When you sustain an injury in an accident, many factors may cause you heightened levels of stress and uncertainty. In addition to the physical pain you experience from your injuries, you may be unable to work as medical bills begin to accumulate. You may also experience anxiety or emotional disturbances from the accident itself. In some situations, injuries could be so severe that your life may see permanent effects such as paralysis or other forms of catastrophic harm.
Accidents are almost always preventable. When someone’s conduct leads to a situation that causes you harm, contact a Piscataway personal injury lawyer. Our trusted team can review your situation and advise you on how to proceed. In many instances, you may be eligible to receive compensation for your injuries and losses. Call Fredson Statmore Bitterman, LLC today.
Types of Injury Claims We Handle
Our local team of Piscataway attorneys has many years of experience advocating for injured people. We have handled a wide variety of cases, including:
- Dog bites
- Slip and falls
- Work injuries
- Defective products
- Nursing home abuse
- Bus and boat accidents
- Premises liability issues
- Bicycle and pedestrian accidents
- Car, truck, and motorcycle wrecks
If an accident causes fatal injuries, our compassionate team also has the resources to help families file wrongful death claims on their behalf.
Seek Legal Counsel Soon After an Injury
A statute of limitation is a law defining how long someone has to file a lawsuit. New Jersey Statute § 2A-14.2 requires an injured person to file suit within two years of their harm. Someone who is under 18 when they are injured has no legal standing to sue. In that case, the child’s parent or guardian could sue within two years, or the child could bring a lawsuit within two years of their 18th birthday.
Much shorter timeframes apply if the defendant is a government agency or employee. In these cases, the plaintiff must file a notice of claim within 90 days of the incident or lose the right to sue.
This time limit can complicate claims since injuries are sometimes not apparent until more than two years have passed. For example, someone might be exposed to a toxic substance and not know it until a disease develops years later. In many cases, an injured person could bring a lawsuit within two years of discovering the injury. The rules in these cases can be complex, so it is wise to consult with a Piscataway attorney immediately upon learning of an injury.
Understanding the Negligence Standard
When an injured person (plaintiff) files a claim seeking financial compensation (damages) from someone else (defendant), the plaintiff must prove the defendant’s negligence caused the plaintiff’s damages. Negligence means the defendant failed to uphold their duty of care, injuring the plaintiff.
Everyone owes a duty of care to avoid injuries to others. This concept arises in many contexts:
- Drivers are negligent if they cause a crash
- Property owners are negligent if they do not keep their premises safe for customers
- Healthcare professionals are negligent if they do not provide an appropriate standard of care and a patient suffers an injury
When a Piscataway attorney can prove negligence and show a direct relationship between the negligence and the plaintiff’s injury, the plaintiff is entitled to damages.
Sometimes, there is no need to prove negligence because a defendant is strictly liable. For example, Piscataway dog owners are strictly liable when their dog bites someone, and manufacturers are strictly liable for injuries their defective products cause.
How an Attorney Can Help
There is much more to getting compensated for an injury than filing a lawsuit. A Piscataway attorney can help with multiple issues that might arise as an injured person recovers from an accident.
When injuries are severe, the insurance companies for potentially responsible parties often approach an injured person with offers of quick cash in return for an agreement not to sue. These offers are typically a fraction of the claim’s true value, but injured people and their families are sometimes tempted to accept them. A legal professional can handle contact with the insurance companies and demand they negotiate in good faith.
Concern about how to pay medical expenses often drives a family to accept an early settlement offer. When there is a viable claim against a responsible third party, hospitals, and other medical professionals will often accept a lien on the proceeds of a claim rather than pursue an injured person for immediate payment. A local attorney can arrange a lien to ease a family’s anxiety about mounting hospital bills.
Pursue an Injury Case With a Piscataway Attorney
Injuries are disruptive and expensive, and, when severe, can be life-altering. When someone else’s carelessness or recklessness led to the accident, you can hold them accountable.
A Piscataway personal injury lawyer can ease your stress while helping you obtain fair compensation. Call Fredson Statmore Bitterman, LLC today to discuss your situation with a caring legal professional.
