A car accident can change your life in an instant. Someone else’s negligence can lead to physical and emotional damage, ruined property, and a mess of complications with your insurance company and the person responsible for your accident in Vineland. For the best chance of receiving the compensation that you deserve, you may need to hire an experienced lawyer to help you file a personal injury lawsuit.
Vineland car accident lawyer Joseph Lombardo is prepared to help accident victims across South Jersey deal with their personal injury claims in the aftermath of a car accident. With years of experience, he can help car accident victims get compensation for their damages and deal with obstinate insurance companies. Schedule a free and private consultation with the Lombardo Law Group, LLC, to discuss the options available to you in your car accident case. Call (609) 445-4300 today.
Types of Car Accidents That Happen in Vineland, NJ
Accidents can happen anywhere. Given its dense population and proximity to major metropolitan areas, New Jersey is no exception. Vineland residents are susceptible to the following types of car accidents while driving:
- Rear-end collisions – This type of accident happens when a vehicle hits the back of the car in front of it. Either car could be at fault; it usually happens either when the rear car is tailgating or when the front car stops too quickly.
- Head-on collisions – The most dangerous type of car accident, head-on collisions happen when the front ends of two vehicles collide into one another.
- Side-impact collisions – These are also known as T-bone collisions or broadside collisions. They happen when one vehicle impacts the side of another vehicle; it most commonly happens at intersections and can often be fatal for the drivers involved. Sideswipe collisions are a type of side-impact collision, which happens when two vehicles—traveling in either the same direction or opposite directions—collide while parallel.
- Vehicle rollovers – Vehicles that have a high center of gravity are often prone to rolling over when they collide with other vehicles or objects. This is a profoundly dangerous type of car accident that usually happens when a driver makes a sharp turn while driving at an extremely high speed.
Some car accidents have special circumstances that make the process of filing a personal injury lawsuit slightly different. These types of car accidents usually involve more effort, which is why skilled legal representation is important. Car accidents with special circumstances include:
- Hit and run – A hit-and-run is an accident that involves two or more vehicles, a vehicle and a pedestrian, or a vehicle and a piece of property. The driver hits a car, person, or piece of property and then flees the scene before the victim can get their contact information and insurance details. These types of accidents are especially traumatic for victims because it is dramatically more difficult for them to receive compensation for their damages. If you have been the victim in a hit and run accident, you can work with an experienced attorney to talk to witnesses and law enforcement to figure out who is responsible for the accident and then hold them accountable for the damage that they caused.
- Uninsured driver – If the at-fault driver does not have insurance, they cannot cover the damages you’ve suffered as a result of your injury, including medical costs, lost wages, and property damage. If you are the victim of an accident caused by a driver who does not have insurance, you may be able to recover compensation from your own insurance company. Many insurance providers are reluctant to award full compensation in these cases, however, which is why it’s important to use the help of a Vineland car accident lawyer.
- Teen driver – If a teen driver gets into an accident and their parents were aware that their child was a danger to other drivers, the parents may be held responsible for the accident.
- Drunk driver – If a drunk driver faces criminal charges for driving while drunk, they are sometimes ordered to pay restitution to the victim. However, to recover full compensation for damages, you’ll likely have to file a personal injury lawsuit. The DUI conviction can then be used as a base for your personal injury claim.
Causes of Vineland Car Accidents
Most car accidents can be prevented. Drivers have a responsibility to drive safely to ensure the well-being of other drivers on the road; if they take this responsibility seriously, they can reduce their chances of causing an accident while driving. The most common causes of car accidents in the United States are:
- Distracted driving – Distracted driving is the number one cause of car accidents in the United States and also the most preventable. Using a cell phone, eating, drinking, reading, applying makeup, playing with the sound system, and interacting with other passengers are all types of distracted driving that can seem simple in the moment but can have deadly consequences for other drivers on the road.
- Poor weather conditions – This cause of car accidents is partly out of the control of drivers. Snow, ice, heavy rain, high winds, and fog can make roads slippery and visibility difficult. When conditions are bad, drivers have to adapt. Failing to slow down and take other precautions when road conditions are poor due to inclement weather can lead to deadly car accidents.
- Failure to obey traffic signals – Unfortunately, many car accidents are caused by drivers’ failure to obey basic traffic laws. When drivers fail to stop at a stop sign or red light, change lanes improperly, drive at an unsafe speed, turn without using a turn signal, make illegal left turns, tailgate, or disobey other simple safety laws, it can pose a great risk to other drivers on the road.
- Drunk driving – Drunk drivers cause a great deal of accidents in the United States, nearly all of which can be prevented. Drunk driving is not only illegal but potentially deadly for not only the impaired driver but other unsuspecting drivers on the road.
- Reckless or careless driving – Reckless behavior on the road can seem fun or cathartic to some drivers, but it can lead to serious car accidents. While some drivers treat road rage as a way to release frustration while driving, it can lead to lapses in judgement that be dangerous for other drivers.
Some car accidents happen as a result of a defect with the car or auto part. If this happens to you, you might be able to file a product liability case. For example, if a tire blows out while you’re driving and it causes an accident, the accident may be attributed to the defective manufacturing of the tire, in which case the tire manufacturer can be held responsible. To win a product liability lawsuit, you and your legal representative will have to prove that the car itself or the part in question was unreasonably dangerous, that the defect caused an injury while the car or auto part was being used in the proper way, and that the vehicle was not substantially changed from the condition in which it was bought.
Injuries That Commonly Result from Car Accidents
Car accidents often involve sharp metal and glass, crumpled vehicles, and the potential for fires and extreme heat, all of which contribute to conditions that can injure drivers, passengers, and pedestrians. A few of the serious injuries that Vineland car accident victims commonly suffer include:
- Traumatic brain injuries (also known as TBIs) – This type of injury is caused by sudden blows or jolts to the head. Traumatic brain injuries can result in prolonged headaches, vomiting or nausea, seizures and convulsions, slurred speech, loss of hearing or vision, trouble sleeping, and more. In the most severe cases, victims need full-time medical care to help them perform basic tasks. Traumatic brain injuries are difficult to detect because symptoms may not appear until weeks after the victim experiences the original incident. Similar injuries commonly suffered by victims of car accidents include whiplash and concussions.
- Severe burns – It’s common for car accident victims to suffer from extreme third- and fourth-degree burns. The medical costs of severe burns are extraordinarily high, and the physical disfigurement and emotional pain that comes from burns can dramatically decrease the victim’s quality of life.
- Bone breaks and fractures – It’s common for pedestrians hit by cars to suffer wrist breaks and fractures when they attempt to break their fall or brace themselves. Drivers and passengers that are inside vehicles involved in accidents often suffer fractures in their faces and limbs.
- Whiplash – Whiplash occurs when a muscle, ligament, or tendon in the neck is injured. It occurs when the body is forced to move suddenly. Symptoms include neck pain and stiffness, loss of range of motion in the neck, fatigue, dizziness, headaches, and sleep disturbances.
- Internal bleeding – The intense forces involved in a car accident can cause internal organs to rupture and bleed, which can have severe implications for the health of the victim. Internal bleeding of the chest, abdomen, and pelvis can cause hemorrhagic shock or death if it is not treated quickly enough.
Compensation You Can Receive Following Your Car Accident in Vineland
New Jersey is a no-fault state, which means that your insurance company will reimburse you for your out-of-pocket medical bills and other expenses regardless of who was at fault for the accident. Victims usually file a Personal Injury Protection claim (also known as a PIP claim), which provides coverage within the limits of the policy you’ve purchased.
This is often beneficial for victims of car accidents since their expenses are paid quickly. However, it can be disadvantageous in that it limits victims’ ability to sue for pain and suffering. A victim’s ability to sue another party for things like loss of income or pain and suffering will depend on the type of auto insurance they have purchased and the degree to which they were at fault for the accident.
How an Experienced Vineland Car Accident Attorney Can Help You
Aside from physical injury and damage to property, one of the toughest things that car accident victims deal with is their insurance company. Insurance companies are often obtuse and do whatever they can to avoid honoring claims made following car accidents. An experienced attorney like Joseph Lombardo knows how to deal with insurance companies so that you can get coverage for any expenses you’ve incurred as a result of your car accident.
Lawyer Available for Personal Injury Claims in Vineland, NJ
If you or someone close to you was injured in a car accident in New Jersey, get in touch with Vineland car accident lawyer Joseph Lombardo as soon as possible to schedule a free and private consultation. The team at the Lombardo Law Group, LLC, is committed to fighting for compensation for clients who have suffered due to a car accident. Get in touch today by calling (609) 445-4300.
