Maple Shade Car Accident Lawyers
New Jersey is the state with the highest population density, which creates tremendous traffic and high rates of car accidents. Sustaining injuries in a car accident is traumatic, especially if you are injured due to someone else’s negligence. If you have been injured by another’s recklessness, you may be able to seek compensation to cover your injuries, lost wages, and property damage.
The Maple Shade car accident lawyers at the Law Office of David S. Rochman can help you seek justice and compensation.
What Types of Injuries Are Caused by Car Accidents?
Any car accident can result in injuries, even minor accidents. Depending on the severity of the accident, injuries can range from minor to catastrophic or life-altering, and even fatal. Some of the most common injuries include:
- Whiplash: One of the most common car accident injury, whiplash occurs when the head moves back then suddenly forward, causing the brain to slam against the skull and become bruised.
- Concussion: Concussions are also common and occur when the head strikes something hard during impact, such as the steering wheel, windows, or the backs of seats. Concussions range in severity and cause temporary headaches, blurred vision, and speech and memory problems.
- Broken bones: During a car accident, the impact, flipping over, and sudden stops puts tremendous strain and impact on bones, causing fractures and broken bones.
- Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI):A more serious brain injury, TBIs can alter the brain functions, causing changes in personality, temperament, cognitive ability, speech, and more. Recovery can take years, depending on the severity of the injury, but is permanent in the majority of cases.
- Neck and back injuries: The sheer force of a car accident often causes nerve damage along the spine, interrupting signals to the brain, resulting in mobility problems, including partial and full paralysis.
- Bruising: The most common injury is bruising, which occurs in even a minor accident, such as the seat belt restraints tightening, hitting the steering wheel, or air bag deployment.
- Organ damage: The force of impact during a car accident causes internal organs to move violently, resulting in bruising, lacerations, or crushing of the soft tissue. These injuries are typically severe and life-threatening, often result in dangerous internal bleeding, requiring immediate medical intervention.
In addition to physical injuries, the trauma of car accidents can also cause mental anguish, such as depression, anxiety, fear, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The mind can continue to experience the trauma long after the body heals.
What Causes Car Accidents?
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 94 percent of all car accidents are caused by human error. Despite how responsible we are on the road, we cannot ensure that others are taking the same responsibility, and accidents are bound to happen. Some of the most common accident causes include:
- Distracted driving: With the advance of technology, distracted driving has become one of the most common causes of car accidents throughout the country. Texting, chatting, using vehicle onboard technology, eating, and interacting with passengers or pet causes drivers to take their eyes off the road and a lack of focus.
- Speeding: Another top cause is speeding. The faster a vehicle is moving, the more stopping distance is needed, which makes avoiding sudden stops or changes in traffic difficult.
- Drunk driving: Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs reduces brain functions and reaction times, inhibits information processing, affects vision, and interrupts focus, putting everyone at risk.
- Weather: Seasonal rain, snow, and ice create slippery roads that inhibit tire traction. Speeding, lane changes, and tailgating another car during bad weather causes accidents.
- Reckless driving: Also called aggressive driving, ignoring traffic signs, swerving in and out of traffic, and cutting off other drivers endangers everyone and increases the risk of accidents.
- Drowsy driving: Driving while fatigued causes the same cognitive impairments as drunk driving and is just as dangerous.
What Should I Do if I Am in a Car Accident?
The actions you take following an accident can help your claim, such as:
- Report the accident: Call 911 and report the accident and any injuries.
- Document the scene: Photograph the scene, including vehicle damage, injuries, road conditions, weather, lighting, signs, and any other contributing factors.
- Gather statements: Obtain contact information and statements from witnesses and ask them to share any photos or videos of the accident they may have taken with you.
- Seek medical evaluation: Seek medical attention less than 48 hours after an accident, regardless of the severity of the accident. Some internal injuries do not present symptoms for hours or days but can be life-threatening if left untreated. Additionally, the doctor’s report is a crucial element of your insurance claim. Without one, your claim can be denied.
- Keep records: Save all records and correspondence you receive related to your claim.
- Consult a lawyer: Working with an experienced attorney increases the likelihood that your claim will be taken seriously and you will receive compensation for your medical expenses, lost wages, and property damage.
People often do not consult lawyers, assuming the cost is too high. Lawyers who practice personal injury law typically work on a contingency basis, including our Law Office of David S. Rochman lawyers. The contingency model means the lawyers only get paid if you receive a settlement.
What Compensation Can I Seek Following a Car Accident?
If your injuries are caused by another driver, you are entitled to compensation for certain losses. New Jersey is a “no-fault” state, meaning each driver’s own auto insurance will pay for medical bills first, regardless of who is at-fault. Additional compensation may be obtained for:
- Disability
- Lifelong medical treatment related to the accident
- Loss of future earning potential
- Lost wages
- Medical expenses
- Wrongful death
New Jersey is a comparative negligence state, which can affect the amount of compensation you receive. In comparative negligence, a judge or jury possess the ability to determine each driver’s percentage of fault for the accident. That percentage is then used to determine the total compensation package. Meaning, if you are found to be 20 percent at-fault, you will receive 80 percent of the total available compensation.
The statute of limitations to file a personal injury claim in New Jersey is two years from the date of the accident, and six years to file a personal property loss claim.
Our Mercer County Car Accident Lawyers at the Law Office of David S. Rochman Help Injured Clients Seek Compensation for Injuries and Losses
If you have been injured in a car accident caused by another driver’s negligence, our Mercer County car accident lawyers at the Law Office of David S. Rochman can help. Call 856-751-2345 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation. Located in Mount Laurel, New Jersey, we serve clients in Burlington County and the surrounding areas.