New Jersey Car Accident Lawyer

Car accidents can happen to anyone – even safe drivers. Forbes reports that the average driver should expect to get involved in three to four crashes over the course of a lifetime. The reality is that many dangerous drivers are on the road, and you can’t control what they do.

However, if a negligent driver recently caused an accident that injured you or a loved one, you can control what you do next. You can and should consult with a New Jersey car accident attorney right away and learn about your rights and options. You may be eligible to file a Personal Injury Protection (PIP) claim as well as a claim against the other driver.

With nearly four decades of experience with handling auto accident cases throughout New Jersey and a record that includes more than $400 million recovered on behalf of our clients, the lawyers of Davis, Saperstein & Salomon, P.C. will know how to explore all sources of compensation available to you.

Any compensation you receive for a car accident injury covers:

Firefighters helping victims of a car accident

Past and future medical expenses
Lost wages and diminishment of future earning capacity
Pain and suffering
Loss of consortium
Other accident-related expenses
Wrongful death damages (if you lost a loved one)
Punitive damages

If you or a loved one has been involved in a car crash and would like to discuss your possible car accident case, contact us today. Our law firm can provide a free, no-obligation consultation at any one of our New Jersey offices. We can also meet in your home or the hospital, or we can speak by phone, Skype, FaceTime or GoToMeeting – whichever is most convenient for you.

Call Now (800) 529-2000

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Why Should You Hire a Lawyer After a Car Accident in New Jersey?

While you may be able to handle a New Jersey car accident injury claim on your own in some very simple personal injury cases, working with a lawyer will usually be in your best interest. This is especially true if your crash resulted in serious personal injury or the loss of a loved one.

Insurance companies know what is at stake in auto accidents. They will aggressively protect their profits. Your lawyer, on the other hand, will protect you and seek the maximum amount for you. As a study by the Insurance Research Council found, car accident victims with legal representation typically collect insurance payouts that are, on average, 3.5 times higher than the payouts that people without a lawyer collect.

Throughout your case, an experienced auto accident lawyer from Davis, Saperstein & Salomon, P.C., will provide many valuable services to you such as:

Conduct a thorough investigation of your car crash.

You should never rely on the police report or an insurance company’s findings. Your car accident attorney can conduct an independent investigation that gets the facts straight. The investigation can include collecting evidence from the scene, interviewing witnesses and consulting experts in accident reconstruction.

Assessing your physical, emotional and financial harm.

Your auto accident lawyer will review your medical records, consult with medical and life care-planning experts and take many other steps to determine the full extent of your damages.

Reviewing your New Jersey accident case with you.

You deserve a frank discussion about the options available to you and the potential value of your case. You also should know what steps will be involved in pursuing your options as well as how long your case may take to resolve. Your lawyer from Davis, Saperstein & Salomon, P.C., will make communication with you a top priority.

Filing all necessary accident reports and paperwork.

A car accident requires you to file and serve numerous documents with insurance companies, courts and other lawyers. Your attorney will make sure to properly and timely file all paperwork involved in your case.

Preparing your accident case for settlement.

At Davis, Saperstein & Salomon, P.C., we prepare cases for success at trial. This approach allows our lawyers to resolve many car accident claims through settlements.

Taking your case to trial.

Insurance companies often challenge liability or the amount of damages that a car accident victim seeks in a claim. If this occurs in your case, we will be ready to fight in court for the compensation that you and your family deserve.

In addition to these services, a car accident attorney from Davis, Saperstein & Salomon, P.C., can assist you if you encounter problems with your motor vehicle repair or replacement or with your medical treatment. You can also expect to receive regular updates about your case and prompt responses to your questions.

Our accident attorneys represent personal injury victims and their families in New Jersey on a contingency fee basis. So, you will pay no legal fees unless we obtain a verdict or settlement for you.

What Type of New Jersey
Auto Accident Insurance Policy Do You Have?

Understanding New Jersey Automobile Insurance

Your rights after an auto accident in New Jersey will depend on your auto insurance policy. Your New Jersey car accident attorney from Davis, Saperstein & Salomon, P.C., can review your policy with you and explain your rights.

Generally, an auto insurance policy in New Jersey will include one or more of the following five types of coverage for motor vehicle accidents:

This covers your medical expenses that arise from an automobile accident. You can also buy PIP that covers other motor vehicle accident-related expenses such as lost income and the cost of hiring someone to help care for your home and your family. You can also choose coverage that provides death benefits and funeral expenses.View Next

This covers the bodily injury and property damage that others suffer in an auto accident that you cause.View Next

This covers the losses that you sustain when a driver who lacks legally required auto insurance causes your accident. View Next

This covers the difference between what the at-fault driver’s liability policy covers and your total damages (up to your UIM policy limits).View Next

Collision covers damage to your vehicle in an accident, regardless of who is at fault, while comprehensive covers non-collision damage such as that caused by theft or vandalism.View Next

Personal injury protection (PIP)

Liability

This covers the bodily injury and property damage that others suffer in an auto accident that you cause. View Next

Uninsured motorist (UM)

This covers the losses that you sustain when a driver who lacks legally required auto insurance causes your accident. View Next

Underinsured motorist (UIM)

This covers the difference between what the at-fault driver’s liability policy covers and your total damages (up to your UIM policy limits). View Next

Collision & comprehensive

Collision covers damage to your vehicle in an accident, regardless of who is at fault, while comprehensive covers non-collision damage such as that caused by theft or vandalism. View Next

When you buy auto insurance in New Jersey, you can choose between two types of policies:

Standard
Basic

With this policy, you can choose between $15,000 and $250,000 in PIP coverage. Even if you choose a lower limit, you may still get up to $250,000 in PIP coverage for serious injuries such as permanent or significant brain injury, spinal cord injury or disfigurement. Additionally, a Standard policy can include:

Bodily injury liability – As low as $15,000 per person/$30,000 per accident and as high as $250,000 per person/$500,000 per accident.
Property damage liability – As low as $5,000 and as high as $100,000 or more per accident.
UM/UIM – You can purchase UM/UIM up to the amounts you select in liability coverage.
Collision/comprehensive – You would have the option to purchase these forms of coverage.

View Next

With this policy, you can receive $15,000 in PIP coverage or, as with a Standard policy, up to $250,000 for certain injuries. Additionally, this policy provides $5,000 per accident in property damage liability coverage and gives you the option to buy $10,000 in bodily injury liability coverage. UM/UIM coverage is not available. Some insurers offer collision and comprehensive coverage as an option.View Next

Regardless of what type of policy you choose, you can sue a driver who caused your accident for economic damages such as medical expenses and lost wages. However, your ability to sue for non-economic damages such as pain and suffering will depend on what policy and/or “right to sue” option you choose.

If you choose a Basic policy, you will have a Limited Right to Sue for non-economic damages. In other words, you cannot sue the driver unless you suffer one of the following serious injuries:

Loss of a body part
Significant scarring or disfigurement
Displaced fracture

Other accident-related expenses
Wrongful death damages (if you lost a loved one)
Punitive damages

If you choose a Standard policy, you can choose a Limited Right to Sue or Unlimited Right to Sue. If you choose the No Limitation on Lawsuit option, you can sue the other driver for economic damages regardless of what type of injury you suffer.

Are you ready to discuss your case? Contact us now to set up a free consultation.

Call Now 1-800-LAW-2000 Schedule A Free Consultation

How Do You Pursue Compensation After a New Jersey Car Accident?

When you get into a car accident in New Jersey, your first option is to file a PIP claim. You can receive these benefits regardless of whether you or someone else caused the crash. This is why people often refer to PIP benefits as “no-fault benefits.” Your lawyer from Davis, Saperstein & Salomon, P.C., can help you to file this claim. Your attorney can also deal with your insurance company if you run into any obstacles with your claim.

If another driver caused an accident that harmed you or a loved one, you can sue the driver for economic damages. Depending on which auto insurance policy and “right to sue” option you have chosen, you can also sue the other driver for non-economic damages. In some situations, you may need to turn to your own UM/UIM coverage to cover the full amount of your damages.

Your ability to recover compensation in a personal injury or wrongful death claim will depend on whether you establish that the other driver was at fault. Some of the common causes of auto accidents are:

What Steps Should You Take
After a New Jersey Car Accident?

We hope the above information has helped you to understand your legal rights and options after you get into a car accident in New Jersey. You should speak with an attorney from Davis, Saperstein & Salomon, P.C., as soon as possible in order to discuss the specific facts in your case.

As you prepare for your free consultation with a personal injury lawyer from our firm, please consider taking the following steps:

01 | Get medical treatment.

A doctor should examine you, diagnose any injuries you have suffered and start you on a course of treatment. The doctor’s diagnosis will play a critical role in your claim.

02 | Notify insurance company.

You should report your accident to your insurance company as soon as possible. You only need to give basic facts. However, you should never accept a settlement from your insurer or any other party’s insurance company until you speak with your lawyer first.

03 | Get copy of police report.

The crash report will provide many important details about your accident and help your personal injury lawyer to conduct an investigation. You can contact the local law enforcement agency that prepared the report. You can also go online to order a copy of the report:

Go the New Jersey State Police website for a non-toll road crash
Go to www.BuyCrash.com for a crash on the New Jersey Turnpike or Garden State Parkway
Go to the Atlantic City Expressway Authority website for a crash on that stretch of road.

04 | Keep all records and other evidence.

Gather and store copies of any medical bills, vehicle repair bills and receipts of other accident-related expenses. Also, hold on to any photos from the accident scene or photos of your injuries. Keep any contact information of eyewitnesses.

05 | Write it down.

Take a moment and write down everything you can recall about the accident. Writing out the details of the accident while they are fresh in your mind will help to jog your memory down the road.

06 | Avoid social media.

You should not discuss your crash or your legal case on Facebook, Twitter or other social media sites. You may also want to consider taking a break altogether from social media until your case is resolved. An insurance company may try to use any comments or photos you post on social media against you.

Get Help Today

To learn more about your legal rights and options after an automobile accident, we encourage you to read the extensive car accident resources content on our law firm’s website as well as our book, The Consumer’s Guide to New Jersey Personal Injury Claims. The soft cover version of the book is free to all New Jersey residents who call our office for a copy. You can also download a copy for a minimal fee on Amazon.com.

Call Davis, Saperstein & Salomon, P.C., at 1-800-LAW-2000 or reach our law firm online today. Our law firm can provide a timely, free consultation about your accident case. You will pay no attorney fees unless our motor vehicle accident attorneys secure a financial recovery for you.

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