Car accidents are fairly common, which often leads people to dismiss them as nonserious. However, every car accident is a serious accident, and the person who caused the accident should be held liable.
Our team can help you file a personal injury lawsuit to recover expenses like medical bills and lost income. We must also consider non-economic damages, like your physical and emotional pain and suffering. Car accidents might have numerous causes, including distracted driving, speeding, alcohol, and more. Before filing a lawsuit, we must gather evidence to support your claims. Physical evidence from the crash site, eyewitness testimony, your medical records, and more can be used to prove liability.
If you were injured in a car accident, you can have your damages paid for in a lawsuit. Our Lakewood, NJ car accident attorneys can help young et started with a free case assessment. Call Legal Care New Jersey today at (732) 838-9769.
Damages and Injuries in Car Accident Lawsuits in Lakewood, NJ
Damages may fall into two broad categories: compensatory and punitive damages. Compensatory damages are intended to make up for the actual losses the plaintiff experienced because of the car accident. On the other hand, punitive damages are meant to punish defendants for their bad behavior. Our Lakewood, NJ car accident lawyers can help you calculate your damages and determine whether punitive damages are on the table in your case.
Compensatory Damages
Compensatory damages are often said to make plaintiffs “whole” after an accident. The idea is that the plaintiff should be awarded enough money to put them back in the same financial position they were in before the car accident. Our Lakewood, NJ car accident lawyers can help you accurately calculate damages.
Compensatory damages consist of economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages are the losses and injuries that cost plaintiffs actual money. Medical bills, vehicle repair costs, and lost income from being unable to go back to work are all examples of economic damages.
Non-economic damages are injuries that do not cost any money but are still worthy of compensation. Physical pain and emotional suffering after a car accident are common examples of non-economic damages. Although these experiences do not come with a price tag, courts may still award compensation. The compensation for these damages is usually based on how they impact your daily life. The more your physical pain or psychological trauma prevents you from doing ordinary daily tasks, the greater your damages.
Punitive Damages
Punitive damages are intended to punish defendants for bad behavior. Generally, the defendant’s behavior must be particularly egregious or outrageous to warrant punitive damages. As such, these damages are rarely awarded.
According to N.J.S.A. § 2A:15-5.12(a), punitive damages may be awarded if the plaintiff proves by clear and convincing evidence that the harm they suffered was not only the result of the defendant’s negligence but that the defendant’s behavior consisted of actual malice or a wanton and willful disregard for others’ safety.
This is sometimes called “gross negligence” and is much greater than ordinary negligence. Because punitive damages provide compensation above and beyond actual money spent by the plaintiff, there are limits on how much you may be awarded. You can only recover up to five times the total compensatory damages or $350,000, whichever is greater.
Possible Causes of Car Accidents in Lakewood, NJ
There are too many potential causes of car accidents to list here, but some tend to come up more often than others. Liability in your car accident lawsuit case will be influenced by how the accident happened, and our Lakewood, NJ car accident lawyers can help you sort through the details of your case.
One of the leading causes of car accidents across the country is distracted driving. As technology becomes more and more enmeshed in our daily lives, it becomes easier for other drivers on the road to be distracted. Phones, tablets, and music are all common culprits of distracted driving. Even glancing away from the road for just a second or two is long enough to cause an accident.
While drinking alcohol is not illegal if you are at least 21, it is illegal to do so behind the wheel of a car. Alcohol is a significant factor in many car accidents, and intoxicated drivers find it difficult to react in time to prevent collisions. In many cases, injured victims obeyed all traffic laws when an intoxicated driver suddenly hit them, causing severe injuries.
Even minor traffic violations can cause big accidents. Running a red light, changing lanes without signaling, or speeding on wet or icy roads might seem like small infractions that could get you pulled over. However, these traffic violations may lead to serious accidents under the right conditions.
Evidence You Need to Begin a Lawsuit for a Car Accident in Lakewood, NJ
Evidence is the fuel that moves your lawsuit forward. Without any evidence to back up your claims, your case would come to a grinding halt. There may be multiple sources of evidence in your case that our Lakewood, NJ car accident attorneys can help you uncover.
Immediately after an accident, you should record pictures and videos of the accident scene. This is common in car accidents because insurance companies often want some evidence of the crash. These photos and videos are also good for evidence in a courtroom and may contain important details about the crash that prove the defendant’s liability.
If you are too badly hurt to take any pictures or record videos of the accident scene, we can track down eyewitnesses to provide testimony about what they saw. The more witnesses whose stories align with yours, the more likely the court will rule in your favor. The police should have a crash report about your accident that might contain the names of people the officers spoke to, and these people may be the eyewitnesses you need.
Call Our Lakewood, NJ Car Accident Lawyers for Help Now
After a car crash, your injuries might be severe, and the expenses related to the accident will continue to pile up. Our Lakewood, NJ car accident lawyers can help you fight for justice. For a free case assessment, call Legal Care New Jersey today at (732) 838-9769.
