Rhode Island General Laws 39-4-1. Investigation of personal injuries and deaths
Every public utility shall, whenever any accident attended with loss of human life, or serious injury occurs within this state, directly or indirectly arising from or connected with its maintenance or operation, give immediate notice thereof to the division. In the event of any accident, the division, if it deems that the public interest requires it, shall cause an investigation to be made forthwith, which investigation shall be held in the locality of the accident, unless for the greater convenience of those concerned, it shall order the investigation to be held at some other place; and the investigation may be adjourned from place to place as may be found necessary and convenient. The division shall reasonably notify the public utility of the time and place of the investigation. The notice required by this section to be given shall not be admitted as evidence or used for any purpose against the public utility giving notice, in any suit, action, or proceeding brought for damages growing out of any matter mentioned in the notice; nor shall the notice be admitted as evidence or be used for any purpose in any criminal proceeding brought against the public utility giving notice, or against any of its officers, agents, or employees, growing out of any matter mentioned in the notice.
History of Section.
P.L. 1912, ch. 795, § 49; G.L. 1923, ch. 253, § 49; G.L. 1938, ch. 122, § 46; G.L. 1956, § 39-4-1; P.L. 1997, ch. 326, § 107.
Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws 39-4-1
- Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
- Division: means the division of public utilities and carriers. See Rhode Island General Laws 39-1-2
- Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
- Public utility: means and includes every company that is an electric distribution company and every company operating or doing business in intrastate commerce and in this state as a railroad, street railway, common carrier, gas, liquefied natural gas, water, telephone, telegraph, and pipeline company, and every company owning, leasing, maintaining, managing, or controlling any plant or equipment, or any part of any plant or equipment, within this state for manufacturing, producing, transmitting, distributing, delivering, or furnishing natural or manufactured gas, directly or indirectly, to or for the public, or any cars or equipment employed on, or in connection with, any railroad or street railway for public or general use within this state, or any pipes, mains, poles, wires, conduits, fixtures, through, over, across, under, or along any public highways, parkways, or streets, public lands, waters, or parks for the transmission, transportation, or distribution of gas for sale to the public for light, heat, cooling, or power for providing audio or visual telephonic or telegraphic communication service within this state, or any pond, lake, reservoir, stream, well, or distributing plant or system employed for the distribution of water to the consuming public within this state, including the water supply board of the city of Providence; provided, that, except as provided in § 39-16-9 and in P. See Rhode Island General Laws 39-1-2