Accident Lawyers Representing Injured Victims in Freehold and throughout Monmouth County, New Jersey
Personal injury law protects you if you become the victim of an accident caused by someone’s else actions, or failure to reasonable actions to ensure the safety of others, in Monmouth County, NJ. These laws can be complicated, but can assist you in holding negligent parties accountable after you have been injured. When you or someone you love has suffered harm in Monmouth County, it is incredibly important to consult with a knowledgeable Monmouth County Personal Injury Lawyer who can begin evaluating any claim that you might have. If your injury was caused by someone else’s negligence, you may be entitled to monetary compensation. There are specific deadlines and procedural requirements in personal injury cases, so beginning to investigate your legal options as soon as possible is imperative.
The attorneys at our Monmouth County personal injury law firm represent individuals who have been involved in car accidents, suffered dog bites, have been the victim of malpractice or suffered the wrongful death of a family member due to the negligence of others. We represent injured clients throughout Monmouth County, including in Freehold, Middletown, Howell, Holmdel, Manalapan, Long Branch, Asbury Park, and surrounding areas. Whether you or someone you know was hurt in a car accident caused by a speeding driver, a drunk driver, or a careless driver, injured in a slip and fall accident, or harmed in another event, our lawyers are ready and willing to fight for you. We offer a free consultation on all injury matters in New Jersey and are available anytime to answer your questions. Contact our local office in Monmouth County, NJ to speak with an experienced injury lawyer about your individual situation and legal options. Call 732-825-6120 or fill out our online form to receive a free case review.
Personal Injury Lawsuits in Monmouth County NJ
A personal lawsuit is a legal filing that seeks monetary compensation for someone who has been injured by the acts of another person, organization, or both a person and organization in the same matter. A personal injury lawsuit is fundamentally founded in a claim for negligence. Negligence is defined as the failure to take proper care in doing something. This legal concept can be best understood by breaking it down into distinct components. Negligence is comprised of four parts: duty, breach, causation and damages. Each of these concepts is explained in greater detail below.
Duty of Care in Monmouth County Personal Injury Cases
Duty means that an individual or corporation had a requirement to do something. An example would be an individual has a duty to drive safely and operate their vehicle according to New Jersey traffic laws. Another example would be a commercial property owner has a duty to remove snow and ice from their premises and on the adjacent sidewalks.
Breach of Duty Causing Monmouth County Accidents
Breach means that the duty was not followed, or the duty was breached. Using the previous examples, an individual breaches his or her duty if they do not operate their vehicle safely or they do not abide by New Jersey traffic laws. Causation means that the breach of the duty caused an injury or some type of harm. In other words, the unsafe driving caused an accident which caused an injury, or the failure to remove snow and ice caused a person to fall and injure themselves.
Damages for Injuries from an Accident in Monmouth County, New Jersey
If a factfinder, a judge or a jury, determines that the other person or company did negligently injure you, you may be entitled to recover damages. Damages refers to the ultimate harm caused. These damages can include money for lost wages, for medical bills, for repair to your car, for pain and suffering, and even punitive damages if the other person’s conduct was willful and wanton (subject to certain limits).
In a motor vehicle accident, damages can include damage to the vehicle involved as well as personal injury to the individual. In a slip and fall accident, damages typically refer to injury and or monetary losses to the person who was injured. An experienced personal injury attorney will be able to tell you more about the potential for recovery of damages in your particular case.
How to Prove a Monmouth County Personal Injury Claim
To prove any type of personal injury case in New Jersey, you need to show that the person who caused your injury was negligent. That means that you must prove they had a duty to act in a certain way—e.g. to drive reasonably safely or to maintain their store in a reasonably safe way—they failed to do that (or “breached their duty”), their failure caused your injury, and you suffered damages as a result. This set of facts that you need to prove differs in certain situations, like in medical malpractice lawsuits or in strict liability lawsuits involving dangerous activities, but generally, you need to prove that the other person was negligent.
What is the Time Limit to Sue for my Injuries in Monmouth County?
There is a time limit on when you may bring a personal injury suit under New Jersey law. That time limit, referred to as a “statute of limitations,” begins running once you have been injured or should reasonably have identified that you have been injured. For example, NJ Rev Stat § 2A:14-1 states that any suit involving injury to real or personal property must commence within 6 years from the injury. Personal injury suits must commence within 2 years, fraud suits must be brought within 6 years, medical malpractice suits within 2 years, contract suits within 6 years. The bottom line is that, if you believe you have a legal claim against someone who has injured you, it is important to consult with an experienced personal injury lawyer as soon as you are able, given that your lawyer may need time to gather evidence before filing a case, and given that the statute of limitations clock is ticking.
What to do if You Have Been Injured in a Monmouth County Accident
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that people in the U.S. visit doctor’s offices due to accidents and injuries close to 92.2 million times per year, with a substantial portion of those injuries occurring in New Jersey. If you are injured by another person’s negligent behavior, whether they collide into your car, fail to keep their store safe from obvious dangerous conditions, or otherwise cause you personal injury, it’s important for you to start documenting the experience as soon as possible. Take photos of the car accident scene and/or any damaged property. If the person who injured you makes any statements, try to write them down on a piece of paper or in a digital format, and date that document. Give police a full and accurate statement if they respond to the scene; you can also share photos with them. Take photographs of any injuries you sustained. Save documentation and receipts that you may have received from the hospital or urgent care clinics. Make a note of any time you had to miss from work and/or your lost wages. Save car or other repair bills. All this documentation can be helpful in a later personal injury action brought against the negligent person who harmed you.
Where do I File a Personal Injury Claim in Monmouth County NJ?
Where a case is filed is known as the venue of the suit under the New Jersey court rules. Under New Jersey Court Rule 4:3-2, venue is properly established when one of the parties resides in the county where the case is filed at the time the case is filed or the county in which the event which is the subject of the lawsuit took place. For example, if the injured person resides in Monmouth County at the time of the filing of the lawsuit, the suit can be heard in Monmouth County. Additionally, if the person who is being sued resides in Monmouth County at the time of the filing of the lawsuit the lawsuit can be heard in Monmouth County. Finally, if the event took place in Monmouth County, the case can be heard in Monmouth County. For example, if the injured person and the other individual involved in the car accident do not live in Monmouth County, but the car accident took place in Monmouth County, the lawsuit can still be brought in the county where the accident occurred.
Among New Jersey accident victims, many are injured in accidents in Monmouth County. The county is located in central New Jersey, with a population of approximately 600,000 people. Middletown is the largest city in the county. The county seat is Freehold and therefore Freehold is the city in which the Monmouth County Superior Court is located. If you have a personal injury claim in Monmouth County, your case will be filed and tried in Monmouth County Superior Court. The court has two distinct components, the Special Civil Part and the general Civil Division. The Civil Division handles all cases involving plaintiffs seeking monetary compensation for injuries or harm caused by a defendant or defendants. In total, the Civil Division and Special Civil Part handle approximately 460,000 cases. Visit the following for additional information about the Monmouth County Superior Court Civil Division.
Our firm has an office located just minutes away from the Superior Court in Freehold. Our local Monmouth County office allows for convenient access to the Superior Court for both clients and the firm’s attorneys.
Contact a Monmouth County Personal Injury Attorney for Additional Information Today
If you would like to speak with one of our Monmouth County accident attorneys call our law firm day or night. Our attorneys have achieved many successful recoveries for individuals who have been harmed as a result of a Monmouth County accident. Our firm handles car accidents, slip and fall accidents, workplace accidents and many other types of personal injury claims. We represent clients in Monmouth County and throughout New Jersey in matters ranging from products liability lawsuits to strict liability lawsuits such as dog bites. The specific type of injury claim that applies to your case will be determined by the unique circumstances, and we are here to thoroughly evaluate your potential claim and give you the answers you need free of charge. To get help immediately from one of our Monmouth County personal injury attorneys, call our office today at 732-825-6120 or start a chat now.
