Whether driving through the historic park district or commuting along I-287, Morristown presents a wide variety of traffic patterns and hazards. An unexpected traffic collision can turn your normal day into chaotic weeks of medical bills, missed work, and calls with insurance adjusters. But you do not have to navigate the legal system after an accident alone.
For over 125 years, the New Jersey personal injury lawyers at Morris, Downing & Sherred, LLP, have helped our neighbors across Morris County protect their legal rights and secure the financial recovery they deserve. We treat you like a person, not a case number, carrying the burden of the legal work so you can focus on getting your life back on track.
Car Crash Statistics
Car crashes happen every day, leaving both drivers and passengers severely or fatally injured. According to recent data from the National Safety Council (NSC), over 3 million crashes resulted in 4.9 million injuries annually in the United States. Additionally, 42,789 people died in 38,200 fatal crashes. Different types of car crashes also typically result in more severe injuries, such as:
- Rear-End Collisions: Local roads and stop-and-go traffic often see rear-end collisions. While they have a lower fatality rate than other accident types, they often create long-term neck and back issues, soft tissue damage, whiplash, and concussions.
- T-Bone Crashes: Frequently occurring at busy Morristown intersections, the impact of these accidents happens to the side of the vehicle, which offers the least amount of structural protection from the vehicle. Severe injuries and fatalities often result from angled or t-bone crashes, crushing the driver and/or passengers, depending on the speed of the crash.
- Head-On Accidents: Often resulting from distracted or drunk drivers going over the center line of rural routes and highways, head-on collisions are some of the worst accidents, resulting in catastrophic injuries and fatalities.
- Commercial Vehicle Crashes: With the significant size difference between a passenger vehicle and a commercial truck, crashes often involve severe, traumatic injuries or fatalities.
Whether a crash is caused by a distracted driver texting or someone speeding down residential streets, a thorough investigation by a Morristown car accident attorney is necessary to prove fault and hold the at-fault parties accountable for your injuries.
Common Negligent Causes of Car Accidents in Morristown
Sometimes the cause of an accident is obvious, as in the case of someone running a red light and crashing into your car. Other times, it is less easy to prove. Our Morristown auto accident lawyers can help you determine the cause of your accident and establish a solid case against the at-fault driver to show their negligence. Common types of negligence in car crashes include:
- Distracted driving
- Speeding
- Drunk or impaired driving
- Failure to yield
- Disobeying traffic signs and lights
- Tailgating and aggressive driving
- Drowsy driving
- Failure to adjust to weather conditions
If we need further support to prove the negligence of the other driver, a Morristown auto accident attorney will call on our network of forensic analysts and accident reconstruction experts. Rest assured, we will investigate your case thoroughly to make sure you have the strongest accident claim possible.
Types of Severe Injuries Requiring Accident Compensation
When you get injured in a car accident that was not your fault, medical bills for diagnostic tests, medications, and surgeries can pile up quickly. The more severe an injury, the more time you will need to take off work to recover, if you are even able to fully recover and return to work. While some car crashes just result in minor bruises and soft tissue damage, others result in catastrophic, life-changing damage that demands prompt and fair financial compensation.
Our Morristown car accident law firm has seen a massive range of physical injuries in our 125 years of being in business. Some common injuries in a car crash can include one or more of the following:
- Concussions and traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
- Whiplash and neck injuries
- Broken or crushed bones
- Spinal cord and back injuries
- Injuries to soft tissue and internal organs
- Chronic pain
- Permanent disability
- Partial or complete paralysis
- Wrongful death
Get checked out by a medical professional immediately after a car crash, even if you feel fine. The adrenaline and cortisol resulting from a crash can mask symptoms for hours or days after, and the longer you delay discovering your injuries, the harder it will be to prove they were a direct result of your accident. Getting checked as soon as possible will help you begin recovering faster, both physically and financially.
New Jersey’s No-Fault Insurance and Vehicle Coverage
Our state operates under a no-fault insurance system, which dictates how initial medical bills are paid. It does not mean that no one is to blame for the accident. Regardless of who blew a red light or caused the crash, your own auto insurance company is responsible for covering your initial medical treatments through Personal Injury Protection (PIP). This grants you the ability to seek immediate medical attention without waiting months to negotiate with the other party’s insurance.
PIP coverage has strict limitations that are set when you buy your policy. If a collision causes severe, life-altering injuries, your costs can easily exceed the limits of most PIP plans. In serious injury cases, you have the legal right to step outside the no-fault system and file a claim against the at-fault driver’s insurance.
Depending on what type of policy you hold, you may face a higher legal threshold to gain the right to sue to recover non-economic damages like emotional distress and chronic pain. Insurance adjusters will not voluntarily explain these rights, wanting you to settle quickly and cheaply. Speaking with a Morristown auto accident law firm can help you clarify what legal options you have based on your individual policy.
What Happens When the Other Driver Is Uninsured or Underinsured
Unfortunately, many New Jersey drivers opt to carry only the minimum insurance required by law, or worse, disregard the law and drive without any insurance coverage. If a negligent driver hits you and cannot fully pay for the damage they caused, your financial recovery will rely on your own policy or, if you choose to sue.
Uninsured Motorist (UM) Accident Claims
If you are struck by a driver without auto insurance, or if you are the victim of a hit-and-run where the driver cannot be identified, Uninsured Motorist (UM) coverage can step in and serve as the missing liability policy.
Underinsured Motorist (UIM) Accident Claims
If the at-fault driver has insurance, but their bodily injury limit is smaller than your medical bills and lost wages, they are considered underinsured. Underinsured Motorist (UIM) coverage can then bridge the financial gap, stepping in after their policy is met to cover the true cost of your injuries.
Based on your particular type of policy, you may also be able to sue for specific types of damages. Speaking with a car accident lawyer can help you determine if you have the legal right to take this step.
Types of Accident Compensation You May Receive
When you are in a car accident that was caused by someone else’s negligence, personal injury law allows you to seek compensation to make up for the damages you sustained. These are split into two main categories: economic and non-economic. To recover what you are owed, auto accident attorneys at Morris, Downing & Sherred, LLP, work with you to collect a solid body of evidence and properly file an accident claim.
You will want to work with an experienced car accident lawyer who understands the severity of your injuries and the full impact they have had and will have on your life in the future. Calculating a comprehensive settlement takes time and legal resources to research your specific injuries and their impact on your life and ability to work in the future. Our team relies on our prior successes and draws on the knowledge of medical and vocational experts.
Economic Damages
Actual out-of-pocket expenses and losses that are linked directly to a financial amount are considered economic damages. Save all your invoices, bills, receipts, and estimates after your accident, as these represent important evidence. Economic damages include:
- Medical expenses such as hospital stays, medications, and medical assistive devices
- Future healthcare needs, including physical therapy and long-term home health assistance
- Lost paychecks due to missed time at work
- Payment for diminished earning capacity over your lifetime
- Cost of repairs or replacements to personal property, including vehicles and phones
While economic damages are often easier to initially calculate, severe injuries often leave a lasting impact on a person’s life, requiring further medical treatments and other expenses down the road. Do not settle for less than what you deserve. Once you sign an agreement with an insurance company payout, it is extremely unlikely that you will be able to recover any additional money in the future, no matter how much your injuries are still costing you years down the road.
Non-Economic Damages
Intangible losses that are not directly linked to a financial amount are called non-economic damages. Often called pain and suffering, these losses attempt to compensate you for how the accident has impacted you physically and emotionally. Severe injuries often come with lingering effects like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), chronic pain, disfigurement, and loss of enjoyment in life. These damages are no less real than the economic ones and can represent a large portion of your accident compensation.
Punitive Damages for Cases Involving Extreme Negligence
Under New Jersey Law, you may recover punitive damages in a civil lawsuit for extremely negligent conduct or intentional harm. These are awarded by the court, not to compensate you as the injured party, but to punish the at-fault driver and make an example of them. While not awarded often, these damages are sometimes linked with drunk or impaired driving cases. There is no limit on economic and non-economic damages, but punitive damages are capped at $350,000 or five times the compensatory damages.
What Happens With Cases Involving Shared Fault?
If you showed any negligent behavior or were partially at fault, insurance companies will often try to shift as much of the blame onto you after an accident. Under New Jersey’s modified comparative negligence laws, you can still recover accident compensation as long as your share of the fault is 50% or less. If you are deemed 51% or more at-fault, you are not allowed to recover any financial damages.
If you share in 50% or less of the blame, your payout will simply be reduced by that amount. For example, if you were driving without headlights at dusk and deemed 20% responsible for the crash, your damages of $100,000 would be reduced to an $80,000 payout.
Insurance companies will try to shift as much blame onto you as possible to reduce their payout or deny you a settlement altogether. Working with our experienced Morristown car accident attorneys can help ensure that the blame falls fairly on the at-fault driver and that you are able to recover a fair amount to cover your injuries and losses.
Statute of Limitations in Auto Accident Cases
Under New Jersey law, the statute of limitations, you generally have to file a personal injury case is 2 years. There are a few exceptions to this, but it is important to get started as soon as you can with an auto accident lawyer. After this time has passed, you will likely have no recourse to recover compensation, whether through insurance or a civil lawsuit.
Work With the Experienced Auto Accident Law Firm of Morris, Downing & Sherred, LLP
You deserve compensation for the medical expenses, pain and suffering, and everything you have gone through after your car crash. Let our auto accident attorneys help you set your life back on track by getting the compensation you are fairly owed.
Our Morristown car accident lawyers offer free consultations and work on a contingency fee to make sure not to put extra strain on your financial situation during your recovery. We will only get paid if we successfully secure fair compensation for you. Get started today and give us a call or schedule a free, no-obligation consultation online. We can discuss your legal options and answer any questions you may have.
