Do I Need a Personal Injury Lawyer?

Hiring a Personal Injury Lawyer in New Jersey

After a serious injury from a car accident, medical negligence, or another kind of accident, you may wonder what’s next. You will likely need help getting compensation. You should file a personal injury lawsuit to compensate for your losses. For many New Jersey residents, dealing with the aftermath of an accident is stressful. The thought of filing a lawsuit compounds the issue. If you have considered your legal options, you might be wondering: do I need a personal injury lawyer?do I need a personal injury lawyer

There are many reasons that it is important to have an experienced New Jersey personal injury lawyer on your side. The laws concerning personal injury claims are complex. It is often difficult for injury victims to gather and present the necessary evidence to prove their case. In addition, insurance companies commonly deny claims. Or they may agree to pay an amount that doesn’t cover your bills. In this case, you may need assistance fighting for fair compensation. By working with an advocate at The Law Office of Jordan B. Rickards, Esq., you will have an experienced personal injury attorney on your side who can help with all aspects of your claim.

Speaking with the Other Party and Negotiating on Your Behalf

After a crash, you may file an insurance claim before a personal injury lawsuit. When you do, insurance companies involved will contact you. Whether you are speaking with the other party’s insurance company or your own, it is a good idea to seek advice from a personal injury attorney. Typically, you will need to let your own insurance company know that an accident has happened within a specific period of time. They also might require you to answer some questions if you file a claim. You should give straightforward, factual answers. Avoid offering your opinion or any subjective information. This is especially true when speaking with the insurance company of the other driver.

Your insurance company is not your advocate. This is why it is particularly important to hire a personal injury lawyer after a New Jersey auto accident. The insurance company wants to limit its costs, and if it can avoid paying your claim, it is likely to do so. In order to have someone advocating for your right to compensation, you will need to have a dedicated personal injury attorney on your side.

In addition to advocating for your rights with an insurance company, your lawyer can also negotiate settlement offers for you. Sometimes insurance companies offer low-balled settlements that would not adequately compensate you for your losses. Your lawyer can negotiate to reach a settlement that is fair and just.

Denied Insurance Claim in an Auto Accident Case

It is normal for insurance companies to deny claims altogether. If this happens to you, a New Jersey personal injury lawyer can help. Receiving a claim denial highlights the importance of hiring a personal injury lawyer. Claims processes can be extremely complicated, and even a small error can result in a claim denial. A personal injury attorney in New Jersey with years of experience handling claims and appeals can help to ensure that your claim is properly submitted.

Complex Personal Injury Laws and Proving Your Case

Many New Jersey residents realize the importance of hiring a personal injury attorney when they begin the process of gathering evidence to file a personal injury lawsuit. In most personal injury claims, the injury victim needs to prove negligence. What is negligence? Under New Jersey law, a plaintiff must be able to prove the following:

  1. Defendant had a duty of care to the plaintiff;
  2. Defendant failed to perform the duty of care;
  3. Plaintiff got hurt; and
  4. Plaintiff’s injuries resulted from the defendant’s breach of the duty of care.

The duty of care owed to the plaintiff is in proportion to the apparent risk. It can be difficult and complicated to prove the four elements of a negligence claim. In order to prove your case, it is important to have personal injury attorney in New Jersey on your side to gather and present evidence in your case.

A New Jersey Personal Injury Lawyer Can Help You to Determine Possible Damages

How can you know what types of damages you are eligible to receive? In New Jersey, many injury victims know that they can be eligible to receive compensation for medical bills and lost wages. However, with help from a personal injury lawyer, many plaintiffs learn that they may be eligible for additional damages. And in order to receive these damages, a plaintiff needs to make clear that she is seeking them. Generally speaking, there are two different kinds of compensatory damages:

Economic damages

    • , which compensate for objective financial losses; and

Non-economic damages

    , which compensate for more subjective losses that do not have a precise economic value.

Common injuries for which New Jersey plaintiffs can obtain compensatory damages include but are not limited to the following:

personal injury lawsuit

  • Hospital bills;
  • Follow-up medical bills;
  • Surgery costs;
  • Prescription medication costs;
  • Lost wages due to the inability to work;
  • Pain and suffering;
  • Loss of enjoyment of life;
  • Anxiety; and
  • Stress.

In some situations, plaintiffs also may be able to recover punitive damages. While punitive damages are not intended to compensate a plaintiff for her losses—but rather to punish the particularly harmful behavior of the defendant—the plaintiff nonetheless may be eligible to receive these damages. To be awarded punitive damages, New Jersey law (NJ Rev. Stat. Sec. 2A:15-5.12) requires that the plaintiff prove “by clear and convincing evidence that the harm suffered was the result of the defendant’s acts or omissions.”

A personal injury lawyer can help you to seek all of the damages for which you are eligible and to present evidence to support your case.

Seeking Assistance from a New Jersey Personal Injury Attorney

If you were recently injured because of another party’s negligence, it is important to work with a New Jersey personal injury lawyer to build the strongest possible case for compensation. Contact The Law Office of Jordan B. Rickards, Esq. today for more information about how our firm can assist with your claim.