Car Accident Lawyers in New Jersey
- Client ReviewsMost people are unprepared for the physical, emotional and financial damage that often results from a car accident. Dealing with the insurance company, worrying about paying your medical bills, or missing work and losing valuable income can be overwhelming.
After an accident, it is critical that you contact an experienced attorney who can help you understand your possible legal options. The New Jersey car accident lawyers at Lynch Law Firm, PC have decades of experience helping car accident victims throughout the state and the New York metro area. We have obtained more than $300,000,000 in compensation on behalf of our clients, including $4.5 million for a crash victim who suffered a traumatic brain injury and $1.5 million for an elderly man who died in an auto accident.*
Partner Arthur Lynch is certified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey as a civil trial attorney and is a member of the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum.
We provide personalized attention to every case we represent, and we charge no fees unless we recover compensation on your behalf. The initial consultation is 100 percent free and comes with no obligation.
Contact us today. Call (800) 518-0508
Am I Eligible to File a Claim?
As New Jersey is a no-fault state, the answer to this question is generally yes – you may be able to file claim against the personal injury protection (PIP) coverage in your own insurance. In a no-fault state, car insurance companies cover some damages no matter who is found to be at fault for the crash. New Jersey also requires drivers to purchase liability insurance, so your lawyer may be able to file a claim against the other driver’s liability coverage.
While most claims are resolved by recovering compensation from insurance companies, sometimes your lawyer will need to file a lawsuit to obtain compensation. However, the type of policy you purchased affects your ability to file a car accident lawsuit.
As car insurance claims can quickly become complicated, it is important to discuss your accident with an experienced New Jersey car accident lawyer.
Lynch Law Firm, PC offers a free, no-obligation legal consultation.
What Happens When Victims Are Partially at Fault?
Unless you are more at fault than the other driver, you could still pursue compensation for your car crash injuries. New Jersey uses a comparative negligence law in situations where the victim is partially at fault. The law says your compensation award will be reduced by your percentage of fault. When you are more at fault than the other driver, you are barred from seeking compensation.
As insurance companies will try to apply this law to deny you compensation, it is important to discuss the situation with a licensed attorney. At Lynch Law Firm, PC, we are ready to build a strong case to try to prevent the insurance company from assigning you more fault than you deserve.
However, there are times when victims may think they are partially at fault when they are not. If you have questions about your own role in the accident, you should save them for your confidential consultation with an experienced attorney. Telling the insurance company about your concerns could hurt the value of your claim.
Compensation for Car Crash Victims
Our firm is committed to pursuing maximum compensation for our clients. We know compensation can never change what happened, but it is an important part of the recovery process after an accident. Without compensation, you may not be able to afford the medical treatment recommended by your doctor and the long-term effects of your injuries could be much worse than they otherwise would be.
Compensation can also help keep you and your family out of a financial crisis, if you are unable to work or earn as much money as you used to because of your injuries.
Some common forms of compensation for car crash victims include:
- Current and future medical bills
- Lost wages
- Pain and suffering
- Funeral and burial expenses
- Emotional distress
- Permanent disability
- Permanent disfigurement
- Cost of long-term therapy or treatment
While there are no guarantees in the legal process, injury victims who hire attorneys often recover more compensation than those who do not.
The attorneys at Lynch Law Firm, PC are available to discuss the potential value of your claim in a free consultation. Our firm is ready to take your call 24/7.
Call today for legal help after a car accident. (800) 518-0508
How Our New Jersey Car Accident Lawyers May Be Able to Help
If our New Jersey auto accident lawyers validate your claim in a free legal consultation, we are prepared to handle each step of the legal process on your behalf. We have the legal team and resources to thoroughly investigate, gather evidence, build a strong case and prepare for the courtroom if necessary.
Some of the steps we are prepared to handle on your behalf may include:
- Reviewing your insurance policy
- Gathering evidence from the accident scene
- Interviewing witnesses
- Reviewing accident and police reports
- Consulting experts
- Analyzing photos and available video footage
- Investigating the driving record of the at-fault driver
Insurance companies will do everything they can to diminish, devalue and even deny your claim – they are only focused on their profits. We know the tricks and tactics they use to try to avoid providing compensation to crash victims. Our experienced attorneys have obtained compensation from many insurance companies.
We are dedicated to the best interests of our clients at every stage of the legal process. We are also prepared to take a case to trial if the insurance company does not offer fair compensation.
Filing an Auto Insurance Claim in New Jersey
New Jersey is a no-fault state, so drivers often turn to their own insurance first to attempt to obtain compensation. The state requires all drivers to purchase at least $15,000 in PIP coverage, but many drivers purchase more than the minimum.
PIP coverage may provide the following benefits to accident victims:
Medical Expenses
New Jersey law states PIP coverage reimburses victims of covered auto accidents for the cost of reasonable and necessary medical, surgical, rehabilitative and diagnostic services. This includes the cost of ambulance services and other transportation and medication.
A treatment is considered medically necessary when it fits three criteria:
- It is the most appropriate level of service in accordance with standards of good practice and standard professional treatment protocols
- Treatment is primarily being done for convenience, either for the victim or medical provider
- There is no unnecessary testing or treatment
PIP coverage may pay for non-medical expenses if they are prescribed by the doctor to treat permanent or significant brain or spinal cord injuries or disfiguring injuries. Examples of non-medical expenses may include the cost of things like:
- Vehicles
- Durable goods
- Equipment
- Improvements to real property
- Improvements to personal property
- Fixtures
- Recreational activities
- Trips
- Leisure activities
Lost Wages
Car crashes often result in injuries that make victims unable to go back to work. Fortunately, your PIP coverage may pay for lost wages while you are out of work. The amount you receive will be based on your income and the terms of your policy.
Essential Services
If your injuries leave you unable to do essential services around the house, you may be eligible for compensation to cover the cost of hiring someone to help with those tasks. For example, you may need to hire someone to shovel snow, do laundry, mow the lawn or clean things around the house. PIP policies provide $12 per day for those tasks.
Death Benefits
When a car crash causes a policyholder to die, and he or she was the family’s income provider, next of kin may receive death benefits (the maximum payout from lost income and essential services benefits). Payment goes to the surviving spouse. If there is no spouse, it goes to the children. If there are no children and no spouse, payment goes to the estate. Next of kin can also seek compensation for funeral expenses. A standard new Jersey PIP policy provides up to $1,000 for funeral expenses.
Call (800) 518-0508 to learn how we may be able to help you.
Can I Seek Compensation from the Other Driver?
Our New Jersey auto accident lawyers are ready to discuss this with you in a free consultation. Drivers are required to purchase a minimum amount of liability coverage for damages from a crash they cause:
- $15,000 per person and $30,000 per accident in bodily injury liability to cover the victim’s medical expenses
- $5,000 per accident to cover damage to the victim’s vehicle and other personal property
While these are the minimum requirements, drivers often purchase higher amounts of coverage.
What Do I Do if the Other Driver Has No Insurance?
If you were involved in a hit-and-run accident and the police are unable to locate the driver, or you were involved in another type of accident and the driver does not have insurance, your lawyer may be able to file a claim against the uninsured motorist coverage in your own insurance policy.
Standard auto insurance policies are required to have this coverage. It cannot exceed the amount of liability coverage you selected when purchasing your car insurance policy.
Uninsured motorist coverage may also provide compensation if you are injured in a crash with a driver who has less coverage than your amount of underinsured motorist coverage.
These types of claims are often complicated, as there are often requirements that must be met before you can obtain coverage. That is why talking to an attorney can be an important step after a crash.
Will I Need to File a Lawsuit?
Generally, your lawyer will be able to obtain insurance compensation. However, in some cases, the insurance company refuses to offer fair compensation for the victim. That is why our attorneys are always prepared to go to court to pursue maximum compensation.
That said, the type of insurance policy you purchased will affect our ability to file a lawsuit to recover compensation for pain and suffering. If you purchased a standard policy with a limited right to sue, your lawyer cannot claim pain and suffering in a lawsuit unless you died, suffered a permanent injury or one of the following injuries:
- Loss of a fetus
- Loss of a body part
- Significant scarring or disfigurement
- Displaced fracture
Basic policies also limit accident victims’ right to sue after a car accident.
However, if you purchased a standard policy with an unlimited right to sue, you could file a lawsuit to claim pain and suffering for any type of injury.
Deadline for Filing a Lawsuit
New Jersey’s statute of limitations for personal injury claims, including car accident claims is two years from the date of the crash. That means most victims have just two years to file a lawsuit over their crash. If you file after those two years pass, your claim is likely to be dismissed in court.
There are exceptions to this standard deadline, which is why you should strongly consider talking to a licensed New Jersey car accident lawyer about your claim.
Free initial consultation. No upfront fees. (800) 518-0508
Common Causes of Auto Accidents
Car accidents are most often the result of some form of carelessness, negligence or recklessness by another driver. Our New Jersey car accident lawyers have seen firsthand the devastation that results from many types of accidents, such as:
- Rear-end crashes
- Drunk-driving crashes
- Head-on collisions
- T-bone crashes
- Distracted driving accidents
- Lane change crashes
- High-speed accidents
- Multi-car pileups
Some of the most common causes of accidents include:
- Speeding
- Distracted driving
- Failure to follow traffic laws
- Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol
- Reckless driving
- Failure to yield
- Poorly maintained roads
- Malfunctioning vehicle parts
No matter what caused your accident, our team of accomplished personal injury lawyers are here to help recover fair compensation for you. We know the pain, suffering, and stress that often results from an accident.
Contact Our New Jersey Car Accident Lawyers for Help
At Lynch Law Firm, PC, we are committed to fighting for the rights of the injured throughout New Jersey. We charge no fees unless we successfully recover compensation through a courtroom verdict or settlement.
Our attorneys have the resources necessary to take on large insurance companies so that you can focus on what is most important – your recovery. We have obtained more than $300 million in compensation on behalf of our clients.*
You have a limited amount of time to file a claim to pursue compensation. Contact our New Jersey car accident lawyers today to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation.
Our office is located at 440 Route 17 North in Hasbrouck Heights, a short drive from the Hasbrouck Heights Municipal Court and just north of the Teterboro Airport.
Lynch Law Firm, PC. No upfront fees. Phone: (800) 518-0508