Accidents happen every day. Luckily, most of these accidents result in minor scrapes and bruising, and we often forget them as soon as they happen.
However, for some victims, these personal injury accidents lead to catastrophic injuries, debilitating pain, and astronomical medical bills that affect not only the victim but their family as well.
If you were injured in such a Newark personal injury accident, seek legal help during this difficult time.
At Console & Associates P.C., our Newark personal injury lawyers want to offer you this legal help, answer your questions, and fight for the damages and justice you deserve.
Personal injury is a broad field of law that includes various types of injuries.
However, in Newark, some of the more common personal injury claims often include:
All in all, injuries—fatal and non-fatal, unintentional and otherwise, mild to severe—cost the United States $671 billion in combined medical and work loss costs, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The CDC’s WISQARS database also maintains more detailed data on the total and average medical costs for many types of accidental injuries.
“Generally, the higher your medical bills, the more compensation you are entitled to.”Keep in mind that CDC WISQARS data reports are based on 2010 figures. The cost of healthcare services, prescription drug prices, and other medical expenses have only gone up since then. In fact, total national health expenditures in the United States climbed by more than 145 percent from 2010 ($2,590,000,000,000) to 2019 ($3,795,000,000,000), according to Health System Tracker, a project created by Peterson Center on Healthcare Kaiser Family Foundation.
It gets even worse. More than three-quarters of a car accident victim’s medical costs arise during the 18 months after the collision, the CDC reported—the same timeframe when you’re most likely to have missed time at work and suffered the financial blow caused by property damage.
Certain injuries can be particularly expensive to treat.
Generally, the higher your medical bills, the more compensation you are entitled to in a Newark personal injury claim for medical costs. The extent and expense of the medical care you receive also serve to show how serious your injuries are.
In recent years, more than 20 traffic fatalities have occurred annually within the city limits of Newark, NJ. The New Jersey State Police reported that 28 of the 44 traffic fatalities in Essex County in 2020 occurred in Newark, as did 23 of the 36 traffic deaths in 2019 and 22 of the 45 fatalities in 2018.
Fall injuries are surprisingly common, both in Newark and throughout NJ, and they can be a lot more serious than people give them credit for. In 2017, 77,545 hospital visits resulted from falls, according to the New Jersey Department of Health. In 17,499 of these cases, the victim suffered injuries severe enough to require admission to the hospital. The injuries of 441 New Jersey fall victims proved fatal.
NJ workplaces see more than 70,000 injuries per year, according to the New Jersey State Health Assessment Data resource. Although the number of work injuries is trending down, from 82,500 in 2010 to 71,700 in 2017 (the last year for which data is available), far too many New Jersey workers aren’t making it home in one piece.
A tragic number of NJ workers don’t make it home at all. Statewide, 2 out of every 100,000 workers suffered a fatal occupational injury, the New Jersey State Health Assessment Data resource reported. Considering that the workforce in NJ is more than 4.33 million strong, we’re talking about dozens of Garden State workers losing their lives on the job each year, and dozens of grieving families.
Generally, to hold another individual liable for a personal injury claim, you need to prove that your injury resulted from either intentional actions, negligence, or strict liability. Most personal injury claims involve negligence.
If you bring a personal injury claim based on negligence, you do not need to show that the liable party intended to hurt you. Rather, you would need to show that they failed to use reasonable care and injured you as a result of their actions.
To prove negligence, you would need to confirm:
It seems easy, but proving liability in a personal injury claim is complicated and requires detailed evidence. That is why if you were hurt because of another person’s actions, you should contact Console & Associates P.C. promptly. Our lawyers can quickly get to work investigating the accident, figuring out what happened and who was at fault, and going after all those liable for your injuries.
In New Jersey, if you can prove you were injured in an accident because of another person’s actions, you may seek economic, non-economic, and punitive damages.
Economic damages are actual and verifiable losses that a victim suffers because of the accident.
These damages include:
Non-economic damages are subjective losses that are not easy to quantify.
They include:
Punitive damages are only awarded in situations where the court wants to punish the defendant for egregious and wanton actions. Unlike the other damages, which compensate the victim, punitive damages try to deter the defendant from committing these reckless actions again. Consequently, courts rarely award them.
In a wrongful death claim, if a person passed away because of the wrongful actions of another, their family may pursue compensation, which includes funeral and burial expenses.
The statute of limitations limits how much time you have to file a personal injury claim. In New Jersey, most personal injury lawsuits have a statute of limitations that gives you two years from the accident’s date to bring a claim. If you do not bring a claim within this deadline, you generally can’t recover compensation for your injuries.
However, numerous exceptions apply to this rule, so speak with one of our personal injury attorneys as soon as possible to help ensure that your claim is filed within the allotted time.
Many people assume that the insurance company wants to help them following a personal injury accident. This may not be the case. Insurance companies are for-profit businesses. By paying you out less than they should or denying your claim altogether, they could help accomplish their mission. Insurance adjusters may try any tactic they can to get you to admit fault for the accident.
For these reasons, exercise caution when the insurance company calls you following a personal injury accident.
At most, tell them basic information about the accident. Avoid giving any personal opinions about what happened or discussing the extent of your injuries. Additionally, let the adjuster know that your attorneys will handle all future conversations.
Refer your insurance company to us. We could help ensure that your case is treated fairly and that you do not say anything that can harm your claim.
Unfortunately, because each personal injury case is different, no attorney can tell you exactly how much money you can receive following your accident. Many factors can affect the value of your claim.
Some of these factors include:
When you work with Console & Associates P.C., our attorneys will go over all of these factors, decide which ones may affect your case, prepare the strongest possible case, and go after maximum compensation.
The actions you take following a Newark personal injury accident are not only crucial to your health and safety but can also protect your legal rights.
That is why. if you are in a personal injury accident, you should:
Personal injury cases are complicated and require extensive, detailed evidence and a thorough understanding of New Jersey laws. However, when you work with the legal team of Console & Associates P.C., you do not have to go through this process alone.
Our attorneys can:
If you or a loved one suffered injuries in a personal injury accident in Newark, do not wait any longer. Contact Console & Associates P.C. today at (862) 300-4519 and let our lawyers fight for the justice you deserve.
Even if you have an injury, you may not have the right to bring a claim against someone unless you have all the elements necessary to do so. Winning a personal injury lawsuit takes proving four main elements, with exceptions for claims that use strict liability laws. Finding out whether you have the right elements for a claim may take a consultation with an attorney.
During a personal injury case in Newark, the burden of proof will land on your side of the claim, not the defendant’s. It is up to you, the plaintiff, to prove the defendant’s fault for your injuries and liability for your damages. Hiring an attorney from our law firm could make it easier to prove your case and obtain fair compensation from the at-fault party.
If you have all the necessary elements for a claim and your lawyer succeeds in proving your case against the defendant, you and your family could receive compensation for your losses in the form of an insurance settlement or jury verdict. An award won for a personal injury in New Jersey could cover many damages, including both the economic and noneconomic losses you and your family suffered.
The potential value of your Newark personal injury claim depends on the extent of your damages. Serious cases involving permanent injuries, disabilities or disfigurement, for example, may be eligible for greater compensation than minor injury claims. The power of your attorney could also make an important difference. The right lawyer can argue for fair recovery for your damages, as well as go to court against a defendant, if necessary, for maximum compensation.
494 Broad Street, #208B
Newark, NJ 07102
You’ll find our Broad Street office a slightly north and west of Gateway Center, where Broad Street and Bridge Street meet.
Our location near the University Heights neighborhood puts us just blocks away from familiar landmarks, including:
This office is in walking distance from Broad Street Station, and Newark Penn Station, as well as five NJ Transit bus stops frequented by more than 20 bus routes.
Visitors coming by car can use:
Newark injury accident attorney, Richard P. Console Jr.
Console & Associates P.C. has more than 25 years of experience handling personal injury claims and fighting for victims’ rights. And, with an office location right here in Newark, you won’t have to go far to get the help you need.
Since our founding, we have made it a point to not only care about our client’s emotional, financial, and physical wellbeing, we have also fought continuously to get our clients the best medical care for their injuries and the compensation they deserved.
Over the years, we have collected over $100 million in jury verdicts and settlements* for our clients, including:
*Results may vary depending on your particular facts and legal circumstances.
While we cannot guarantee a result in every case, we work hard to get our clients the best settlements or judgments available. Contact Console & Associates P.C. today to see if we can help you.
If you have an injury or are mourning the loss of a loved one after any type of accident in Newark, New Jersey, please contact our attorneys at Console & Associates PC for a free case review. We can provide a legal overview of your case at no cost or obligation. Our attorneys have years of experience in personal injury law. Find out how we may be able to help you today. Contact us online or call (862) 229-1137 to reach our local Newark office for a free consultation.
“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
