New Jersey Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Claims Lawyers

While all car owners are required under New Jersey state law to carry insurance, not all do. Since the minimum amount of insurance required to register a car is $15,000, a sizeable number of New Jersey drivers who do have insurance don't always have adequate coverage to cover losses in car accidents. As a result, if your injuries and losses exceed the coverage amounts of the driver who hit you, you may be able to obtain additional compensation for all of your injuries and outstanding medical bills and wages from your own insurance company.

Insurers are required to offer drivers underinsured / uninsured coverage. If you want to file a claim for the difference with your own insurer (assuming you have uninsured/underinsured motorist insurance (UM/UIM) coverage), it is important to discuss your case with the experienced New Jersey uninsured and underinsured motorist claims attorneys at the Todd J. Leonard Law Firm. We can protect your rights and obtain maximum compensation from your own insurance company.

Determining Liability in an Insurance Dispute

The State of New Jersey adheres to the principle of modified comparative negligence. This means if a driver is found to be 51 percent or more at fault, he or she can't recover damages. If a driver is judged to be 50 percent or less at fault, his or her compensation will be reduced by the percentage of their fault. For example, if your injuries and losses equal $100,000 but you are deemed to be 50 percent at fault, you can only recover $50,000.

Consequently, your insurer will investigate the circumstances of your accident to determine if some of the blame can be shifted onto you. Here, your insurer may ask you questions, hoping you'll say something that can be used against you later to justify reducing the amount it has to pay you. In this sense, when you file an underinsured / uninsured claim, your interests and those of your insurer are in conflict. That's why it's important to hire an attorney to protect you. The insurance lawyers at the Todd J. Leonard Law Firm are skilled at assessing what your claim may be worth and will aggressively react when an insurer is trying to underpay on your claim.