NJ Personal Injury & Auto Accident Attorneys
If you or someone you know has been injured in a serious accident, we understand how urgent your needs are. Personal injury cases usually involve much more than just the physical injury. Your problems may include financial concerns, paying medical bills, knowing the law and much more. Our attorneys are here to answer all of your questions.
We have been serving the public and providing legal services for our injured clients for more than 40 years and we have the expertise to fight for you. Our firm can provide you with a lawyer who has been Certified by the New Jersey Supreme Court as an Expert in Civil Trial Law. We represent clients throughout the State of New Jersey, including, but not limited to, Monmouth County, Ocean County and Middlesex County, helping them get what they deserve.
Consultations for personal injury cases are FREE.
__________________________________________________________________________________
VERDICTS AND SETTLEMENTS
$1,200,000.00 – Settlement – Motor Vehicle Accident
$950,000.00 – Settlement – Motor Vehicle Accident
$900,000.00 – Settlement – Motor Vehicle Accident
$776,000.00 – Verdict – Motor vehicle accident
$500,000.00 – Settlement – Medical Malpractice
$405,000.00 – Settlement – Slip and Fall
Results may vary depending on your particular facts and legal circumstances
_________________________________________________________________________________
We handle all types of personal injury lawsuits for our clients including those arising out of:
Car/Auto Accidents
Auto accidents may only last for seconds, but the injuries you sustain can last a lifetime. Dealing with insurance companies can be frustrating without knowing your rights. The insurance agents are not hired to protect you, but are instead attempting to negotiate the best possible settlement for their company.
New Jersey statute N.J.S.A. 17:28-1.7 provides a criterion that must be met in order to proceed in certain personal injury matters. This statute does not apply to auto accidents involving commercial vehicles. N.J.S.A. 17:28-1.7 has defined a personal injury as:
- Death
- Dismemberment
- Significant disfigurement or significant scaring
- Displaced fractures
- Loss of fetus, or
- Permanent injury within a reasonable degree of medical probability.
We can help you review your injuries to decide if they meet this threshold.
The Statute of Limitation provides an injured person in a motor vehicle accident two (2) years from the date of the motor vehicle accident to file a lawsuit. There are some exceptions to the Statute of Limitations that you should discuss with us if the two (2) years has passed or the two (2) year anniversary of the accident is quickly approaching.
The Tort Claim Notice is applicable if you have to pursue a claim against any public entity or governmental agency, or any employee of a public entity, or governmental agency. You must file a Notice of Tort Claim with the public entity and/or employee within ninety (90) days of the date of the incident or you may lose your right to bring the claim. This deadline may be extended to one year in certain circumstances.
We have the experience to guide you through this process. We are here to assist you and ensure your future is protected. Contact us if you have any questions.
Truck Accidents
The Garden State Parkway and New Jersey Turnpike, among many other highways in New Jersey, are filled with massive trucks that, if an accident occurs, can cause catastrophic damage. Truck drivers must obtain special commercial licenses and must adhere to Federal and the State of New Jersey Commercial Vehicle laws.
A Truck accident may be caused by:
- Driver Negligence
- Substance Abuse
- Defects, or
- Company Negligence
Rules for truck cases are very different from standard accident cases and we can make sure that you are fully compensated for such claims.
__________________________________________________________________________________
VERDICTS AND SETTLEMENTS
$300,000.00 – Settlement – Pedestrian Hit by Car
$300,000.00 – Settlement – Wrongful Death
$300,000.00 – Settlement – Medical Malpractice
$275,000.00 – Settlement – Underinsured Motor Vehicle
$250,000.00 – Settlement – Dog Bite
$235,000.00 – Settlement – Slip and Fall
$200,000.00 – Verdict – Slip and Fall
Results may vary depending on your particular facts and legal circumstances
__________________________________________________________________________________
Slip and Fall (Premises Liability)
It happens to all of us – you’re walking and all of a sudden you slip on something and fall or step in a hole and twist your ankle.
Under the Premises Liability doctrine a property owner and possessor owes you a duty to:
- Keep the property in good condition,
- Warn you of hazardous conditions,
- Repair dangerous conditions and
- In some cases, inspect the property for defects.
The property owner’s duty depends on your status when you are injured. These categories are:
- Trespasser: A trespasser is a person who enters or remains upon land in the possession of another without a right to enter or remain on the property. A right may be created by the possessor’s consent or otherwise. An owner/occupier of the property owes a duty to a trespasser to refrain from acts which willfully injure the trespasser.
- Social Guest: A social guest is someone invited to the host’s premises. The host is not required to inspect the premises to discover defects which might cause an injury to a guest. However, if the host knows or has reason to know of some artificial or natural condition on the premises which could pose an unreasonable risk of harm to a guest and that guest could not reasonably be expected to discover it, the host owes the social guest a duty to exercise reasonable care to make the condition safe or to give warning to the guest(s) of its presence and risk involved.
- Invitee: An invitee is a person who is permitted to enter or remain on land (or premises) for a purpose of the owner/occupier. The owner/occupier of the land (or premises) who by invitation, express or implied, induced persons to come upon the premises, is under a duty to exercise ordinary care to render the premises reasonably safe for the purposes embraced in the invitation. The owner/occupier must take steps as are reasonable and prudent to correct or give warning of hazardous conditions or defects actually known to the owner/occupier (or his/her employees), and of hazardous conditions or defects which the owner/occupier (or his/her employees) by the exercise of reasonable care, could discover.
Hazardous conditions such as exposed electrical equipment, crumbling sidewalks and insufficient lighting may cause you to suffer unforeseen injuries. Premises Liability and who to hold responsible for your injuries differs if the incident occurred on the sidewalk within a condominium develop or on the steps of a commercial building.
We can help you to find out which standard applies in your circumstance. Call us with any questions you may have.
Construction Accidents
Many of the injuries that occur on the job are not reported. This is the worst thing that you can do. It is vital to establish that the injury resulted from an on-the-job activity. The best way to do this is report the injury when it occurred.
Many people believe that there is no recourse if they are injured at work. They are unaware that the NJ Worker’s Compensation Laws grant them the right to recover money and that they do not even have to prove that anyone was negligent.
If you suffered an injury at work, call us. There is no fee in such cases unless you recover money.
For more information see our Worker’s Compensation page.
__________________________________________________________________________________
ARTICLES
New Jersey Law Journal: $405,000.00 Slip and Fall
New Jersey Law Journal: $300,000.00 Pedestrian Hit by Car
New Jersey Law Journal: $950,000.00 Motor Vehicle Accident
__________________________________________________________________________________
Wrongful Death
The sudden passing of a friend or family member is a tragic event. Wrongful death claims in New Jersey are brought on behalf of the Estate of a person whose death was caused by the negligence of another Product failure or medical malpractice are just a few examples of what a wrongful death may be based upon.
In a wrongful death lawsuit the survivors (estate of the decedent) are seeking money damages from the wrongdoer for the actual financial losses the survivors have suffered, and will suffer in the future. For example, if a husband who earns $100,000 year tragically passes, the surviving wife would seek money damages due to the financial loss of the husband’s earnings.
Financial loss includes not only the actual monies the decedent would have earned and contributed for the benefit of the survivors, but also the reasonable value of the services, assistance, care, training, guidance, advise, counsel and the companionship the survivors would have received from the decedent had he/she lived. Wrongful death and survivor claims often provide the only vehicle for financial security for the family members following the devastating loss.
If the survivors are entitled to an award the amount recoverable is comprised of two parts:
- The amount of the financial loss to date, and
- The present value of any future loss
Past Loss: The Jury, once they have decided the survivors are entitled to recover, must determine the amount of the financial loss from the date of the death to the present.
Future Loss: The Jury, after hearing expert testimony on certain economic claims made, will determine the reliability of the expert(s)’ projections of future economic loss.
Bicycle and Pedestrian Accidents
There are many times that cars and truck forget to share the road with Bicyclists and yield to pedestrians. Either type of accident may result in serious injuries, medical expenses, time out of work and loss in your enjoyment of life. Common cases in this area may involve:
- Bicycle accidents with cars
- Bicycle and car collisions at an intersection
- Cars or trucks in the bicycle lane
- Street defects and Pothole Bicycle accidents
- Child bicycle accidents
- Child pedestrian accidents, and
- Bicycle and Pedestrian premises liability claims.
Many people do not know where the coverage for such a claim would come from. This is something the attorneys at Gale & Laughlin would handle while you concentrate on getting healed.
Even if the driver fled the scene you still may have legal recourse. If the driver is never found you still may be able to file for underinsured motorist coverage through your own auto insurance policy.
You may also be able to get your medical bills paid by your auto insurance even if you were not in your car, if you are struck by the car of a negligent driver.
We are here to help you in this stressful period of time. Call us with any questions you may have.
Motorcycle Accidents
Many motorcycle accidents are not the fault of the actual rider, but are caused by an inattentive car or truck driver. An injured motorcyclist can seek compensation for their injuries from the responsible parties.
Motorcycle injuries are often among the most severe and you should not be required to suffer because of someone else’s negligence.
Contact us to discuss any accident. We are here to assist you and ensure the proper steps to your recovery are taken.
Dog Bites
A dog attack can result in gruesome injuries. New Jersey holds a dog owner liable for all of the damages inflicted upon a dog bite victim. See N.J.S.A. 4:19-16.
To recover in New Jersey the victim must prove:
- The defendant owned the dog,
- The dog bit the victim, and
- The victim was in a public place or lawfully on the owner’s property
New Jersey is a Strict Liability State. This means that it does not matter whether the dog attacked you or has a history of aggression or not. In most cases the homeowner’s policy of the dog’s owner will cover dog bite injuries. This means that you will not be seeking money damages directly from a friend or neighbor, but from their insurance company.
Effective Legal Counsel
We are committed to helping you get the recovery that you deserve. For decades our firm has been helping the injured through Monmouth County, Ocean County and Middlesex County. Contact our offices today.
Consultations for personal injury cases are FREE.
