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If you’re like most people, you don’t think much about everyday dangers until something goes wrong. Whether you’re driving home from work or vacationing at a hotel, things can change in an instant. You could face mounting medical bills, lost income, and costly property damage.
If this describes you, you may consider filing an injury accident lawsuit to seek compensation. An experienced New Jersey personal injury lawyer can help. But with over 16,000 members of the New Jersey State Bar Association alone, how do you know where to start?
Give RP Legal Group a call. We connect injured people like you with qualified accident lawyers nearby. We work with a network of knowledgeable attorneys across the state, including the following locations:
- New York-Newark-Jersey City
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington
- Lakewood-New Brunswick
- Trenton-Princeton
Want to know what other local clients say about our services? Read our reviews to find out!
Do I Have a Personal Injury Claim?
While most accidents are unfortunate, they don’t all count as personal injury cases. To file a lawsuit, your injury must be due to someone else’s negligence. Common personal injury cases include the following:
- Motor vehicle collisions — These include accidents involving cars, trucks, motorcycles, buses, trains, and rideshare vehicles. Negligent drivers may have been intoxicated, distracted, or speeding.
- Premise liability cases — More commonly known as “slips, trips, and falls,” premise liability cases arise when property owners fail to create reasonably safe conditions. Examples include neglecting to remove snow from a parking lot or warn visitors of a wet floor.
- Product liability claims — These occur when dangerous drugs, unsafe medical devices, or defective consumer products cause injury. Examples include children’s toys with tiny parts or tools without sufficient safety features.
- Dog attacks — In New Jersey, you can sue over dog bites at the park, in your neighborhood, or even on someone else’s property (if you were there lawfully).
- Construction accidents — Construction sites pose many hazards, including heavy equipment, open holes, and falling objects.
- Workplace injuries — In most cases, workers’ compensation covers on-the-job incidents. However, if your employer intentionally caused your accident or a third party contributed to your injury, you may have a valid lawsuit.
Shared Fault in New Jersey Personal Injury Cases
Not every accident is solely the fault of one party. For example, perhaps you were driving slightly above the speed limit when an out-of-control truck barreled into you. Thankfully for accident victims, New Jersey doesn’t automatically bar you from seeking compensation in shared-fault cases.
The state uses a modified comparative negligence system, which means you can pursue compensation if you are not more than 50% at fault. However, the court will reduce your award in proportion to your degree of fault. For example, if you were 30% to blame, you would only be entitled to 70% of the compensation amount.
For a free legal consultation with a Personal Injury lawyer serving New Jersey, call 888-340-7454
What Types of Compensation Can I Pursue?
In New Jersey, personal injury plaintiffs can seek the following types of damages.
Compensatory Damages
As the name suggests, compensatory damages compensate victims for their losses. As any injured person knows, the consequences of accidents are often both economic and non-economic.
- Economic damages: These are the tangible monetary costs of your injuries. You can seek compensation for property damage, medical treatment, prescription drugs, lost wages, and reduced earning potential.
- Non-economic damages: These are the less tangible (but no less real) consequences of accidents, such as physical pain, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, and permanent disfigurement.
Punitive Damages
Rather than compensating victims, punitive damages punish the party that caused the accident. This type of compensation is reserved for particularly egregious cases of intentional or shocking misconduct.
A New Jersey personal injury lawyer can help you calculate the value of your damages and document your losses.
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What Evidence Do I Need for a Personal Injury Case?
To qualify for damages, you must have evidence to prove your case. In personal injury lawsuits, you must prove the following elements:
- Negligence — the defendant acted recklessly or carelessly
- Causation — the negligent behavior contributed to your injuries
- Damages — your injuries caused financial, physical, or emotional losses
To prove these elements, personal injury cases often include the following kinds of evidence:
- Car accident police reports
- Incident reports
- Photos and videos
- Medical records
- Employment documents
- Eyewitness testimony
- Expert witness testimony
- Business safety logs
In many cases, you can collect evidence yourself. For example, you can photograph the accident scene and hold on to your medical bills. In other cases, your legal team will help you gather proof. For example, they can locate useful surveillance footage, company inspection logs, and qualified expert witnesses.
For more information about evidence, damages, and negligence in personal injury cases, read our blog.
Need legal help now? Call RP Legal Group at 888-340-7454 to reach a New Jersey attorney today!
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FAQs
1. What is the statute of limitations for New Jersey personal injury cases?
The statute of limitations for most New Jersey personal injury cases is two years (Title 2A, Chapter 14, § 2A:14-2). You will likely lose the right to seek compensation if you miss the deadline.
2. How much does it cost to file a personal injury case in New Jersey?
The cost to file a personal injury case in New Jersey depends on the court you file in and the value of your claim. Additional expenses include legal fees, expert witness fees, and administrative costs.
3. Should I accept a settlement offer?
You should not accept a settlement offer without speaking with a New Jersey personal injury lawyer. Once you accept an offer, you typically cannot ask for any more money in the future — even if your injuries worsen or are more serious than you initially believe.
4. Is the owner liable if their dog bites me in New Jersey?
Yes, the owner is liable if their dog bites you in New Jersey if you were on public property or legally on private property. Unlike many other states, New Jersey law doesn’t require you to show that the owner knew the dog was dangerous.
For a free legal consultation with a Personal Injury lawyer serving your area, call 888-340-7454