Under New Jersey’s personal injury laws, if you’ve been injured as a result of another party’s negligence, carelessness, recklessness or intentional actions, you may file a personal injury lawsuit against that person, business or government agency. If successful, you’ll be able to get compensation for your injuries. A Hackensack personal injury lawyer can review the specifics of your situation and help determine if you have a valid case.
Statute of Limitations on Personal Injury Lawsuits in New Jersey
Each state limits the amount of time you have to file a civil lawsuit; this time limit is known as the statute of limitations. In New Jersey, you have two years from the date of your injury to file a personal injury lawsuit against the party responsible for your injuries. This doesn’t mean the case needs to be resolved within two years, rather that’s the deadline for filing the case with the court.
Your New Jersey personal injury lawyer will need to do a number of things before filing a lawsuit. He or she will review all of the details surrounding your accident or injury. For injuries involving a defective or dangerous product (known as product liability), your attorney will also want to do research to see if others have suffered similar injuries. Your lawyer will also try to calculate the damages, or financial losses, you’ve suffered as a result of your injury or accident. Then he or she will attempt to negotiate an out-of-court settlement with the party that was responsible for your injuries or their insurance company. Only if those negotiations are unsuccessful will your Hackensack personal injury attorney file a lawsuit in New Jersey civil court.
Because there’s a lot of work to be done before filing a lawsuit, you shouldn’t delay when hiring a lawyer. The sooner you retain an attorney, the sooner your case will be resolved.
How Much Does a Hackensack Personal Injury Lawyer Charge?
If you are a plaintiff — a person who’s been injured and is suing another party for compensation — then your personal injury lawyer will charge a contingency fee. When you hire an attorney on contingency, you pay nothing up front or while the case is in progress. Instead, your lawyer receives a percentage of any money you receive as a result of an out-of-court settlement or court judgment. If your case is unsuccessful, you’ll owe your lawyer nothing. Because lawyers may invest a lot of their own time and money in preparing a case, most personal injury attorneys only take on new clients who have strong cases. If you’re having trouble finding a lawyer, it may be a sign you have a weak case and would be unlikely to win in court.
