Title 9, Title 9 and Civil Procedure — Procedure Generally

(a) Except as otherwise specially provided, all civil actions shall be commenced within ten (10) years next after the cause of action shall accrue, and not after. (b) [Ruled unconstitutional, see case notes] Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, an act…

(a) Actions for words spoken shall be commenced and sued within one year next after the words spoken, and not after. (b) Actions for injuries to the person shall be commenced and sued within three (3) years next after the cause of action shall accrue, and not after, except as pro…

Notwithstanding the provisions of §§ 9-1-13 and 9-1-14, an action for medical, veterinarian, accounting, or insurance or real estate agent or broker malpractice shall be commenced within three (3) years from the time of the occurrence of the incident that gave rise to the action;…

Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, an action to recover damages for personal injury caused by contact with or exposure to phenoxy herbicides while serving as a member of the armed forces of the United States in Indo-China from January 1, 1962, through March 29,…

Notwithstanding the provisions of §§ 9-1-13 and 9-1-14, an action for legal malpractice shall be commenced within three (3) years of the occurrence of the incident which gave rise to the action; provided, however, that: (1) One who is under disability by reason of age, mental inc…

Notwithstanding the provisions of §§ 9-1-13 and 9-1-14, an action against a licensed home inspector for injury or damage arising out of a home inspection shall be commenced within three (3) years of delivery to the client of the written home inspection report giving rise to the a…

The following actions shall be commenced and sued within twenty (20) years next after the cause of action shall accrue and not after: actions on contracts or liabilities under seal; and actions on judgments or decrees of any court of record of the United States, or of any state.

If any person against whom there is or shall be cause for any action, as enumerated in this chapter, in favor of a resident of the state, shall at the time the cause accrues be outside the limits of the state, or being within the state at the time the cause accrues shall go out o…

If any person at the time any such cause of action shall accrue to him or her shall be under the age of eighteen (18) years, or of unsound mind, or beyond the limits of the United States, the person may bring the cause of action, within the time limited under this chapter, after …

Whenever any person shall suffer any injury to his or her person, reputation, or estate by reason of the commission of any crime or offense, he or she may recover his or her damages for the injury in a civil action against the offender, and it shall not be any defense to such act…

(a) Any person who suffers harm pursuant to chapter 59 of title 11 may recover his or her damages in a civil action against the offender. (b) As used in this section: (1) “Course of conduct” means a pattern of conduct composed of a series of acts over a period of time, evidencing…

If any person, liable to an action by another, shall fraudulently, by actual misrepresentation, conceal from him or her the existence of the cause of action, the cause of action shall be deemed to accrue against the person so liable at the time when the person entitled to sue the…

If any person, for or against whom any causes of action enumerated in this chapter accrue, dies before the time limited for bringing action, or within sixty (60) days after the expiration of that time, and the cause of action survives, the action may be commenced by or against th…

If an action is timely commenced and is terminated in any other manner than by a voluntary discontinuance, a dismissal of the complaint for neglect to prosecute the action, or a final judgment upon the merits, the plaintiff, or if he or she dies and the claim survives, his or her…

Whenever counts are joined in the same complaint, the limitations of time for commencing suit applicable to the cause of action set out in any count shall be the same as if the action was brought on the count only, and the limitation may be pleaded to that count instead of to the…

The provisions of §§ 9-1-14 — 9-1-23 shall not apply to any case in which a different time is limited by special provisions.

(a) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section and in § 9-1-51, for cases of sexual abuse, when a claimant is given the right to sue the state of Rhode Island, any political subdivision of the state, or any city or town by a special act of the general assembly, or in ca…

Every hospital operating within this state, whether sustained in whole or in part by charitable contributions or endowments, shall be liable for the neglect, carelessness, or want of skill or for malicious act of any of its officers, agents, or employees in the management of or f…

No member of any police force or fire department of the state or any city or town, investigators of the department of attorney general appointed pursuant to § 42-9-8.1, inspectors and agents of the Rhode Island state fugitive task force appointed pursuant to § 12-6-7.2, or any pe…

No person who voluntarily and gratuitously renders emergency assistance to a person in need thereof including the administration of life saving treatment to those persons suffering from anaphylactic shock shall be liable for civil damages which result from acts or omissions by su…

The state shall protect and hold harmless any attorney, director, coordinator, or social worker employed in the court appointed special advocate program and its court appointed volunteer special advocates (C.A.S.A.) from financial loss and expense, including legal fees and costs,…

The state shall protect and hold harmless any law clerk employed by the supreme court participating in the court appointed law clerk advocate program from financial loss and expenses, including legal fees and costs, if any, arising out of any claim, demand, or suit for damages re…

(a) Any person whose name, portrait, or picture is used within the state for commercial purposes without his or her written consent may bring an action in the superior court against the person so using his or her name, portrait, or picture to prevent and restrain the use thereof,…

(a) Right to privacy created. It is the policy of this state that every person in this state shall have a right to privacy which shall be defined to include any of the following rights individually: (1) The right to be secure from unreasonable intrusion upon one’s physical solitu…

No action (including arbitration proceedings) in tort to recover damages shall be brought against any architect or professional engineer who designed, planned, or supervised to any extent the construction of improvements to real property, or against any contractor or subcontracto…

The parent or parents of any unemancipated minor or minors, which minor or minors willfully or maliciously cause damage to any property or injury to any person, shall be jointly and severally liable with the minor or minors for the damage or injury to an amount not exceeding fift…

A parent may be held liable for injuries caused to his or her unemancipated minor child by the parent’s negligent acts or omissions. In all cases in which the injured minor is living, prior to the commencement of any civil action hereunder, a petition shall be brought in the supe…

(a) No complaint or pleading in an action of contract or tort for personal injury, injury to property, or wrongful death shall contain an ad damnum or monetary amount claimed against any defendant or defendants; provided, however, that in any action brought before the superior co…

(a) Each school committee and the council on elementary and secondary education shall protect and save harmless any public school teacher, any supervisor, administrator, or licensed professional employee, any employee whose position requires a certificate from the department of e…

(a) Definitions. The following words and terms shall have the following respective meanings, unless the context clearly indicates a different meaning: (1) “Public body” means any branch, department, division, agency, commission, committee, board, council, bureau, authority, or an…

(a) As used in this section: (1) “Person injured” means the person who sustained damages because of personal injury, death, or property damage. (2) “Product liability damages” means damages because of personal injury, death, or property damage sustained by reason of an alleged de…

(a) Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, an insured under any insurance policy as set out in the general laws or otherwise may bring an action against the insurer issuing the policy when it is alleged the insurer wrongfully and in bad faith refused to pay or settle a claim ma…

(a) No person, whether acting in an official capacity or as a private volunteer, who gratuitously renders emergency assistance in the nature of cardiopulmonary resuscitation or automated external defibrillation to a person in need thereof, shall be liable for civil damages for an…

(a) Any person, who is maliciously subjected to an act or acts which would reasonably be construed as intended to harass or intimidate the person because of his or her race, religion, or national origin, may bring an action in the superior court against the perpetrator of the act…

The following compilation of statutes of limitation for civil actions is set forth as an aid to the public and is not intended to replace the specific statutes referred to herein. The omission of any statute of limitation from this list shall in no way affect the validity of that…

The following compilation of periods of appeal for criminal and civil actions is set forth as an aid to the public, and is not intended to replace the specific statutes referred to herein. The omission of any statute from this list shall in no way affect the validity of the omitt…

Actions for medical expenses incurred by a minor, whether the minor or the minor’s parents or guardian has expended the sums, which medical expenses were incurred as the result of the negligence of a third party, shall be commenced and sued upon within three (3) years next after …

Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, any person, organization, corporation, or association which is the owner of property that is injured, destroyed, written upon, painted, or otherwise damaged or defaced in violation of § 11-44-31 may bring an action for compensatory damages…

No action shall be brought: (1) Whereby to charge any person upon any contract for the sale of lands, tenements, or hereditaments, or the making of any lease thereof for a longer time than one year; (2) Whereby to charge any person upon any agreement made upon consideration of ma…

Whenever any person suffers any injury or loss to his or her person or property as a result of the intentional failure of his or her employer to pay any health insurance premium to which the person contributes through his or her employer, the person may recover his or her damages…

(a) A married person is entitled to recover damages for loss of consortium caused by tortious injury to his or her spouse. (b) An unemancipated minor is entitled to recover damages for the loss of parental society and companionship caused by tortious injury to his or her parent. …

No civil action shall be commenced or prosecuted for alienation of affection, criminal conversation, or seduction, and those causes of action are hereby abolished.

(a) Any person, including a parent, who intentionally removes, causes the removal of, or detains any child under the age of eighteen (18) years with intent to deny another person’s right of custody under an existing decree or order of the family court in violation of § 11-26-1.1 …

(a) No member of any municipal or state agency shall release the identity of any minor who is believed to be a victim of a violation of any law except with the consent of his or her parent or guardian. This section shall not prevent the release of the identity of minors involved …

The court may award a reasonable attorney’s fee to the prevailing party in any civil action arising from a breach of contract in which the court: (1) Finds that there was a complete absence of a justiciable issue of either law or fact raised by the losing party; or (2) Renders a …

The owner or person legally entitled to possession of any land or building shall be entitled to plead as an affirmative defense that the injured person was trespassing with the intent to commit a felony, which upon proof thereof shall prohibit the trespasser from recovering for p…