New Jersey Car Accident Law

New Jersey Car Accident Fault

New Jersey has adopted the Proportional Comparative Fault at 51% standard of negligence. Proportional Comparative Fault at 51% means that if the injured party is 51% or more at fault in the car accident, he is absolutely barred from recovery for the other driver’s negligence.

NEW JERSEY CAR INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS AND LIMITS

New Jersey Bodily Injury Liability Minimum Coverage

Personal Injury (single passenger): $15,000 in coverage for injury to an individual.

Personal Injury (multiple passengers): $30,000 in coverage for the driver and passengers in the car at the time of the accident.

Property Damage: $5,000 of minimum coverage.

New Jersey Small Claims Limit: Car accident claims under $3,000 should be filed in Small Claims Court.

New Jersey Personal Injury Statute of Limitations: The statute of limitations for personal injury claims in New Jersey is 2 years from the date the injury occurred, or the time the injury was discovered if it could not have been immediately discovered.

New Jersey Statutes Online: New Jersey Statutes Annotated § 2a:14-1 et seq. (Statute of Limitations for Personal Injury); New Jersey Statutes Annotated § 39:6B-1 et seq. (Insurance Requirements); New Jersey Rules of Court 6:1-2 (Small Claims Limits); New Jersey Statutes Annotated Title 59 (Claims against public entities).

NEW JERSEY CAR ACCIDENT REPORTS

New Jersey Police Reports: You can request a copy of a car accident report by contacting the local police department where the car accident occurred. If the accident occurred on the New Jersey Turnpike, complete a Request for Accident Report and mail it to the New Jersey Turnpike Authority.

DMV: New Jersey requires that after a car accident you report the car accident to local law enforcement if the accident involved injury, death, or over $500 in damages. If it is not necessary to contact the local law enforcement agency, send a letter to the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission Agency describing the accident within 10 days of the accident.

Insurance Notification: You should promptly notify your auto insurance company of a car accident. In addition, your insurance company may have specific notification requirements, so you should check your insurance policy for these notice requirements.