: RSA 508:4, I |
|---|---|
| Fault rule | Modified comparative fault (51% bar). The plaintiff's own fault does not bar recovery if it was not greater than the fault of the defendant (or of all defendants combined), but damages are reduced in proportion to the plaintiff's share of fault. The party claiming fault must prove it. Source: RSA 507:7-d |
| When to report a crash to police | New Hampshire's crash statute does not set a general rule that drivers must call police after every crash. But if the injured person, the other driver or the property owner cannot receive the driver's information (because of injury, absence or another reason), the driver must give it to a uniformed police officer who arrives at the scene, or immediately to an officer at the nearest police station. Police who investigate an injury, death or property-damage crash file their own report with the Division of Motor Vehicles within 5 days after finishing the investigation. Source: RSA 264:25, I; RSA 264:26, II |
| Minimum car insurance | When proof of financial responsibility is required, it must show ability to pay at least $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for bodily injury and $25,000 for property damage; a motor vehicle liability policy must meet those limits and include at least $1,000 per person in medical payments coverage. Policy definition: https://gc.nh.gov/rsa/html/XXI/259/259-61.htm ; medical payments: https://gc.nh.gov/rsa/html/XXI/264/264-16.htm |
Find and check a lawyer
| Lawyer referral service | The New Hampshire Bar Association's Lawyer Referral Service (LRS) helps people find a qualified, conveniently located attorney. Call 603-229-0002 and a referral specialist will help clarify your legal issue and refer you to an attorney who handles that type of issue, or use the online referral. LRS charges a nonrefundable $25 administrative fee. The page also links to reduced-fee services. |
|---|---|
| Check discipline history or file a complaint | The New Hampshire Supreme Court's Attorney Discipline Office (4 Chenell Drive, Suite 102, Concord, NH 03301; 603-224-5828) handles misconduct complaints and can tell you whether complaints have been filed against a lawyer. A grievance is a letter giving the attorney's name and address, a description of the legal matter, a detailed factual account with dates, relevant documents and the proof you would offer (including witnesses). It must be signed under oath: sign the Oath Form before a notary public or justice of the peace, complete the Certification of Copies Form, attach both, and send a copy of the letter and enclosures to the attorney. Grievances cannot be filed by email or fax because they need original signatures. Public disciplinary decisions can be searched on the Attorney Discipline System site. Office address and phone as listed by the NH Bar Association: https://www.nhbar.org/dispute-with-an-attorney/ |
Free legal help
| Free legal aid | 603 Legal Aid generally helps people with low incomes with civil legal problems. Apply online (24/7) or by phone at (603) 224-3333 (intake calls Monday-Wednesday, 9:00 am-12:30 pm; no intake calls Thursday or Friday). After you apply, 603 Legal Aid may schedule a phone appointment for free legal advice, and you may be able to get free legal help. The Legal Services Corporation (LSC) lists 603 Legal Aid as the LSC-funded grantee in the state. LSC grantee list: https://www.lsc.gov/about-lsc/our-grantees |
|---|
All legal help in New Hampshire · Background guide
Last verified against official sources: October 27, 2026.
How we source this page: each state-specific rule links to the statute, court rule or official government page it comes from. A rule taken from a public copy of a state code (used only where the official code is not freely readable online) is marked as a secondary source. Spot an error? Use the contact page to report it. About our sources
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.