Shrewsbury Car Accident Lawyer
A crash on Route 35, Broad Street, or the Shrewsbury Avenue corridor can leave you with a damaged car, a body that hurts more each morning, and an insurance adjuster who already wants a recorded statement. Sanvenero & Cittadino, LLC is a New Jersey law firm that handles personal injury claims, including car, truck, motorcycle, and pedestrian accidents, for people in Shrewsbury and throughout Monmouth County, Ocean County, and Middlesex County.
If you are looking for a Shrewsbury car accident lawyer, the first thing to know is that the clock starts on the day of the crash. New Jersey gives you two years to file an injury lawsuit, and fault is argued from the first phone call with an insurer, long before anyone files anything.
What follows covers how fault is divided in New Jersey, which kinds of crash claims come up most, what to do in the days after a collision, and how claims involving a township or other public entity work differently from an ordinary one.
How New Jersey Divides Fault After a Crash
New Jersey uses a modified comparative negligence rule. You can recover compensation as long as your share of the blame is not greater than the share belonging to the party you are pursuing. If a jury puts you at 50 percent, you can still recover; at 51 percent, you cannot. Whatever you recover is reduced by your own percentage of fault.
That makes fault percentages the real battleground. Insurers know it, which is why early questions often sound routine: Were you in a hurry? Were you on your phone? Did you see the other car before impact? Each answer can be used to move a few points of blame onto you, and a few points can be the difference between a full recovery and none at all.
When more than one party contributes to a crash, New Jersey also applies a 60 percent threshold for joint liability among defendants. A defendant found 60 percent or more at fault can be required to pay the full judgment, while a defendant below that line generally pays only their own share. A Shrewsbury injury attorney who identifies every contributing party, such as a second driver, an employer, a vehicle owner, or a road contractor, can change how much of a verdict is actually collectible.
Why Choose Sanvenero & Cittadino, LLC for a Shrewsbury Injury Claim
Sanvenero & Cittadino, LLC serves individuals, families, and business owners across Monmouth County, including Shrewsbury, Red Bank, Rumson, Middletown, Holmdel, Colts Neck, Tinton Falls, Freehold, Long Branch, and Asbury Park, as well as clients in Ocean and Middlesex Counties. 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 injured clients can concentrate on getting better. The firm’s recent personal injury results include $400,000 recovered for injury clients in just three months.
Joshua Cittadino, Founding Partner, brings experience in personal injury, construction litigation, real estate, employment matters, and business transactions. That range matters in crash cases that do not stop at two drivers: a delivery truck on a work errand, a contractor’s vehicle leaving a job site, a commercial property whose driveway design contributed to a collision. Richard Sanvenero, Managing Partner and a New Jersey Supreme Court Certified Matrimonial Attorney, leads the firm’s family law practice, and Mike Canarick, Of Counsel, is a tax and estate planning attorney. When a serious crash intersects with a divorce, a business, or an estate, clients get one coordinated team across family, business, real estate, estate planning, and litigation rather than several disconnected firms.
Our attorneys are admitted in New Jersey, New York, Florida, and the District of Columbia, and several have been recognized by Super Lawyers. The team communicates clearly, returns calls, and explains each step in plain terms.
Crash Types and Claims We Handle for Shrewsbury Drivers
- Rear-End and Intersection Collisions: Stop-and-go traffic along Route 35 and the approaches to the Route 35 and Newman Springs Road area produce frequent rear-end impacts and left-turn crashes. Fault often turns on who had the right of way, whether a light was truly red, and what the vehicles’ damage patterns show.
- Truck and Commercial Vehicle Crashes: Delivery vans, contractor trucks, and tractor-trailers moving through Monmouth County bring in the driver, the employer, and sometimes a maintenance or loading company as separate liable parties, each with its own insurer.
- Motorcycle Accidents: Riders on shore-area roads are often blamed for “coming out of nowhere” by drivers who failed to look. Injuries tend to be severe, and bias against riders is something an attorney anticipates from the first demand letter.
- Pedestrian and Cyclist Strikes: Crosswalks in downtown Red Bank and near schools and shopping centers are common sites for these claims, where driver inattention, sight lines, and lighting all become evidence.
- Premises and Parking Lot Incidents: Collisions and falls in shopping center lots and private driveways can involve the property owner as well as the driver, particularly where lighting, signage, or lot design played a part.
- Construction Zone and Work-Vehicle Accidents: Crashes near active road or building work can involve contractors and subcontractors, and the firm’s construction litigation background helps trace responsibility through those layers.
- Wrongful Death: When a crash takes a life, the family’s claim has its own two-year deadline running from the date of death, and recoverable losses extend beyond funeral costs.
- Claims Against a Government Entity: Potholes, missing signage, malfunctioning signals, and public vehicles raise claims against a township, county, or the state, which carry a separate notice requirement described below.
The First Days After a Car Accident in Shrewsbury
Get medical care first, even if you feel mostly fine. Soft-tissue injuries, concussions, and spinal problems commonly announce themselves a day or two later, and a gap in treatment becomes an insurer’s favorite argument that you were not really hurt. Follow the treatment plan you are given and keep every record.
Call the police so a report exists. Shrewsbury crashes are reported through local police, and the report fixes the basic facts: who was there, what each driver said, and what the officer observed. Photograph the vehicles, the road, skid marks, traffic signals, and your injuries before anything is moved or repaired. Collect names and insurance details, plus witness phone numbers; a bystander’s account is often the only neutral voice in a dispute over who ran the light.
Be careful with the other driver’s insurer. Their adjuster is not working for you, and a casual recorded statement can be quoted back when fault is argued. Give your own insurer the notice your policy requires, and speak with an attorney before agreeing to anything about your injuries or accepting a settlement offer. Early offers tend to arrive before the full extent of treatment is known.
Know the deadlines. An injury lawsuit must be started within two years of the accident. Property damage claims have a longer window of six years. If a government entity is involved, a written notice of claim is required within 90 days, which is far shorter than most people expect and is easy to miss while recovering.
If your case does go to court, civil matters from Shrewsbury are heard in the Superior Court of New Jersey in Monmouth County, which sits at the courthouse in Freehold. Most claims resolve through negotiation before reaching a trial, but they are built from the start as if they might not.
What Your Claim Can Include, and What Often Reduces It
Compensation in a car accident case commonly covers medical treatment already received and expected in the future, income lost while you recover, reduced earning ability if the injury limits your work, and pain and suffering. A property damage claim covers your vehicle and belongings.
Your own auto policy shapes the claim as well. New Jersey policies carry choices about the right to sue and about medical expense benefits, and those selections affect what you can pursue and how bills are paid in the meantime. Reviewing your declarations page with an attorney early can prevent unpleasant surprises.
Several things routinely shrink a claim: delayed treatment, inconsistent descriptions of the crash, social media posts that appear to contradict your injuries, and pre-existing conditions that an insurer says explain your symptoms. A lawyer’s job here is practical. That means gathering medical records and treating-provider support, preserving the vehicle and any available video, pushing back on blame assigned to you, and presenting damages with documentation rather than adjectives.
Questions Shrewsbury Drivers Ask After a Crash
How long do I have to file a car accident lawsuit in New Jersey?
You have two years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury lawsuit. Property damage claims have a six-year window. Missing the injury deadline typically ends the claim no matter how strong the facts are.
What if I was partly at fault for the accident?
You can still recover if your share of the blame is not greater than the other party’s. Your award is then reduced by your percentage. At 51 percent or more, recovery is barred, which is why disputes over fault percentages are often the center of the case.
Do I need a lawyer for a minor accident?
If you were not hurt and the damage is small, you may be able to handle it through insurance. If you have any pain, missed work, or an insurer disputing fault, a consultation costs little and can show you whether the claim is bigger than it looks.
Should I give the other driver’s insurance company a recorded statement?
Generally, no, not before you have spoken with an attorney. You are not obligated to give one to the other side’s insurer, and what you say can be used to shift fault or minimize injuries.
What if the driver who hit me had no insurance or too little?
Your own policy may include uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage that applies. The details depend on the coverage you selected, so reviewing your policy is an early step in these cases.
Who pays my medical bills while the claim is pending?
Often your own auto policy’s medical expense benefits pay first, subject to the limits and options you chose. Health insurance may also be involved and may seek reimbursement from a later recovery.
What if a pothole, missing sign, or broken signal contributed to my crash?
Claims against a government entity require a written notice of claim within 90 days, and different rules apply to what can be recovered. Contact an attorney quickly so the notice is not missed.
Can I still bring a claim if my symptoms appeared days after the crash?
Yes. Delayed symptoms are common, but the gap between the crash and treatment will be examined. See a doctor as soon as symptoms appear and tell the provider about the accident.
How are lawsuits for crashes in Shrewsbury handled in court?
Civil injury cases arising in Shrewsbury are heard in the Superior Court of New Jersey, Monmouth County, in Freehold. Many cases settle before trial, but preparing as though the case will be tried is what produces better settlement offers.
What if the at-fault driver was working at the time?
An employer may share responsibility, and a commercial insurance policy may be available. Identifying who owned the vehicle and whether the driver was on a work task is an early investigative step.
Does a family member’s wrongful death claim have a different deadline?
The deadline is also two years, running from the date of death. A narrow exception exists when the death resulted from certain convicted homicide offenses.
Will the insurance company’s first offer be fair?
First offers often come before treatment is complete and reflect the insurer’s best-case view. Accepting one usually ends the claim, so it is worth having it evaluated before you sign anything.
Serving Car Accident Clients Across Shrewsbury and Monmouth County
Our work starts in Shrewsbury and reaches neighboring Red Bank, Tinton Falls, Little Silver, and Eatontown, as well as Rumson, Middletown, Holmdel, and Colts Neck. We represent injured clients from Freehold, Long Branch, and Asbury Park, and from shore-area communities across Monmouth County who travel Route 35, Route 36, and the Garden State Parkway every day.
Beyond Monmouth County, the firm serves clients in Ocean County, including Toms River, and throughout Middlesex County, along with injury clients across the State of New Jersey. Wherever the crash happened, the same approach applies: gather the evidence early, identify every responsible party, and build the damages record before negotiations begin.
Talk With a Shrewsbury Car Accident Attorney
If you were hurt in a crash, speak with a Shrewsbury car accident attorney at Sanvenero & Cittadino, LLC before you give a statement or sign a release. We will review what happened, explain how New Jersey’s fault rules and deadlines apply to your situation, and tell you plainly what the claim may be worth pursuing. Call to schedule a consultation.