A car accident can have life-altering effects on a driver or passenger, either temporarily or permanently. Whether the accident was serious or catastrophic, car accident victims in Cherry Hill experience economic damages as well as physical pain and suffering. Injuries require expensive medical treatment and often lengthy rehabilitation and recovery periods, depending on the severity of the injuries. Even relatively minor injuries can cause financial hardship to families with as little as a single large emergency room bill and a week or two of missed pay. Fortunately, New Jersey car accident insurance laws allow victims to recover compensation for their damages through a claim against their personal injury protection (PIP) coverage on their auto insurance policy under New Jersey’s no-fault insurance law or through a Camden County personal injury claim against an at-fault driver.
What Damages Can I Recover in a New Jersey Car Accident Claim?
Car accidents cause painful injuries and often require surgery, physical therapy, and ongoing care. Common car accident damages recovered in successful Cherry Hill car accident claims include the following:
- Property damage: car accident victims in New Jersey can recover compensation for repairing or replacing a damaged vehicle. In some cases, they could recover compensation for damaged personal property like a cellphone, laptop, or other items destroyed in the accident.
- Medical expenses: car accident victims with injuries can recover compensation for their medical costs, plus additional compensation for anticipated future medical expenses if their injury requires further care, surgeries, rehabilitation, physical therapy, and home health care or assistive equipment, or has long-term implications for their health.
- Compensation for out-of-pocket expenses: injury victims may recover compensation for expenses like travel costs to see specialists.
- Income loss: car accident injury victims may recover reimbursement for their lost wages plus compensation for further expected income loss; for instance, if the injury requires future surgery or additional treatment that will keep them from returning to work.
- Diminished future earning capacity: if an injury causes disability and reduces the injury victim’s ability to earn an income, they may recover compensation for their inability to continue earning at their previous capacity or at all.
- Compensation for pain and suffering: pain and suffering is an intangible type of car accident damage that’s not easily calculated, but injury victims deserve compensation for what is often the most personally harmful aspect of a car accident.
- Compensation for other non-economic damages: additional non-economic damages sometimes apply in individual cases; for instance, in cases of limb loss, the loss of one of the senses, disfigurement, scarring, or emotional damages like PTSD, anxiety, depression, or diminished quality of life.
If a loved one dies in a Cherry Hill car accident, a close family member could recover compensation through a wrongful death claim.
Evidence for Recovering Damages In a Car Accident Claim
Car insurance companies investigate claims to verify the validity of the damages. The aim of the insurance adjuster assigned to a case is to find ways to reduce the amount of a payout, dispute aspects of the claim, or deny it completely. It’s important to carefully document all relevant evidence, such as a copy of the police report, medical report, and copies of medical bills and receipts for related expenses. A car accident lawyer helps injury victims by investigating the accident to document evidence and make a compelling claim for the maximum damages available to an injured client.
How Can a Cherry Hill Car Accident Attorney Help?
After a car accident, it’s difficult to take on an accident claim while also dealing with the pain and medical treatments associated with serious injuries. Call Cuneo & Leonetti today so we can begin strategizing the best plan for recovering your damages after a car accident in Cherry Hill. A skilled attorney guards a client’s rights and best interests throughout the process.