New Jersey Personal Injury & Veteran Lawyer
Helping Personal Injury Victims in New Jersey
If you’ve been hurt because of another’s negligence, you can make a claim with the responsible party’s insurance company or take them to court to recover compensation for your injuries. You’ll need to be able to prove that the other party was at fault in causing your injury, and you’ll have to be able to prove how much they owe you. We can help with this. At Citizen Soldier Law, our experienced litigators help New Jersey National Guard Members, Reservists and private citizens recover compensation after a car accident, slip and fall or other personal injury.
Pursuing a personal injury claim can be challenging. The insurance companies often deny that their insured was at fault, or they try to pin the blame for the accident on you instead. Every percentage of fault they assign to you reduces how much they have to pay, and if they can establish you are more than 50% to blame, they don’t have to pay anything at all. Our personal injury lawyers work hard to establish the other party’s fault and strongly argue against putting any of the blame on you for an accident you didn’t cause.
Even when they do admit fault, the insurance companies will still fight you over damages. You’re entitled to the full amount of your medical expenses and lost wages, as well as compensation for your pain and suffering. Instead of admitting your losses, the insurers say you weren’t really hurt very bad, or some other accident or pre-existing condition caused your injuries. Our New Jersey personal injury lawyers know how to build a strong case that proves your damages, so you get the maximum compensation you are entitled to.
Members of the military can face additional hurdles when the question arises whether the accident was service-related. In other words, did it arise out of or in the course of an activity incident to military service? Were you injured while driving a military vehicle, or were you struck by a military vehicle? Were you on leave at the time the accident happened, even if the accident happened on base? Claims against the U.S. government follow different rules and timelines than other personal injury matters. Trust your case to experienced military attorneys who are thoroughly knowledgeable in the special issues applicable to your case.
Auto Accidents
When buying car insurance, New Jersey requires you to choose between full tort (no threshold, no limitation) or limited tort (verbal threshold). Limited tort policies are cheaper but offer restricted benefits compared to full tort policies. If you choose full tort liability insurance, then you will be able to sue the at-fault driver for all of your damages after a car accident, including pain and suffering. In contrast, with a limited tort policy, you cannot collect pain and suffering damages except when the accident caused one of the following:
- Death
- Dismemberment
- Loss of a fetus
- Significant disfigurement or scarring
- Displaced fractures
- Permanent injury, as certified by a doctor and demonstrated by objective medical evidence
The minimum amounts of liability insurance you must buy in New Jersey cover $15,000 for personal injury to one person, $30,000 for injuries to more than one person injured in a crash, and $5,000 for property damage. There is also a basic policy option with 10/10/5 limits instead of the standard 15/30/5 described above. Be aware that this basic policy doesn’t include uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage, so if the driver who hit you doesn’t have insurance or only has the minimum amount, you won’t be able to claim benefits under your insurance policy. About 15% of New Jersey drivers are uninsured.
Wrongful Death
If the wrongful act or negligence caused the death of an individual, the personal representative of the estate is authorized to bring a wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of surviving members of the family who are eligible for inheritance under New Jersey law or who depended on the deceased for financial support. Therefore, wrongful death lawsuits are most frequently brought on behalf of a surviving spouse and surviving children, as well as grandchildren, parents, siblings, nieces and nephews.
In a wrongful death claim, surviving family members can recover compensation for the losses they are suffering due to the death of their loved one. These losses include the loss of financial support or household services and the loss of companionship, as well as any medical bills and expenses for a funeral and burial.
How can Citizen Soldier Law help with a personal injury claim?
Most of the time, the insurance company will pay to settle the case rather than going to court. However, their settlement offers to unrepresented persons are far less than what accident victims get when a lawyer represents them. We put in the hard work to prepare your case and negotiate a better settlement. In situations where a fair settlement isn’t forthcoming, we can take your case to court for a jury verdict that fully compensates you for your losses.
Call Citizen Soldier Law for Help with a New Jersey Personal Injury Claim
If a negligent driver, property owner or other person or entity has hurt you in a New Jersey car crash, slip and fall or other incident, call Citizen Soldier Law for practical advice and effective representation with an experienced personal injury attorney to get the care and compensation you deserve.
