Car Accidents

If you are injured in a car accident, or someone close to you has been seriously injured or killed, you are legally entitled to recover compensation for your injuries if the accident occurred as a result of someone else’s negligence. To find out if you may be entitled to compensation, you should seek the advice and assistance of an experienced and knowledgeable personal injury attorney as soon as possible. For over 30 years, Bergen County car accident attorney Howard B. Leopold has helped people throughout Northern New Jersey and in many areas of New York seek compensation for the harm that they have suffered.

Car accidents may arise from many different causes: speeding, running stop lights, illegal lane changes, poor road conditions, tire blow-outs, illegal turns, intoxication, distractions, and more. But most of these causes are considered in legal terms to fall within the category of negligence. To prevail in a negligence claim, a car accident lawyer in Bergen County must show that four distinct elements were present in the circumstances surrounding the crash:

• The defendant driver owed a duty to all other users of the road to obey traffic laws and rules of the road, and to exercise reasonable safety measures;
• The defendant driver breached their duty;
• The breach caused an accident; and
• The plaintiff suffered damages as a result of the accident.

It is widely understood that every driver is required to behave responsibly. They are legally obliged to behave as a “reasonable driver” would behave under the circumstances in which they find themselves. For example, if the weather is rainy or snowy, they should drive more slowly. They also must signal for turns and lane changes in advance and make sure that no people or vehicles are in their path during a turn. If they have had too much to drink, they should refrain from operating a vehicle or utilize a designated driver. When a driver fails to act responsibly, they likely will be deemed negligent.

If an injured party can prove that a defendant was liable, they may hold the defendant legally responsible for all of the damages that ensued, including medical costs, pain and suffering, lost income, loss of future earnings, property damage, and other costs and losses. While no amount of money can truly compensate a car accident victim for the pain and stress that accompanies an accident, it may help victims avoid the financial hardships that often result from unexpected bills, time off work, and lifestyle changes that may accompany serious injuries.

When you have been injured, or someone in your family has been hurt, you may not be focusing your attention on pursuing justice against the party that caused the injury. You may just want to heal or to see your family member get better and have life return to normal. But as the medical bills mount, and the disruption in your life continues, it is only fair that the party responsible for the disruption compensate you for the unexpected and unpleasant consequences of their negligence. Call Bergen County car accident lawyer Howard B. Leopold at (201) 345-5907 or contact us online to set up a free, no-obligation consultation to find out what we can do for you. He also represents people who need a pedestrian accident attorney or guidance with other motor vehicle collision claims throughout Bergen, Hudson, Passaic, and Essex Counties, including in Hackensack, Englewood, Bergenfield, Cliffside Park, Dumont, Edgewater, Elmwood Park, Fair Lawn, Fairview, Fort Lee, Franklin Lakes, Garfield, Glen Rock, Hasbrouck Heights, Hillsdale, Little Ferry, Lodi, Lyndhurst, Mahwah, New Milford, North Arlington, Oakland, Palisades Park, Paramus, Ramsey, Ridgefield, Ridgefield Park, Ridgewood, River Edge, Rutherford, Saddle Brook, Teaneck, Tenafly, Wallington, Westwood, Wyckoff, Paterson, Newark, and Jersey City.