How long after a car accident can you claim injury in NJ?

When you are in a car accident in New Jersey, you have limited time to file a claim for a personal injury. 

Under current state law, a person injured in a car accident has two years from the date of that accident to file a compensation claim. 

If you are filing for property damages for the damage to your vehicle, you have six years from the date of the accident to make a claim.

The only exceptions to these laws are if the injury victim:

• Was under the age of 18 at the time of the accident and injury. They will have two years from the date of their 18th birthday to file a claim.
•  If the victim had a mental impairment prior to the accident, the court allows extra time to file a claim.
• Discovery standard. Sometimes injuries do not appear right away. If this is the case, the injury victim has four years from the date of the accident to make an injury claim

What Happens If I Don’t File A Claim In Time

Failure to file for compensation within these time limits will take away your ability to file a claim. This means that your medical costs, financial losses, and property damages will not be paid for by the responsible party.

The best way to protect yourself from missing important filing deadlines is to work with a personal injury attorney. Contact an attorney as soon as possible after the accident has occurred so that you never have to worry about the Statute of Limitations impacting your claim.

Types Of Compensation Available To Accident Victims

Based on the facts of your case, you may be entitled to one or more of the following types of compensation in an injury claim:

• Current and future medical expenses for your injury
• Lifetime care costs if you need long-term in-home care
• Lost income and benefits
• Future earning capacity if you cannot return to work
• Pain and suffering and mental anguish
• Property damages
• Punitive damages if applicable

The best way to find out what types of compensation apply to your case and to receive the maximum amount for each type of compensation is to work with an experienced personal injury attorney.

How A Personal Injury Attorney Can Help

Filing your claim on time and meeting all of the other deadlines within a claim can be very overwhelming if you are not experienced with processing compensation claims. Not only does the state require that you meet specific deadlines, the court, the insurer, and even the medical care providers all have deadlines that must be met to keep the claim active.

You have already dealt with so much chaos from the accident and your injuries. Managing claim dates will only add to the frustration.

When you hire a personal injury attorney to manage your claim, you are ensuring that all response times and deadlines are met. 

Having a lawyer manage your compensation claim will also be very beneficial to your compensation package. It has been shown that claims that have legal representation are 35 percent higher than those who try to make a claim on their own. Your attorney will always seek the maximum compensation amount based on your claim.

Related: How To Settle A Personal Injury Claim Without An Attorney?