What Compensation Can You Recover in a New Jersey Personal Injury Case?

In New Jersey, personal injury victims can recover economic damages (medical bills, lost income, property loss), non-economic damages (pain, emotional distress), and in rare cases punitive damages.

The state of New Jersey provides financial compensation through personal injury claims to people who received injuries because of negligence from others. The personal injury attorneys at Pellettieri Rabstein & Altman have used their extensive experience to help numerous New Jersey clients understand their legal rights and claim their deserved compensation.

The amount of recoverable compensation within personal injury cases remains unclear to most people. The compensation amount depends on your injuries’ nature together with the life changes from the accident and the specific incident details. This article explains the compensation options available to New Jersey personal injury victims along with relevant factors that affect their payment amount.

Understanding Damages in a Personal Injury Case

The legal system defines personal injury compensation through the term “damages.” The damages system exists to restore full health to accident victims following their injuries. Under New Jersey law personal injury damages consist of two main parts, economic and non-economic damages.

Economic Damages consist of specific financial expenses which have quantifiable monetary values.

Non-Economic Damages represent intangible effects which negatively impact your overall life quality.

Each damage category deserves further investigation.

Economic Damages in a New Jersey Personal Injury Case

The assessment of economic damages remains straightforward since they derive from concrete measurable costs. The following economic damages appear in typical New Jersey personal injury cases:

Medical expenses

Medical experts will need to testify about future medical expenses because your injuries need ongoing or permanent care.

Emergency room visits
Hospital stays
Surgeries
Prescription medications
Rehabilitation or physical therapy
Medical devices or assistive equipment
Future medical care

Lost Wages

The amount you lost from your income due to your injury period can be recovered through a claim for compensation. This includes:

Hourly or salaried wages
Overtime
Bonuses
Sick leave or vacation time used during recovery
Loss of Earning Capacity

Serious injuries might prevent you from returning to work or reduce your future employment possibilities. The compensation for future earning potential loss in personal injury claims relies on your job type along with your level of education and your current age.

Property Damage

You have the right to receive payment for repairing or replacing your personal property after an accident occurs.

Non-Economic Damages: Pain, Emotional Distress & More

These damages compensate for personal and emotional harm that can’t be easily measured in dollars but significantly impact your life.

Pain and Suffering

motorcycle on the road after an accident

The compensation for physical suffering and mental distress stemming from injuries falls under this category. The assessment of pain and suffering damages depends on multiple elements including the injury’s severity and recovery duration together with its effect on daily activities and the extent of emotional distress.

Emotional Distress & Mental Anguish

The injuries you sustained could develop into mental health conditions which include anxiety and depression alongside PTSD and sleep disorders. Under New Jersey law you can obtain compensation for the emotional consequences which occur from physical injuries.

Loss of Enjoyment of Life

A person injured to the point of restricting their participation in hobbies and sports and family activities and daily activities may qualify for compensation for diminished life quality.

Loss of Consortium

Severe injury cases enable spouses to file claims for the loss of companionship together with affection and marital support.

Punitive Damages (in Rare Cases)

The majority of compensation payments serve to assist victims but punitive damages serve as a means to hold at-fault parties responsible for severe negligence or intentional misconduct. The state of New Jersey imposes limited punitive damages through law but only allows such awards in extreme cases including drunk driving accidents and intentional harm.

How New Jersey Calculates Personal Injury Damages

New Jersey employs a modified comparative negligence system, meaning your compensation is reduced by your percentage of fault. Under N.J.S.A. 2A:15-5.1, you cannot recover damages if you are more than 50% at fault for the accident.

A $100,000 total damages award will be reduced to $80,000 because you are 20% responsible for the accident.

Proving Your Damages

You need to document everything because this will help you get the highest possible compensation amount. This includes:

Medical records and bills
Pay stubs and employment records
Receipts for out-of-pocket costs
Journals detailing your pain, recovery, and emotional state

Medical professionals along with therapists and vocational experts will provide their expert testimony regarding your case.

The experienced New Jersey personal injury attorney at PR&A Law helps to collect all necessary evidence which they present properly for your case.

Why Choose Pellettieri Rabstein & Altman

Pellettieri Rabstein & Altman has served as a reliable New Jersey personal injury law firm since its establishment over 95 years ago. Our firm represents clients who have suffered injuries due to:

Our client-first strategy combines personalized service with aggressive legal representation to maximize your compensation. Our firm handles all interactions between insurance companies and defendants to enable your complete recovery.

We Work on a Contingency Fee Basis

You won’t have to pay legal fees until our team achieves compensation on your behalf. Your need for committed legal representation at critical times comes without requiring any initial financial payments.

Schedule a Free Consultation Today

Those who have suffered injuries from negligent actions by others should not delay their search for legal rights. The experienced New Jersey personal injury lawyers at Pellettieri Rabstein & Altman are ready to assist you. We will analyze your case before explaining your possibilities and fighting for all the compensation that belongs to you.

Please call (609) 520-0900 or click here to arrange a complimentary consultation.

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