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Do I Need a Personal Injury Lawyer in New Jersey?

January 13, 2020 By Cerussi and Gunn P.C. Legal Team

A serious accident can change your life forever. Suffering a debilitating injury, such as a traumatic brain or spinal cord injury, can bring with it lifelong medical bills and other challenges. You may not know where to turn for guidance, support, counsel or financial relief. Hiring a Monmouth County personal injury lawyer could be the answer. A lawyer can give you hope and optimism, explaining your rights and guiding you toward any potential outlets for financial recovery. An injury lawyer can be especially helpful in certain circumstances.

Serious or Catastrophic Injuries

It could be in your best interest to hire an attorney if you suffered a major, life-changing injury due to someone else’s negligence. In these situations, insurance companies may try to avoid paying you what you deserve. Insurance companies and their claims adjusters often try to save money by undervaluing serious injuries and what they will cost the victim in lifetime bills. A lawyer can help you negotiate a fair amount from an insurance provider if your injuries have had a significant impact on your life.

It is also important to hire a lawyer for serious injuries in case your claim goes to court. While most injury cases successfully settle without trials, some require trials to achieve fair results. For example, New Jersey is a no-fault car insurance state, meaning most car accident cases settle through first-party insurance claims. If your injuries are serious enough to meet the state’s threshold, however, you may be able to receive better compensation by taking your case to court. Hire a personal injury lawyer if your injuries resulted in dismemberment, loss of a fetus, significant scarring, disfigurement, displaced bone fractures or permanent injuries.

A Loved One’s Wrongful Death

You may also need a personal injury lawyer in New Jersey if a loved one died in an accident. Deaths in car accidents, workplace accidents, falls, medical malpractice or other such circumstances could qualify as wrongful death. Hiring a Monmouth County wrongful death lawyer to take your case can ensure you and your family members achieve fair results. A tragedy as serious as the death of a spouse or family member demands attention from an attorney. Otherwise, you may settle for less than your family deserves.

Insurance Company Bad Faith

If you tried to handle a claim alone only to encounter pushback from an insurance company, hire a personal injury lawyer for assistance. Insurance companies do not always treat claims or clients fairly. Insurance bad faith refers to an insurance provider handling a case without the legally required degree of honesty or fairness. Examples of insurance bad faith are a company refusing to offer a reasonable settlement or denying a valid claim. Hiring a lawyer to take over the insurance claim process for you can force an insurer to treat you fairly. This could result in better financial compensation for your injuries.

Complex Claims

You may be able to handle simple, straightforward injury claims alone, without an attorney representing you. No law in New Jersey requires you to hire a lawyer. However, if your accident or injury case has any complicating factors, it could be best for you to work with a lawyer who has experience in your practice area. Many potential issues could lead to a more complex claim than usual.

  • Significant injuries
  • Permanent disabilities
  • Wrongful death
  • Hit-and-run car accident
  • Commercial truck accident
  • Criminal activity, such as drunk driving or homicide
  • The defendant refuting fault
  • Comparative negligence defense
  • Multiple defendants
  • Workplace accident

Hiring a personal injury lawyer from our New Jersey law firm gives you access to counsel you can count on. Rather than being in the dark about who has your best interests in mind and whether an insurance company is treating you fairly, you will know for sure how to proceed with your claim. A lawyer can answer your questions, give you honest advice, support your needs and help with every step of the claims process. When in doubt, speak to an experienced personal injury lawyer about how he or she can help with your case.