Even though local law enforcement officers continue to crack down on reckless and hazardous driving, accidents still happen every day in Newark. Nationwide there were over 37,000 deaths reported on U.S. roadways in 2017. The New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety reported 591 fatal motor vehicle accidents in 2017 alone, resulting in 624 deaths. This averages out to almost two fatalities a day. Anytime you get into a car in New Jersey, either as a driver or as a passenger, there is a possibility that an accident can occur.

Newark NJ Car Wreck Lawyers

Serious accidents can leave victims in terrible pain, harboring significant injuries that will affect them for their entire lives. Some car accident injuries cause victims to be unable to work or continue on with activities that they used to participate in. Often, victims find themselves in financial hardships due to insurance and medical bills. If you or someone you love has been injured in a motor vehicle accident in Newark you may be entitled to compensation. Our personal injury lawyers at Metro Law offer free initial consultations. We are available when you need us most.

Our personal injury law firm specializes in providing services for residents of New York and New Jersey who were injured in car accidents. Our team of lawyers has been practicing law for over thirty years. We have decades of personal injury legal experience handling different types of cases including, car accidents, pedestrian accidents, truck accidents, DUI accidents, and motorcycle accidents. We have two offices, one in New Jersey and one in New York. Our multiple office locations allow us to increase our availability and service clients on both sides of the Hudson. Contact either of our firm’s offices today at 800-469-6476 to make an appointment for a free consultation.

The Most Common Causes of Car Accidents in Newark

According to a study conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the number one cause of vehicle accidents is the driver. The statistics showed that an alarming 94% of the crashes investigated were caused by driver errors. There are countless distractions that can take a driver’s attention off the road or cause them to lose focus. The most common causes of car accidents are listed below:

• Distracted Driving
• Speeding
• Driver Error
• Drunk Driving
• Reckless Driving
• Bad Weather Conditions
• Night Driving
• Red Light Runners
• Design Defects in Vehicle
• Wrong-Way Driving
• Illegal Turns
• Inexperienced Drivers
• Tailgating
• Drugged Driving
• Road Defects
• Tire Blowouts
• Animals Crossing the Roads
• Construction Zones

The Dangers of Distracted Driving In Newark, New Jersey

Distracted driving has been the cause of the vast majority of car accidents in New Jersey for several decades and seems to be on the rise every year. Distracted driving is defined as “driving while engaging in another activity in which the driver’s eyes are diverted from the road.” Distracted drivers are especially dangerous and jeopardize the safety of themselves and his or her passengers in the vehicle, as well as pedestrians, motorcyclists, and people who are in other vehicles.

There are many different ways that a driver’s attention can be pulled away from the road. With the increasing use and accessibility of technology, drivers have even more distractions to avoid. In 2013 a recorded 1.2 million motor vehicle accidents involved drivers speaking on the phone and around 340,000 involved texting and driving.

The most common causes of distracted driving are as follows:

• Talking on the Phone
• Texting While Driving
• Adjusting the Volume Controls or Changing the Music Selection
• Talking with Other Passengers in the Car
• Applying Makeup While Driving
• Zoning Out
• Looking Away From the Road
• Handling Children
• Handling Pets
• Eating or Drinking

All of the things mentioned above are ways that a driver can lose focus and create an accident on the road. If you or someone you love was injured in a car accident that was caused by a distracted driver, you may be entitled to compensation. Call us today to discuss your injury accident to see if you can file a personal injury lawsuit for your injuries and losses.

Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol or Drugs in Newark

New Jersey has enacted laws to protect unsuspecting motorists from drivers who decide to get behind the wheel of an automobile after consuming alcohol.  New Jersey considers drivers to be intoxicated if they have a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08% or higher.  

People who choose to get in their car and drive after consuming too much alcohol or using drugs have been responsible for countless senseless deaths and major injuries to unsuspecting motorists who had the misfortune of sharing the roads with them.

Every day in the United States, approximately 29 people die in alcohol-related accidents. These preventable accidents are caused by the actions of careless, reckless, negligent, and intoxicated individuals who make a choice to drive after drinking. Additionally, 16% of all motor vehicle accidents involve the use of drugs. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that approximately one in three people who die in traffic-related deaths in the United States involve a driver who is intoxicated. The national average for drivers who reported driving after drinking too much is 1.9 percent. In New Jersey, the average number of drivers who drove after consuming too much alcohol is 1.5 percent.

If you or a loved one was injured in an accident that involved another driver who was intoxicated when the crash occurred, you may be able to file a claim for your injuries and losses. Contact a knowledgeable and dedicated DUI accident lawyer at Metro Law today to discuss your accident and find out if you are entitled to compensation.

Serious Injuries Associated With Car Accidents in New Jersey

Car accidents can lead to serious or even fatal injuries. Some injuries can cause victims to be unable to live the life they once did. Reports show that anywhere from 20-50 million people are injured or disabled in vehicle accidents each year. In 2012, injuries caused by car crashes cost Americans approximately 18 billion dollars. Some of the most common injuries to affect car accident victims include the following:

• Head Injury or TBI
• Chest Injury
• Internal Injuries and Bleeding
• Back Injury/Herniated Disc
• Spinal Cord Injury
• Broken Bones
• Cuts and Lacerations
• Injured Extremities
• Neck Injuries
• Collapsed Lung
• Broken Pelvis

Spinal Cord Injury – A spinal cord injury occurs when there is damage to an area of the spinal cord or to the area at the base of the spinal canal. This type of injury often results in permanent changes in victims that control strength, sensation, and other bodily functions that occur below the area that was injured. The ability to control your extremities following a spinal cord injury will depend on two things: where your injury occurred on the spinal cord and the severity of the damage to the spinal cord. The severity of the spinal injury is classified in two ways:

• Complete – When a victim has a complete spinal cord injury, all feelings and abilities to control motor functions are lost below the area of the spinal cord injury.
• Incomplete – When a victim has an incomplete spinal injury, they still have some sensory or motor functions below the area that was damaged.  The degree will vary depending on the severity of the injury.

Traumatic Brain Injury – A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the most serious injuries that can occur from an accident. A TBI is the result of a jolt to the head or a violent blow to the head or body. An object that penetrates the skull, such as a piece of the shattered skull or a bullet that penetrates the brain tissue can also cause a TBI. These injuries are often so severe that they result in long-term health complications and can even result in death. Traumatic brain injuries can leave the victim with varying levels of consciousness. The different states of consciousness include the following:

• Comatose
• Vegetative State
• Minimally Conscious State
• Brain Dead

If your loved one has become the victim of a car accident that was caused by another driver and resulted in a traumatic brain injury, contact a dedicated personal injury lawyer at Metro Law to discuss your legal rights and options to seek compensation for the injuries and losses that were sustained as a result of their accident.

Whiplash – When a serious impact occurs, the head and neck can be jolted in an abrupt and violent manner. This can cause strains of the neck muscles and tendons. These strains often lead to soreness, discomfort, stiffness, limited mobility, and nagging headaches. It is possible that a serious whiplash injury could leave the victim feeling symptoms for months, even years.

Broken Or Fractured Bones – If a collision has enough force it can cause the victim’s bones to fracture or break completely. In many accident cases, the victim experiences broken ribs from the impact of the seatbelt or airbag. Arms and legs can be broken when coming into aggressive contact with the steering wheel or floor of the vehicle.

All these are just some of the injuries that can lead to a decreased quality of life and affect a victim’s mental, physical, and emotional well-being. Living with an injury can create a strain on relationships as well as the victim’s ability to integrate back into work life.

The Cost Of Being Injured In A Motor Vehicle Accident

There are many things to consider after you have been injured in an accident that was caused by another driver’s careless or reckless actions. The cost to treat an injury can be astronomical depending on the seriousness of the injury.

The average cost of an emergency room visit post-accident was $3,300 and each hospitalization due to car accident injuries can wind up in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. You may not be able to return to work for some time following your injury. These costs can leave victims drowning in debt and struggling with financial hardships.

If the accident was not your fault, you may be entitled to compensation for the following:

• Loss of job, leading to a loss of income
• Loss of future earning ability due to long-term injuries
• Money for medical bills and expenses
• Money for insurance bills
• Money to fix or purchase a vehicle

Talking with a skilled and knowledgeable personal injury attorney can be the best move you can make if you have been injured in an accident that was caused by a negligent driver. Call Metro Law today to speak with a qualified member of our staff and start protecting your rights as a victim.

How the Personal Injury Lawyers At Metro Law Can Help With Your Claim

Accidents can happen whenever, wherever, and to anyone. No one is safe on the road and there are countless different dangers and hazards when driving on the roadways. It is no surprise that motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of injury in the United States, or that 2.5 million Americans end up in the hospital after being involved in a motor vehicle accident.

The number one cause of motor vehicle accidents is driver error, which means a majority of the time, someone is at fault. Our personal injury lawyers at Metro Law can help to build a rock-solid case if you or someone you love has been injured in a car accident. Our lawyers want to help you recover as quickly as you can and help you get back to your regular life. We will fight to get you the optimum compensation for your injuries and losses by doing the following:

• Analyzing the incident as well as the police reports
• Collecting and gathering data from the scene of the accident
• Questioning any and all witnesses
• Collecting and gathering important medical records that pertain to the case
• Discussing injuries with medical staff
• Discussing recovery processes and expected recovery times with medical staff
• Researching and studying the other driver’s driving history and driving record
• Taking charge of all settlement matters
• Taking the claim to trial if a settlement cannot be reached

After an auto accident, it is in the victim’s best interest to speak to a strong and knowledgeable personal injury lawyer before speaking to anyone else. Our Newark injury lawyers can help guide you through the complicated and complex legal process. Accidents can leave victims overwhelmed and out of sorts. By contacting a Newark personal injury law firm that you can trust you will have an advantage.

Contact Our Metro Law Offices Today 

At Metro Law, we believe that being in an accident does not mean you have to lose everything. We understand that accident injuries can leave you feeling like your world has been turned upside down. It can feel like there’s a gap between pre-injury and post-injury life. Injuries can shake up your entire routine and leave you feeling shattered.

If you choose to work with our experienced auto collision lawyers we can help to heal that divide. Our firm treats every client with respect and will help to answer any questions you have regarding your accident. We handle a number of car wreck claim cases that include:

• Injuries due to a defective product or machine
• Injuries from an auto or truck accident
• Suspected injuries to a child during birth
• Injuries at work that lead to a need for a worker’s compensation claim
• Injuries that occurred on someone else’s property

Our auto accident law firm services residents of New Jersey and New York. We operate out of two offices, one in each state, to allow maximum availability for our clients. We take calls as well as drop-ins and also offer free consultations in English as well as in Spanish and Portuguese. Additionally, we are available by appointment on weekends and nights.

If you or someone you love has been a victim of a motor vehicle accident and suffered an injury in or around Newark, contact our firm online or at one of our offices today at 800-469-6476.