For a lot of bikers, riding is more than just a mode of transportation. It’s a way of life. But that can all be gone in the blink of an eye when a motorcycle accident occurs in Newark, NJ.
Victims of motorcycle accidents face lasting pain and injuries, sky-high medical bills, and the loss of their freedom and mobility. If you or a loved one has been hurt in a motorcycle accident, you know how devastating these consequences can be. You need an experienced Newark motorcycle accident lawyer to fight for you and secure the compensation you deserve.
A motorcycle accident is an emergency. So don’t hesitate to call 9-1-1 for emergency help.
The first responders who are usually dispatched to a motorcycle accident scene in Newark include:
A Newark police officer (or New Jersey State Police officer), who can secure the accident scene to prevent further crashes and gather all information into an official police report
EMTs and paramedics, who can provide emergency medical services and, if needed, transport you by ambulance to the hospital for further examination and treatment.
Motor vehicle accidents that culminate in injuries — or even property damage of $500 or more — must be reported under New Jersey law (statute 39:4-130). Calling 9-1-1 after a Newark motorcycle crash meets this obligation to report the accident immediately. It also serves as documentation that the accident happened. And, of course, the care rendered on the scene of the crash by emergency medical personnel can be life-saving.
If you are physically well enough to do so, try to document the accident yourself through photographs and notes.
Use your cell phone to take photos of the accident scene, the damage to the vehicles, and your injuries. Take down the names, contact information, and statements of anyone who witnessed the accident.
After a motorcycle accident in Newark, you need medical treat treatment — the sooner, the better.
It’s in your best interests to go directly to a hospital, where you can get emergency care and where the diagnostic tools and treatment equipment are already in place. Our Newark motorcycle accident law firm often assists clients who receive care at local hospitals, including:
Newark Beth Israel Medical Center
Children’s Hospital of New Jersey
University Hospital
Saint Michael’s Medical Center
Columbus Hospital LTACH
You might not be comfortable rushing to the ER by ambulance, especially if you don’t think you’re “really” hurt. But you should get checked out, whether at an urgent care facility or a doctor’s office.
Remember, an injury doesn’t have to be immediately life-threatening to be serious enough to impact your life. Plenty of people struggle to get through work or their daily tasks due to serious but non-life-threatening injuries. Getting checked out early can help you get on the road to recovery faster.
When is the right time to talk to a lawyer? It’s almost never too early after a crash to get an attorney involved.
Retaining a lawyer early means you have someone on your side from the start to make sure you have access to the care you need. It means you have an entire legal team protecting you from the tactics insurance companies (even your own) often use to reduce the value of your compensation.
And it means peace of mind — having a professional to turn to anytime you have a question about your legal matter.
Interacting with the insurance companies is an unavoidable part of a personal injury claim, but these interactions can be frustrating, time-consuming, and dangerous to your case. You’re better off letting your attorney handle this.
If you must notify the insurance companies yourself, keep your conversations with an insurance adjuster brief. Avoid discussing the extent of your injuries and making small talk.
Motorcycles are becoming increasingly popular across the country, particularly in metropolitan areas like Newark. Their small size makes these bikes ideal for navigating and finding parking on crowded city streets. As a site for heavy commuter traffic in the tri-state area, Newark is one of the most popular cities for bikers. Unfortunately, it is also a hotspot for motorcycle accidents.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there are close to 5,000 fatal motorcycle accidents each year in the United States. Motorcyclists are 5 times more likely to be injured and 26 times more likely to die in a collision than a passenger in a car wreck, the NHTSA reported. In New Jersey, in particular, a motorcyclist sustains an injury in 82 percent of all motorcycle crashes, according to the NJ Office of the Attorney General.
These are disturbing statistics — especially when you consider the severity of most injuries and the cost of treatment.
What is it about Newark, New Jersey, that makes this city so dangerous for bikers?
Motorcycle collisions happen more commonly on certain Newark roadways.
Some of the busiest city streets in Newark include:
Several highways also pass through Newark. The higher speeds of travel and greater potential for congestion make highway motorcycle collisions likely — and particularly devastating.
Newark highways include:
The two intersections in Newark where the most fatal motor vehicle accidents happen are:
In many ways, a motorcycle crash is different from a wreck involving only passenger vehicles.
A motorcycle lacks the stability and enclosure of a typical car. You’re far more likely to be “ejected” from the motorcycle — or fall off — than to be ejected from the inside of a car, and your smaller vehicle can be crushed by the forces of the impact.
Bikers sustain more property damage to their motorcycles and more extensive physical injuries than the occupant of a car would sustain in a similar crash.
Who pays for a motorcycle accident? Unless you pursue a personal injury claim in Newark, New Jersey, there’s a good chance this burden will fall on your family.
New Jersey is a no-fault state. That means people involved in auto accidents are responsible for the cost of their medical care even if they were not at fault.
NJ auto insurance policies cover the cost of injuries from a car wreck under Personal Injury Protection (PIP). However, PIP does not cover injuries from a motorcycle accident.
This means you’re left relying on your health insurance policy, if you have one. Even with health insurance, you could be looking at thousands in out-of-pocket medical expenses. If you don’t have health insurance, you could quickly find yourself neck-deep in medical bills.
This isn’t a situation where you save the hassle of a legal matter. It’s the kind of injury that could bankrupt your family unless you pursue a motorcycle accident insurance claim.
Generally, whether you can pursue a motorcycle accident lawsuit depends on two crucial elements of a case: negligence and damages.
Negligence means failing to meet the duty of care expected of a person or other entity. Everyone on the road has a duty of care to others sharing the roadway. Any motorist who violates traffic safety laws and causes an accident that injures you can be held accountable for their negligence.
A negligent driver is liable, or legally responsible, for the harm they cause in an accident.
Other entities who may be liable for a motorcycle accident include:
Motorcycle accident victims in Newark can seek compensation for losses, or damages, like the following:
In our 25+ years of practice, our Newark motorcycle accident lawyers have represented many clients who have suffered severe and life-altering injuries, such as:
Motorcycle crash victims often have to undergo extensive and expensive medical care. This includes surgeries, physical therapy, and visits to specialist doctors.
Treatments can last months or even years. Some motorcycle accident victims will never make a full recovery and may need therapy, pain management care, assistive devices, or round-the-clock care for the rest of their lives.
These bills add up quickly. Many of our clients have had hundreds of thousands of dollars in accident-related debt. Without the right legal representation, motorcycle injury victims face having to pay these medical bills all on their own — a burden that’s as unfair as it is impossible.
Some people try to negotiate a settlement with the insurance company on their own, without a Newark motorcycle accident lawyer. Unfortunately, this often results in a drastically lower payout and a lot of hassle.
Many insurance companies try to get out of paying by pinning the blame on the biker, even when the other driver was at fault. Motorcycles are often stereotyped as reckless, and insurance companies use this as an excuse to avoid big payouts.
Insurance companies have a team of professionals whose job is to save the company money. Don’t go up against them without a team of your own — a team of experienced Newark, New Jersey motorcycle accident attorneys, that is.
Too many motorcycle accident victims avoid filing for legal compensation because they don’t think they can’t afford it. They’re afraid a lawyer will be too expensive and will only add to their already substantial financial burden.
But that’s not how we do business as at Console and Associates. We only get paid when you do.
We call this our No Win, No Fee, No Catch Promise. Here is how it works:
You can’t afford overwhelming medical bills. You can’t afford to go without compensation for your lost income. But you can afford a motorcycle accident attorney.
Don’t saddle yourself with unnecessary stress and out of pocket expenses. Don’t risk losing your chance to pursue justice. Call us at (862) 229-1137 to get help immediately.
If you’ve been in a motorcycle accident, don’t wait to get help. Having an attorney on your side from day one won’t cost you anything, and it provides a valuable safety net — not to mention saving you time and hassle.
Under New Jersey law, the victim of a collision generally has two years to begin a lawsuit against the other driver. This time limit is known as a statute of limitations. If the statute of limitations runs out before you file a lawsuit, you will lose all legal rights to pursue any compensation for your case.
There are some exceptions to the two-year rule — for example, if the accident victim is a minor. However, there are no exceptions to the rule that you must file your lawsuit by the time your statute of limitations ends. If you wait until the statute of limitations ends to file your claim, nothing can be done, no matter how badly you were hurt or how expensive your medical bills are.
To make things even more complicated, there are some instances in NJ — under Title 59, involving claims against government entities — where you only have 90 days to notify the defendant of a claim. To be sure that you are able to seek compensation for an accident that wasn’t your fault, it is best to contact a lawyer and file a claim as soon as possible.
No one wants to deal with lawsuits and legal claims, especially when they’re trying to heal from a traumatic event. It’s easy to tell yourself you’ll deal with the lawsuit once you’ve recovered. But, depending on the specifics of your accident, you may not have much time.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a motorcycle accident, get in contact with a Newark personal injury attorney as quickly as you can.
Here’s what a Newark motorcycle accident lawyer in New Jersey will do for your claim:
Research has shown that attorneys get their clients 3.5 times more money, on average, than unrepresented claimants get on their own. But not all attorneys will bring equal value to your motorcycle accident claim.
For example, when we helped one client who was injured in a motorcycle crash while on the clock, we got him more than 14 times the settlement offer he had almost accepted.
Our client worked for a motorsport vehicle retailer and was hit by another driver while test driving one of the new motorcycles. At first, he tried to argue his case by himself and received a settlement offer of $25,000.
But he asked us to review his case (at no charge) before he agreed — and it’s a good thing he did.
We knew this settlement offer was lower than he deserved. We ended up getting him a settlement of $340,000.
The results of your case will depend on your specific circumstances. We can’t guarantee everyone will have the same results.
Our Newark, NJ Law office is located at:
Console and Associates, P.C.
494 Broad Street, #208B
Newark, NJ 07102
“I whole-heartedly recommend him to anyone searching for results and compassion throughout the process. There are so many attorneys out there who don’t care about their clients or don’t really understand personal injury matters. Choosing one of them can really be a huge life-changing mistake. Do yourself a favor and just call and talk to him, and you will see what I am talking about.” D. Brown / Client
Rating: 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
D. Brown
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