New Jersey Car Accident Lawyer
Anyone hurt in a crash on the Garden State Parkway, Route 35, or a back road in Monmouth County has a short list of decisions to make, and some of them are made by default within the first few days. Sanvenero & Cittadino, LLC is a law firm that handles personal injury matters, including car, truck, motorcycle, and pedestrian accidents, for individuals and families in Monmouth County, Ocean County, Middlesex County, and across New Jersey. If you are searching for a New Jersey car accident lawyer, the questions that matter most are how fault will be divided, who owes compensation, and how much time you have to act.
New Jersey car accident claims are built on fault percentages, deadlines, and the paper trail created in the first weeks after a collision. Your own conduct before and after the crash can reduce what you recover, and an insurer’s early recorded statement request can shape the entire claim. Knowing how those pieces fit together puts you in a stronger position than the adjuster across the table.
How Fault Is Divided and Why It Controls Your Recovery
New Jersey follows a modified comparative negligence rule. You can recover damages only if your share of the fault is not greater than the share assigned to the party you are pursuing, which in practice means you cannot be more than 50 percent responsible. If you are found partly at fault, the award is reduced by your percentage. A jury that finds you 20 percent responsible for a collision with $100,000 in damages produces an $80,000 recovery; a finding of 51 percent produces nothing.
That is why insurers work so hard to move a few points of blame onto an injured driver. A car accident attorney spends real time on this question: pulling the police report, identifying whether traffic cameras or nearby businesses captured the collision, preserving vehicle data, and finding independent witnesses before memories fade. When several defendants are involved, a separate rule applies. A defendant found 60 percent or more at fault can be held responsible for the entire verdict, while one below that threshold generally pays only its own share. Sorting out who falls on which side of that line can change who actually pays.
Why Choose Sanvenero & Cittadino, LLC for a Car Accident Claim
Sanvenero & Cittadino, LLC represents injured people and families throughout Monmouth, Ocean, and Middlesex Counties and across New Jersey. The firm’s personal injury lawyers pursue compensation for medical bills, lost income, and pain and suffering, and they deal directly with insurance companies so clients can concentrate on getting better. The firm’s attorneys are admitted in New Jersey, New York, Florida, and the District of Columbia, and several have been recognized by Super Lawyers.
Joshua Cittadino, Founding Partner, brings experience in personal injury, construction litigation, real estate, employment matters, and business transactions. That breadth matters in crash cases that do not stop at a bumper. A collision involving a work vehicle can raise employment questions, and one at a job site can overlap with construction claims. Richard Sanvenero, Managing Partner, is a New Jersey Supreme Court Certified Matrimonial Attorney, and Mike Canarick, Of Counsel, is a tax and estate planning attorney. Their presence means a client whose injuries disrupt a marriage, a family business, or an estate plan can work with one coordinated team instead of several disconnected firms.
The firm’s personal injury work has produced results, including $400,000 recovered for personal injury clients in just three months. Clients can expect the team to communicate clearly, return calls, and explain each step in plain terms.
Types of Car Accident Claims We Handle
- Rear-End and Intersection Collisions: Stop-and-go traffic on Route 35 and Route 9, and the signalized intersections along Broad Street corridors and Route 36, produce a steady flow of rear-end and left-turn crashes where fault turns on signal timing, following distance, and witness accounts.
- Parkway and Highway Crashes: High-speed collisions on the Garden State Parkway, Route 18, and Route 33 often involve multiple vehicles, which makes the 60 percent joint-liability threshold and the identification of every at-fault driver central to the claim.
- Commercial Truck Accidents: Tractor-trailers and delivery vehicles moving through Monmouth and Ocean Counties can bring in the driver, the carrier, and the company that loaded or maintained the vehicle as separate defendants.
- Motorcycle Crashes: Riders on shore roads in summer face drivers who fail to see them, and the injuries tend to be severe and the bias against riders real, so liability proof needs care.
- Pedestrian and Cyclist Strikes: Downtown areas such as Red Bank, Asbury Park, and Long Branch have heavy foot traffic and crosswalk conflicts, and these cases turn on driver attention and right-of-way.
- Wrongful Death: When a crash kills a family member, a wrongful death action must generally be filed within two years of the date of death, with specific rules that determine who may bring the claim.
- Crashes Involving Government Vehicles or Roads: A claim against a public entity, such as a municipal truck or a dangerous road condition, carries a 90 day notice of claim requirement that is easy to miss.
- Construction Zone and Work Vehicle Accidents: Collisions at work zones or involving contractors’ vehicles can overlap with construction and employment claims, which the firm’s broader practice is positioned to evaluate.
What to Do After a New Jersey Car Accident
Start with your health. Get medical attention even if you feel functional, because adrenaline masks injuries and gaps in treatment give insurers an argument that you were not really hurt. Call the police so a report is created. In Monmouth County, that report will come from the local department of the town where the crash happened or from the State Police on the Parkway, and you should request a copy. Photograph the vehicles, the road, skid marks, signals, and your injuries, and collect names and contact details for witnesses before they leave.
Be careful about statements. You must notify your own insurer, but you are under no obligation to give the other driver’s insurer a recorded statement, and early statements are often used later to assign you a share of fault. Do not sign medical releases broader than necessary and do not accept a quick settlement offer before you know the full extent of your injuries.
The deadlines are firm. A personal injury lawsuit must be filed within two years of the accident under New Jersey’s statute of limitations, and a property damage claim within six years. If a government entity is involved, you must serve a notice of claim within 90 days. A missed deadline can end an otherwise strong case. Contacting an injury lawyer early lets the firm preserve evidence, send preservation letters, and open the claim while the facts are fresh. Claims are filed in the Superior Court of New Jersey, and for Monmouth County residents the civil cases are heard at the Monmouth County Courthouse in Freehold, while Ocean County cases go through the courthouse in Toms River.
Your Own Policy, Thresholds, and What Drives Value
Much of a New Jersey car accident claim depends on the auto policy you chose before the crash, including your medical expense coverage and the limits on your right to sue for pain and suffering. Your policy selection affects how medical bills are paid while a claim is pending and what you must show to pursue non-economic damages. An attorney reviews the declarations page early, because the answer to that question shapes strategy from the first week.
Value itself comes from the medical record. Treatment timelines, objective findings, ongoing limitations, lost earning capacity, and the opinion of treating physicians carry the claim. The attorney’s role is to build that record, retain medical or economic experts where the injuries justify it, and negotiate from a documented position, then take the case to trial if the insurer will not pay fairly.
Car Accident Questions Answered
How long do I have to file a car accident lawsuit in New Jersey?
An injury lawsuit must generally be started within two years of the date of the accident. Property damage claims have a six year window. Government-related claims require a notice of claim within 90 days.
What if I was partly at fault for the crash?
You can still recover as long as your share of fault is not greater than that of the party you are pursuing. Your award is then reduced by your percentage. If you are more than 50 percent responsible, recovery is barred.
Do I have to give the other driver’s insurance company a statement?
No. You must cooperate with your own insurer, but you are not required to give a recorded statement to the other side’s insurer, and doing so before speaking with a lawyer can hurt your claim.
Should I see a doctor if I feel fine after the accident?
Yes. Many injuries, including soft tissue damage and concussions, show up days later. Prompt treatment protects your health and creates the documentation a claim depends on.
Who pays my medical bills while my claim is pending?
That depends largely on the coverage in your own auto policy and your health insurance. Your policy selections determine how bills are handled in the meantime, which is why reviewing your declarations page is an early step.
What compensation can I recover?
Recoverable losses include medical expenses, lost income, reduced earning capacity, and pain and suffering, subject to the limits and thresholds that apply under your policy.
Is it worth hiring a lawyer for a minor accident?
If injuries are truly minor and fully resolved, you may handle it yourself. But symptoms can worsen, and a quick release closes the claim permanently. A short consultation can tell you whether the case warrants representation.
What happens if the at-fault driver has no insurance or too little?
Your own policy may provide uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage. A lawyer reviews your policy and pursues those benefits, as well as any other responsible party.
Can I bring a claim if a family member died in a crash?
Yes. A wrongful death action generally must be filed within two years of the death. A narrow exception removes the deadline where the death resulted from certain homicide offenses and the defendant has been convicted, found not guilty by reason of insanity, or adjudicated delinquent.
What if the other driver was drunk?
Impaired driving can strengthen the liability case, and a related DWI prosecution may run alongside your civil claim. A conviction is not required for you to pursue compensation, though the criminal outcome can influence negotiations.
Will my case go to trial?
Most claims resolve through negotiation, but the firm prepares each case as though it may be tried, because insurers pay differently when they know the file is ready for a jury.
How long does a car accident case take?
Timing varies with the seriousness of the injuries, how quickly you reach maximum medical improvement, and whether liability is disputed. Settling before you understand your long-term prognosis is a common and costly mistake.
Serving Car Accident Clients Across Monmouth, Ocean, and Middlesex Counties
The firm’s car accident work begins in Monmouth County, where it represents injured drivers, passengers, riders, and pedestrians from Shrewsbury, Red Bank, Rumson, Middletown, Holmdel, Colts Neck, Tinton Falls, Freehold, Long Branch, and Asbury Park. Clients come from the surrounding shore and inland communities who drive the same Parkway, Route 35, Route 36, and Route 9 corridors where serious collisions occur.
The firm also represents clients in Ocean County, including Toms River, and throughout Middlesex County, and takes cases from across the State of New Jersey. Whether a crash happened on a local street, a county road, or a major highway, the attorneys evaluate the facts, the available coverage, and the applicable deadlines.
Speak With a New Jersey Car Accident Attorney
The weeks after a collision decide a lot: which evidence survives, what you say to insurers, and whether a deadline passes unnoticed. Sanvenero & Cittadino, LLC will review what happened, explain how fault and coverage affect your claim, and tell you plainly what the case is worth pursuing. If you need a New Jersey car accident attorney, call to schedule a consultation and learn where you stand.