Those fortunate enough to survive a car accident in Jersey City may have to deal with painful physical injuries, emotional scars, and cognitive issues. Extensive legal experience is crucial for navigating the complex legal landscape of car accident claims and helping victims pursue fair and just compensation.
A lawyer can help accident victims navigate the legal and medical challenges of car accident injuries by managing the legal processes, determining liability, and assessing the case’s value.
Legal Challenges Arising From Car Accident Injuries
Besides focusing on recovery, accident victims have to deal with mounting medical bills, extensive paperwork, and insensitive insurance companies, all of which can be very overwhelming.
Car accident injuries can lead to complex legal challenges, including disputes over liability, medical expenses, and insurance claims. Navigating these issues often requires legal expertise. A Jersey City car accident lawyer can provide crucial guidance and representation to ensure victims receive the compensation they deserve.
Legal challenges faced by accident victims include:
Navigating The Legal Processes
Pursuing a personal injury claim in New Jersey requires comprehensive documentation, legal representation, knowledge of the New Jersey no-fault insurance system, and an understanding of state personal injury and traffic laws.
Personal injury law is a unique and often complicated legal field for the layman. Having a lawyer by your side can be beneficial in many ways. An experienced car accident lawyer can help you by :
- Obtaining copies of the police report and medical records
- Demonstrating liability and identifying liable parties
- Calculating your claim’s worth
- Locating and interviewing eyewitnesses
- Documenting the accident site
- Hiring and consulting expert witnesses
- Helping you comply with all the specific time limits, restrictions, and rules for filing an accident claim or lawsuit. The New Jersey Statute of Limitations for personal injury accidents is two years from the date of the accident
- Handling communications and settlement negotiations with insurers on your behalf.
- Taking the case to trial if required
Negotiating Settlements
Insurance companies have a duty to their shareholders and may try to settle claims for the lowest possible amount. Logically, insurers train adjusters to settle injury claims for less than the reasonable value of the insured’s claim and may even discourage injury victims from hiring an attorney.
An experienced car accident attorney can offer you much-needed peace of mind while you concentrate on your recovery. The lawyer can help you by drafting and submitting a comprehensive demand letter that outlines your future care costs and other expenses to the insurance company, resulting in a reasonable settlement offer without the need for litigation.
Skilled personal injury lawyers know how to leverage their experience and utilize specialized skills to negotiate with insurance companies. Your lawyer may have to negotiate aggressively, yet assertively, to convince insurers to respect your rights and make a fair settlement offer.
Navigating New Jersey’s No-fault Insurance System
Under New Jersey’s No-fault Insurance System, all drivers in the state must carry minimum personal injury protection (PIP) insurance. In the event of an accident, your PIP insurance will pay for medical expenses, lost income, and out-of-pocket expenses, regardless of who was at fault for the accident.
No-fault insurance does not provide compensation for general damages such as pain and suffering, emotional distress, mental anguish, and loss of companionship. If your injuries require extensive or costly treatments, your PIP coverage may not be sufficient to cover your medical bills.
If your injuries are severe, a car accident lawyer can help you to meet New Jersey’s ‘serious injury’ threshold and step outside the no-fault system and file a lawsuit against the at-fault party.
Understanding the Medical Challenges After a Car Accident
In most car accident cases, the medical bills are the single largest expense that the victim incurs. The victim may require continuous medical care and treatment for injuries. After initial treatment and rehabilitation, many victims often require further medical care in the future.
Family members may need to reduce their working hours or quit their jobs altogether to provide care to victims, leading to significant financial losses.
Comprehensive medical evidence allows the insurance claims adjuster to verify the legitimacy and severity of your injuries.
Accurate and complete medical records can expedite your claims process. If your records are in order, the insurance company can make a prompt settlement offer, reducing the chances of delays or denials.
Seeking Compensation For Emotional Distress and Pain and Suffering
The effects of a car accident can go beyond property damage and physical injuries. An injury does not have to be physical to have a profound impact on a car accident victim’s life. Emotional and mental injuries can be just as painful.
The mental and emotional complications that car accident victims may experience include suffering, anguish, fright, horror, nervousness, grief, anxiety, worry, shock, humiliation, and shame. Symptoms may include depression, insomnia or nightmares, flashbacks, fatigue, chronic headaches, sudden weight gain or loss, and uncontrollable crying.
The evidence in your personal injury claim should include a diagnosis of psychological injuries and other conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder(PTSD) by experienced and qualified medical professionals.
A car accident lawyer will ensure your evidence includes receipts for any medications, therapy sessions, and other expenses. You can help your lawyer by documenting the changes to your daily routines and submitting letters from your friends, colleagues, and employers verifying your symptoms.
Suffering from car accident injuries? Contact a lawyer
If you or a loved one has suffered injuries due to someone else’s negligence on Jersey City roads, you should entrust your case to Omni Injury and Accident Law right away.
Contact our lawyer to schedule a free and confidential case consultation, or call us now at +1 646-736-4184.