---
title: "What does serious bodily injury mean under Rhode Island law?"
description: "Serious bodily injury is a legal term that generally means an injury creating a substantial risk of death, causing permanent disfigurement, or causing protracted loss or impairment of a body part or..."
url: https://bankandmunns.com/faq-items/what-does-serious-bodily-injury-mean-under-rhode-island-law/
date: 2026-07-24
modified: 2026-07-24
author: "Bank and Munns"
type: avada_faq
lang: en
---

# What does serious bodily injury mean under Rhode Island law?

Serious bodily injury is a legal term that generally means an injury creating a substantial risk of death, causing permanent disfigurement, or causing protracted loss or impairment of a body part or organ. Whether an injury meets that threshold is often disputed, because it decides whether the case is a misdemeanor simple assault or a felony. Medical records and expert review frequently drive that fight.