If another driver caused a car accident and you were injured, you can sue them to get financial compensation for your injuries. An attorney can help you begin your case and prove the defendant’s negligence was the cause of the crash.
In many cases, only two drivers are involved in a collision, and you can sue the other driver. However, many other cases involve multiple vehicles and drivers, and one or several might share liability. When filing your lawsuit, you have to think about the damages you want to claim. You can claim damages for your economic losses, like medical bills, and non-economic losses, like pain and suffering. Before collecting compensation, we need evidence showing the defendant was negligent and should be held liable. You should consider filing a lawsuit if you experienced any harm or loss from the accident.
Our New Jersey car accident lawyers are here to assist you after a crash. Your injuries might be critical, and you deserve compensation from the person or people responsible. For a free case assessment, call The Carrion Law Firm at (718) 841-0083.
Who is Liable for a New Jersey Car Accident?
Determining who is responsible for your accident and injuries is perhaps the biggest issue in any car accident case. In many accidents involving only two vehicles, a plaintiff might sue only one driver. However, the situation becomes more complicated when multiple vehicles are involved. In multi-car accidents, one or several other drivers might be liable for the collision. In many accidents, drivers share varying degrees of liability.
In certain circumstances, plaintiffs can sue not only the other driver but also the other driver’s employer. If the driver who caused the crash was working at the time, their employer might be vicariously liable. For example, if a taxi driver hits you while on duty, you can sue them and the taxi company that hired them. Our New Jersey car accident lawyers can help determine who should be held liable for your accident.
Some accidents are caused by government employees. For example, if you were hit by a bus owned and operated by a local municipality, you can sue the town or city in charge of the bus. However, suing a government entity is a bit trickier than suing a person. You not only have to abide by the standard statute of limitations but also the 90-day time limit to file a notice of claim under N.J.S.A. § 59:8-8.
Damages Available to Plaintiffs in New Jersey Car Accident Lawsuits
Your damages may include economic and non-economic losses. Your economic damages include the injuries and losses that cost you money. Bills, invoices, and receipts for expenses that you incurred because of the accident should be added to your economic damages. We can also include the cost of repairing or replacing your damaged vehicle. If you missed work because of your injuries, we can add your lost income to your economic damages.
Non-economic damages are harder to estimate because they are not necessarily connected to a price or financial cost. For example, you can claim physical and emotional pain and suffering as part of your non-economic damages, but these experiences usually do not cost plaintiffs any money. However, they should still be financially compensated. Other possible non-economic damages include damage to your reputation and humiliation from the accident.
Critical Evidence in Car Accident Cases in New Jersey
To prove your claims in court, we need evidence. Some cases involve many pieces of evidence that make up a larger puzzle. Other cases might rely on only a few pieces of evidence that are more definitive. Our New Jersey car accident attorneys can help you begin looking for evidence at the scene of the accident.
After a car accident, drivers often take pictures of their damaged vehicles to submit to insurance companies. Not only should you take pictures and record videos of the accident scene for insurance, but you should also save these photos and videos for your lawsuit. These recordings might preserve details and information that are lost when law enforcement cleans up the crash scene.
You should also exchange information with people near the accident scene who might have seen the crash happen. These people might be able to act as witnesses and testify in court about what they saw. The more witnesses who can back up your claims in court, the more likely you will win your case.
We should also take note of certain physical details and pieces of evidence. For example, the physical damage to your vehicle, tire marks on the road, and damage to the surrounding area might help us piece together how the accident happened. In some cases, accident reconstruction experts are called in to analyze these details and give an expert opinion as to how the accident happened and who is responsible.
Why You Should File a Personal Injury Lawsuit for a Car Accident in New Jersey
Filing a lawsuit for any reason is a significant undertaking, and people are understandably hesitant. However, you should consider filing a lawsuit after a car accident if you were injured in any way. Even if you believe your injuries are not a big deal or you can afford to pay for your own damages, you should not have to. If someone hurts you, they should be made to pay fair compensation.
In many cases, people believe a lawsuit will be more trouble than it is worth, especially since there is no guarantee of success. A full trial is not the only possible outcome of filing a lawsuit. Our New Jersey car accident attorneys can help you negotiate a settlement, so you get compensation sooner and do not have to endure a trial.
Call Our New Jersey Car Accident Lawyers for Assistance
If you were recently hurt in a car accident caused by another driver’s negligence, our New Jersey car accident lawyers can help you. For a free case review, call The Carrion Law Firm at (718) 841-0083.