Best New Jersey Car Accident Lawyers
Bhatt Law Group employs a team of skilled paralegals who are ready to help with your personal injury or criminal and traffic defense case. Our paralegals work closely alongside our attorneys and are committed to providing excellent service throughout your case.
At Blume Forte Fried Zerres & Molinari, our attorneys have several decades worth of combined experience representing injured clients in a wide range of New Jersey personal injury litigation, from motor vehicle accident claims, wrongful death lawsuits, premises liability cases, and slip-and-fall accidents to burn injuries, medical malpractice, product defect matters, and much more.
Rely on Zavodnick, Perlmutter & Boccia, LLC to protect and fight for your legal rights. Whether you or a loved one is harmed or seriously injured due to the recklessness, negligence, or intentional wrongdoing of another person or company, we are here to help. Our dedicated personal injury lawyer in Jersey City will assist you in getting compensation for your pain, suffering, and losses.
Accidental injuries occur everywhere from workplaces to highways to private property. In the majority of these cases, someone’s negligent conduct caused the harm, and the victims are entitled to recover compensation for their economic losses and pain and suffering. But whether the victims can recover the full amount they deserve often depends on the quality of legal representation they receive. At Brach Eichler Injury Lawyers, we are dedicated to providing excellent personal injury representation to clients throughout New Jersey.
Our dedicated team of Jersey City car accident Attorneys at Peter Michael Law is here to fight for you. With our expert guidance, navigating the legal process will be a breeze. Expect nothing less than exceptional representation as we work tirelessly to seek the compensation you deserve.
General Information About Car Accidents
Car accidents occur regularly on New Jersey roads. Anyone, even the most experienced and careful driver, can get into an accident. It is not possible to prepare for an accident, but you can act intelligently and effectively to overcome the consequences of an accident. This is where New Jersey car accident lawyers can help. They have experience in handling accident cases and know all the nuances of local legislation.
Data on Car Accidents
According to the New Jersey State Police report for 2023, there were 576 fatal crashes and 608 fatalities in New Jersey:
- Drivers – 321
- Passengers – 88
- Pedal cyclists – 26
- Pedestrians – 173.
The Most Common Car Accidents in New Jersey
According to the New Jersey Department of Transportation, the following types of accidents occurred on New Jersey roads in 2021:
Collision Type | County Road System | At/Between Intersections for State System Roads | Municipal Road System |
Same Dir – Rear End | 18141 | 24125 | 8636 |
Same Dir – Sideswipe | 8732 | 12422 | 7179 |
Angle | 12991 | 6644 | 12602 |
Head On | 2454 | 1052 | 2805 |
Parked Vehicle | 3914 | 952 | 19590 |
Left Turn / U Turn | 2134 | 1149 | 1015 |
Backing | 1407 | 466 | 5772 |
Encroachment | 250 | 143 | 306 |
Overturned | 320 | 324 | 228 |
Fixed Object | 7383 | 5773 | 7383 |
Animal | 3681 | 2575 | 1439 |
Pedestrian | 970 | 519 | 1661 |
Pedalcycle | 683 | 325 | 929 |
Non-Fixed Object | 472 | 633 | 412 |
Railcar – Vehicle | 10 | 2 | 12 |
Other | 402 | 443 | 510 |
Recent Injuries in Car Accidents
A large number of different injuries are reported in car accidents. The most common types can be distinguished:
Neck injuries: whiplash, muscle strains, slipped discs in the cervical spine.
Traumatic brain injuries: concussions, skull fractures, bruises, and other brain injuries.
Back and thoracic injuries: fractures or displacement of vertebral discs, pinched nerves, rib fractures, bruises, and other injuries to internal organs.
Limb injuries: bone fractures, joint dislocations, muscle strains, and amputations.
Lacerations: cuts to the skin and deep penetration, including damage to blood vessels.
Burns: thermal damage to the skin and deeper layers of varying severity.
Car Accident Liability Laws
New Jersey has the following minimum liability insurance requirements:
- $15,000 for injury or death of one person
- $30,000 for personal injury or death per accident
- $5,000 for property damage.
Every driver is required to have a Personal Injury Protection (PIP) policy. This covers your medical expenses regardless of fault. The minimum limit is $15,000 per person per accident.
It is also recommended to have uninsured/underinsured motorist insurance policies. This will help cover the costs of an accident with a driver who does not have insurance or does not have enough insurance.
New Jersey is a no-fault state and uses a comparative negligence system. If the degree of fault is less than 51%, the victim has the right to seek compensation above PIP coverage.
In New Jersey, the statute of limitations is two years from the date of the accident.
Benefits of Hiring New Jersey Car Accident Lawyers
The settlement process after a car accident can be long and complicated. The best solution is to contact New Jersey car accident lawyers. Preparation for settling a case begins immediately after the accident. Collecting evidence, and communicating with the police and insurance all require certain knowledge and experience. An experienced car accident lawyer can help you with most car accident issues.
Will prepare a high-quality claim to the insurance company, supporting it with the collected evidence, medical reports, police report, and other necessary materials. Will warn you against unnecessary and harmful statements to the insurance company. The insurance company’s task is to minimize payments. Their adjusters will try to ask you for information that could be used against you and weaken your case.
Will negotiate with the insurance company regarding your case. Experienced car accident lawyers in New Jersey will be able to negotiate a successful settlement of the case and achieve a fair level of compensation.
If it is impossible to reach a compromise during negotiations, the case will be referred to court. New Jersey car accident lawyers will represent you and argue to a jury that you are entitled to the compensation you deserve.
Qualities to Look for in New Jersey Car Accident Lawyers
Knowledge
The career of any lawyer begins with training. A lawyer should have a quality education as a strong foundation. The prestigious educational institution has a reputation for training New Jersey car accident lawyers and provides its graduates with an excellent knowledge base. Therefore, you should pay attention to the educational institution from which the lawyer graduated, as well as the license to conduct business in your region.
Experience
Good car accident lawyers in New Jersey should have extensive positive experience in handling accident cases. You can evaluate a lawyer’s experience using different criteria, but it is best to use a balanced approach. A lawyer must not only win cases but also do it as quickly and efficiently as possible, preferably at the stage of negotiations with the insurance company. Also, an excellent criterion for evaluation will be the amount of compensation won for clients.
Communication skills
A good New Jersey car accident lawyer must be a master of eloquence and have the gift of persuasion that he is right. When communicating with clients, a lawyer must be able to present his business tactics as the most advantageous and convince the client to agree with him. In negotiations with an insurance company, a lawyer must be able to prove that every dollar of compensation is deserved and suffered by his client.
How to Find Car Accident Lawyers in New Jersey
Start your search with a close circle – relatives, friends, and acquaintances. Ask for a recommendation for good New Jersey car accident lawyers. Surely someone has already had a positive experience hiring a car accident lawyer in New Jersey. This way you can get candidates with recommendations from people you trust.
Expand your search to specialized legal directories like Avvo or FindLaw. Visit their websites and use their convenient search. You can find car accident lawyers in your area.
Next, visit the websites of local law firms. Look at information about the experience and achievements of New Jersey car accident lawyers, and read client reviews. This can be helpful when choosing a lawyer.
The New Jersey State Bar Association may also be able to assist in your search. There may be helpful information on their website or contact them with a request.
Don’t forget about social networks. Now it is a powerful tool for interaction between people. Visit various legal forums and groups. In them, you can find recommendations for car accident lawyers in New Jersey that interest you.
Initial consultations with car accident lawyers in New Jersey will be very useful. Many New Jersey car accident lawyers provide them free of charge. There you can discuss with a lawyer everything that interests you and perhaps this will help you in choosing a lawyer.
If I Got into a Car Accident
If you are involved in a car accident, it is advisable to remain collected and cool-headed. Follow some simple rules:
- seek medical help
- help other road accident participants get medical help
- go to a safe place
- call the police to the scene of the accident
- save all useful information about the accident (photos of damaged vehicles, contacts of witnesses, necessary information on the participants in the accident)
- notify your insurance company
- consult with a car accident lawyer in New Jersey.
Common Mistakes to Avoid After a Car Accident
Admitting fault is the most common mistake after a car accident. Avoid the topic of admitting guilt in conversations with the police, insurance company, and other parties involved in the accident. Remember, anything said can be used against you in the future.
Late seeking of medical help. This can not only worsen the situation with your rehabilitation but also reduce your chances of receiving compensation for injuries sustained in the accident. It will be more difficult to prove the connection between the injury and the accident.
Agree to a quick settlement. More often than not, insurance companies offer insufficient compensation for quick settlements. It is a good idea to consult with a New Jersey car accident lawyer before accepting an agreement. He will be able to assess the prospects and possible costs of your case.
Understanding Compensation in Car Accident Cases
In New Jersey, compensation can be awarded for economic and non-economic damages. All payments received from your insurance company are deducted from the economic loss amount.
Economic damage may include:
- cost of treatment and rehabilitation costs
- lost wages
- loss of future earning capacity
- the cost of restoring or replacing damaged property.
Non-economic damages usually include:
- pain and suffering
- loss of consortium
- mutilations and scars.
Penalties may be applied to the guilty party. They are awarded as punishment for careless actions. The maximum amount of punitive damages is set at $350,000.
Do This to Avoid a Car Accident
Follow the rules of the road: traffic lights, road sign requirements, permissible speed.
Drive responsibly: do not talk on the phone, text, or eat or drink while driving.
Pay attention to weather conditions: reduce speed, and increase distance when weather conditions worsen.
Avoid aggressive driving: keep a safe distance, turn on your turn signals before making maneuvers, and do not use sudden braking.
Don’t drive while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Plan your route: try to avoid possible traffic jams and dangerous intersections.
FAQs
It is not recommended to deal with the other driver’s insurance company yourself. Leave this to your lawyer. This will avoid making unnecessary statements or providing information that could harm your case.
Other drivers, pedestrians, cyclists, government agencies that are responsible for the condition of roads, car manufacturers, or individual components.
Many car accident cases are resolved through settlements negotiated outside of court. However, if a fair settlement cannot be reached, your case may proceed to trial, where a judge or jury will determine the outcome.