We are New Jersey Car Accident & Auto Negligence Lawyers
Protecting injured victims, coordinating PIP medical coverage, and fighting to secure your recovery in Passaic, Bergen, and Northern New Jersey since 1922.
A serious car crash or high-speed highway collision changes everything in a fraction of a second. As you struggle to physically recover from painful orthopedic injuries, whiplash, or traumatic head trauma, you are immediately forced to confront a hostile, overwhelming financial storm. Medical bills pile up on your kitchen table, insurance adjusters demand recorded statements, and your household income halts because your physical injuries prevent you from returning to work.
At Raff & Raff, LLP, we have protected injured New Jersey residents and their families for over a century (1922–Present). We reject the generic, high-volume “settlement mill” model where lawyers take fast, cheap payouts to avoid going to court. Led by our Managing Partner Stephen T. Raff, Esq.—recently honored as the Passaic County Bar Association’s Distinguished Lawyer of the Year— and Certified Civil Trial Attorneys Michael S. Raff, Esq. and Daniel A. Levy, Esq., our trial team prepares every auto negligence case from day one as if it is going to be decided by a jury. We force corporate insurance carriers to respect your claim, cover your necessary medical treatments, and pay the absolute maximum value of your losses.
We represent injured clients strictly on a contingency fee basis under our No Recovery, No Fee Guarantee. This means you do not pay us a single dollar out-of-pocket, and we only collect a legal fee if we successfully win a financial settlement or jury verdict on your behalf.
Navigating New Jersey’s Complex Auto Insurance Laws
Select a category below to understand your statutory rights, coordinate your medical bills, and learn how we bypass insurance limitations:
Bypassing the “Verbal Threshold”
Overcoming the Lawsuit Limitation: When purchasing auto insurance in New Jersey, most drivers select the “Limitation on Lawsuit” option (the Verbal Threshold) to save on premiums. Under N.J.S.A. 39:6A-8, this option bars you from suing for pain and suffering unless you can prove you sustained a permanent, objective physical injury.
- The Defense: We collaborate with board-certified orthopedic surgeons, neurologists, and radiologist experts to produce objective MRI, CT scan, and EMG diagnostic evidence. We legally prove that your injury (such as a herniated disc, fractured bone, or torn ligament) is permanent and will not heal to function normally, bypassing the threshold to secure your full financial recovery.
Navigating “No-Fault” PIP Medical Benefits
Coordinating Your Medical Treatment: New Jersey operates under a strict “No-Fault” auto insurance system. This does not mean that nobody is at fault for your accident; it means that regardless of who caused the crash, your own auto insurance company is legally responsible for paying your medical bills through your Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage.
- The Defense: Standard policies carry up to 250,000 dollars in medical coverage. We guide you through the complex PIP pre-authorization process, helping you fight back against arbitrary “independent medical exams” (IMEs) where insurance-hired doctors attempt to cut off your necessary physical therapy or chiropractic treatments.
Proving Liability on North Jersey Highways
Negligence on Local Highway Corridors: Our region contains some of the most heavily congested and dangerous commuter corridors in the state, including Route 3, Route 46, Route 17, and Interstate 80 (I-80). Proving negligence in high-speed rear-end collisions or multi-vehicle crashes requires immediate, aggressive action.
- The Defense: We immediately dispatch investigators to secure highway traffic camera footage, obtain local business security recordings, preserve commercial vehicle black-box data, and subpoena police dashcam records. We establish undeniable proof of driver liability on day one.
Serious Injuries Resulting from Car Crashes
We provide compassionate and aggressive trial representation for Clifton, Wayne, and Paterson residents, and all of the surrounding towns in Northern New Jersey, who have sustained severe, life-altering injuries in auto accidents, including:
- Spinal Cord Trauma: Herniated, bulging, or ruptured discs, cervical whiplash, spinal fusions, and permanent nerve root compression.
- Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs): Concussions, post-concussion syndrome, cognitive deficits, and permanent neurological impairment.
- Orthopedic Fractures: Broken bones, compound fractures, torn rotator cuffs, and joint tear injuries requiring surgical reconstruction.
- Internal Organ Damage: Internal bleeding, thoracic trauma, and severe seatbelt-restraint contusions.
Your Step-by-Step Action Plan After a Collision
- Seek Immediate Medical Care: Go to an emergency room or urgent care center (such as St. Joseph’s University Medical Center in Paterson) to document your physical injuries immediately. This prevents the insurance company from claiming your injuries were caused by something else.
- File an Official Police Report: Ensure the local police department (Paterson, Clifton, or Wayne Police) or New Jersey State Police files a formal police accident report.
- Photograph the Scene: If you are physically able, take detailed, high-contrast photos of the vehicle damage, skid marks, road hazards, and your own physical injuries.
- Do NOT Speak to Adjusters: Never give a recorded statement to the at-fault driver’s insurance adjuster or sign any quick-settlement release forms. Speak with an experienced attorney first.
Rooted in Paterson to Serve Passaic & Bergen Counties
Our central office on Church Street in Paterson is located less than a 5-minute walk from the Passaic County Courthouse Complex, where all local automobile negligence lawsuits are filed and decided.
Because we are physically located next to the courthouse, we maintain a deep, practical familiarity with local court administrators, scheduling timelines, and the judges of the Law Division. We routinely represent car accident victims receiving medical care at major regional trauma centers throughout Northern New Jersey, including:
- St. Joseph’s University Medical Center (Paterson – Passaic County’s premier Level 1 Trauma Center)
- The Valley Hospital (Paramus / Ridgewood – directly adjacent to our Bergen County office footprint)
- Hackensack University Medical Center (Hackensack – Bergen County’s leading trauma hub)
- Morristown Medical Center (Morristown – serving our Morris County accident clients)
- Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center (Livingston – serving our western Essex County clients)
- St. Joseph’s Wayne Medical Center (Wayne)
- Clifton Urgent Care & Local Medical Centers (Clifton)
- Holy Name Medical Center (Teaneck)
- Jersey City Medical Center (Jersey City – serving our Hudson County clients)
Frequently Asked Questions About NJ Auto Negligence Claims
If you are struck by a hit-and-run driver or a motorist who carries no car insurance (or minimum policy limits that fail to cover your medical costs), we file an Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM) claim against your own auto insurance policy. This allows you to recover full compensation for your injuries directly from your own carrier, up to your policy’s UM/UIM limits, without raising your insurance rates.
We represent injured clients strictly on a contingency fee basis under New Jersey Court Rule 1:21-7. This means we cover all upfront costs of your litigation—including hiring accident reconstruction experts, obtaining medical records, and paying court filing fees. You do not pay us a single dollar out-of-pocket, and we only collect a legal fee if we successfully win a settlement or jury verdict on your behalf.
Under New Jersey’s statute of limitations (N.J.S.A. 2A:14-2), you generally have two years from the date of the accident to file a formal lawsuit in court. If you fail to file within this two-year window, you will lose your right to recover any compensation. However, if your claim involves a public entity (such as a NJ Transit bus, a municipal vehicle, or a public school vehicle), you must file a formal Tort Claims Notice (Title 59 Notice) within 90 days of the incident to preserve your right to sue.
Yes. New Jersey follows a comparative negligence statute (N.J.S.A. 2A:15-5.1). This means you can still recover compensation as long as your share of responsibility for the crash is 51% or less. Your final financial recovery will simply be reduced by your percentage of fault (for example, if you are awarded 10,000 dollars but are found to be 20% at fault, you will receive 8,000 dollars).
Protect Your Health. Protect Your Recovery.
Do not allow an insurance company to downplay your pain, delay your medical treatment, or underpay your claim. Speak face-to-face with an experienced, award-winning Northern New Jersey trial attorney via a secure Zoom meeting. We will analyze your police reports, review your insurance policy, and outline a clear, aggressive strategy to secure your future.
Schedule Your Complimentary Strategy Session Today!
Fill out this form or call us directly at 973-742-1917 to schedule a complimentary strategy session with a lawyer.