Trenton Lawyers Protecting Passengers’ Rights After Injuries in Auto Accidents

On New Jersey’s crowded thoroughfares, the risks of an automobile accident are high, especially as drivers are more and more distracted on the road. When an automobile accident occurs, whether between two moving vehicles, a vehicle and a pedestrian or cyclist, or a non-moving object, injuries often occur and range in severity. Many people are interested in learning about the common types of car accidents and car accident injuries for motorists, but it is important to keep in mind the many severe injuries that passengers are exposed to in New Jersey, as well as how to exercise your right to recover damages for any injuries if you were the passenger victim in an accident caused by someone else’s negligence.

Contact the personal injury attorneys at Cohen & Riechelson for help with your physical and financial recovery if you were a passenger in an auto accident and suffered injuries as a result. Our skilled personal injury lawyers have successfully assisted passengers and accident victims who have been injured with recovering top compensation throughout Mercer County, such as Hamilton, Trenton, Windsor, Princeton, Robbinsville, and Lawrence. For a free case evaluation right away, call (609) 528-2596 today.

Common Types of Accidents Resulting in Passenger Injuries

Some of the most common types of accidents that result in passenger injury are rear-ended accidents, in which a car hits the car in front of it that has rapidly or otherwise stopped; a head-on collision, a very serious accident by which two vehicles run directly into one another from the front; T-bone accidents, also called side-impact collisions, by which one vehicle runs into the side of another; and accidents that involve impact with a pedestrian, cyclist, or animal on or crossing the road, or a non-moving object such as a parked car on the road. These types of common accidents run serious risks for drivers and passengers of both vehicles and others involved.

Frequent Injuries for Passengers in Car Accidents

Passengers are most often injured in the following ways in an automobile accident:

Whiplash injuries caused by a sudden movement of the head are a very common injury associated with passengers involved in motor accidents. This is because most accidents, whether they involve the impact of another vehicle or a non-moving object, result in the driver’s immediate braking or a rapid halt of the vehicle. In some cases, such as in a side-impact collision, that rapid halt thrusts the passenger’s body to the side, resulting in abnormal extension of the muscles of the neck and the cervical spine.

Another injury suffered by automobile passengers is bruised or broken ribs or even internal bleeding. This is caused by the impact of the seatbelt against the torso or, in severe cases, impact with the dashboard or the seat in front of a passenger. In such cases, other head and neck injuries and spinal cord injuries are also a danger in auto accidents due to sudden impact with a door, window, seat, or dashboard.

Regardless of the severity of an accident, lacerations are a very common effect of auto accidents. Scrapes, bruises, and in some cases, broken bones in the arms and legs are common results for passengers involved.

Front Seat Passengers Exposed to Higher Risks

There are both front seat and back seat passengers in a vehicle, and their position does make a difference in the prevalence of auto accident injuries. According to a study by Monash University in Australia, besides drivers, injured parties were most often front seat passengers, injured in 24 percent of accidents. Those in rear seats were injured in 13 percent of accidents. While the data collected in this study does not reflect New Jersey-specific data, it does speak to likely passenger injury involved in a metropolitan area.

Is It Possible to File an Injury Claim as a Passenger?

A passenger is entitled to file a personal injury claim if they were injured in an accident caused by someone else’s negligence.

Recoverable Compensation for Injured Passengers Filing Claims

In such cases in which a passenger files an accident injury claim due to the negligence of either the driver of their vehicle or that of another vehicle, they may be entitled to recover medical expenses, out-of-pocket expenses related to the injury, lost wages, and non-economic damages such as pain and suffering.

Steps to Follow if You are Injured as a Passenger in an Auto Accident in New Jersey

If you are injured as a passenger in a vehicle, it is essential that you first seek medical attention for your injuries. When you have been properly taken care of on a physical level, file an accident claim with your insurance provider and reach out to an experienced accident injury lawyer from our firm.

An accident injury lawyer is an essential ally during your process of recovering damages for your injury, serving as a middle person between you and the responsible party’s insurance agency as well as other involved parties so you can focus on your healing. Our New Jersey personal injury attorneys can guide you in important elements of evidence gathering such as keeping a daily journal with pain levels, help you gather medical records and other documentation regarding your recovery process, and further help you settle the claim in a way that honors long-term effects and continued therapies that you will need to continue to engage in, ensuring that you are fully financially compensated for the entirety of your injuries.

If You Have been Injured as a Passenger in an Auto Accident, Contact our Hamilton Attorneys Today

Our personal injury lawyers at Cohen & Riechelson are here to support your recovery from passenger injuries after a car crash, both physical and financial. We have decades of experience successfully representing clients in Pennington, Edison, South Brunswick, Monroe, Willingboro, Mount Holly, Mercer County and Middlesex County, NJ to achieve sizable verdicts and settlements in accident injury claims and lawsuits. We understand how important it is that you fully recover the financial damages that resulted from your accident, and we understand how important it is for you to focus on your health and wellbeing in the days, weeks, and months after your injury.

You can count on our personal injury lawyers to support you on your journey toward justice and healing while regaining the financial and physical footing you need to move on with your life. Contact our Hamilton office at (609) 528-2596 for a free and confidential consultation regarding your passenger injury claim; you can also contact our lawyers via our easy contact form, and you will hear from us shortly.