We are New Jersey Motorcycle Accident Lawyers
Fighting the “motorcycle bias,” securing compensation outside the PIP trap, and protecting injured riders in Passaic, Bergen, and Northern New Jersey since 1922.
To the average commuter, a motorcycle represents a hobby or a weekend escape. To a dedicated rider, it is a way of life, a tight-knit community, and an efficient means of transportation. But when an inattentive driver fails to check their blind spot, merges without looking, or turns left directly in front of an oncoming motorcycle, the physical consequences are catastrophic. Because a rider has no steel frame, airbags, or seatbelts to absorb the impact, they bear the absolute brunt of the physical devastation, routinely suffering life-altering orthopedic trauma, severe road rash, or traumatic brain damage.
At Raff & Raff, LLP, we have protected injured New Jersey residents and their families for over a century (1922–Present). We know that motorcycle accident litigation is entirely different from a standard car crash. 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 immediately goes on the offensive.
We aggressively dismantle the unfair “motorcycle bias” that insurance adjusters and corporate defense attorneys use to blame you for your own injuries. We prepare every single motorcycle case from day one as if we are presenting it to a jury, forcing insurance carriers to respect your claim, cover your necessary medical care, and pay the absolute maximum value of your losses.
We represent injured riders 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.
Overcoming Complex Legal Hurdles in New Jersey Motorcycle Law
Select a category below to discover how we defeat the motorcycle bias, bypass the PIP insurance trap, and prove driver liability:
Battling the “Motorcycle Bias”
Reframing the Case Around Safety
Insurance adjusters and corporate defense lawyers have an immediate, deep-seated prejudice against motorcyclists. They automatically attempt to paint riders as inherently reckless, speed-seeking daredevils who caused their own crash.
- The Defense: We fight this bias with objective, hard data. We meticulously document your safety compliance on day one. We highlight that you were wearing a DOT-approved helmet, utilizing high-visibility gear, and operating your motorcycle defensively. By proving you were the safest vehicle on the road, we force the jury and the insurance adjusters to focus strictly on the driver’s negligence.
Bypassing the NJ PIP Insurance Trap
Proving Your Right to Private Recovery
New Jersey operates under a “No-Fault” auto insurance system where your own PIP (Personal Injury Protection) pays your medical bills. However, New Jersey’s statutory definition of an “automobile” strictly excludes motorcycles.
- The Defense: If you are injured while operating a motorcycle, your standard auto insurance policy’s PIP medical benefits will not cover your medical bills. This creates an immediate, terrifying medical bill crisis. We specialize in navigating this complex gap, utilizing your health insurance, and filing immediate, aggressive claims against the at-fault driver’s bodily injury policy to ensure your medical bills, surgeries, and rehabilitation are fully funded.
Proving Inattentive Driver Liability
Resolving “I Didn’t See Him” Defenses
In almost every motorcycle collision, the negligent driver tells the responding police officer: “The motorcycle came out of nowhere, I didn’t see him.” This is a confession of inattentive driving, not a valid legal defense.
- The Defense: We immediately dispatch investigators to secure highway traffic camera footage, retrieve local business security recordings, preserve commercial vehicle black-box data, and subpoena the at-fault driver’s cell phone records to prove they were texting, distracted, or failing to keep a proper lookout before the crash.
Serious & Catastrophic Injuries Resulting from Rider Collisions
Because of the extreme physics involved in a rider being ejected from a motorcycle onto hard asphalt, collisions routinely result in catastrophic, life-altering orthopedic and neurological trauma, including:
- Severe Road Rash & Friction Burns: Deep-tissue abrasions from pavement contact, requiring surgical debridement, skin grafts, and resulting in permanent, painful scar tissue.
- Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs): Concussions, diffuse axonal injuries, cognitive deficits, and permanent neurological impairment, even when wearing a DOT-approved helmet.
- Complex Orthopedic Fractures: Shattered collarbones, broken wrists, compound leg fractures, and pelvis breaks requiring complex surgical hardware insertion.
- Spinal Cord Trauma & Paralysis: Herniated discs, spinal fusions, cervical whiplash, permanent nerve root compression, paraplegia, and quadriplegia.
- Joint Tears & Ligament Damage: Torn rotator cuffs, torn meniscus, and torn ACL/MCL ligaments requiring orthopedic reconstruction and physical therapy.
Your Step-by-Step Action Plan After a Motorcycle Collision
- Prioritize Your Physical Health: Seek immediate emergency medical care. Go to the nearest trauma center (such as St. Joseph’s Level 1 Trauma Center in Paterson) to document your physical injuries and secure diagnostic imaging.
- Ensure Law Enforcement Files a Report: Contact the local police department or New Jersey State Police. Make sure an official accident report is generated documenting the at-fault driver’s insurance and any citations issued.
- Document Your Safety Gear: Take high-contrast photos of your damaged motorcycle, your scratched helmet, your boots, and your riding gear. This physical evidence is crucial to defeating the “helmet defense” and proving you took active safety precautions.
- Take Detailed Photos of the Scene: If you or a passenger are physically able, take photos of the final resting positions of the vehicles, tire skid marks, road hazards, and the at-fault vehicle’s damage.
- Do NOT Speak to Insurance Adjusters: Do not give a recorded statement to the at-fault driver’s insurance company or sign any quick-settlement release forms. Speak with an experienced attorney first.
Rooted in Paterson to Serve Passaic, Bergen & Northern New Jersey
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 Passaic County motorcycle negligence lawsuits are filed, litigated, and decided.
Because we maintain a fully staffed second office footprint in Ridgewood, we are uniquely positioned to represent Bergen County riders. We routinely represent motorcycle accident victims receiving critical trauma care at major regional healthcare hubs 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 Motorcycle Accidents
Yes. New Jersey follows a comparative negligence statute (N.J.S.A. 2A:15-5.1). This means you can still recover financial compensation as long as your share of responsibility for the accident is 50% or less (meaning you were not more than half at fault). Your final financial recovery will simply be reduced by your percentage of fault. For example, if a jury awards $10,000 but finds you were 20% at fault because you were looking at your phone, your final award will be $8,000. If you are found to be 51% or more at fault, you are legally barred from recovering anything.
Yes. Under New Jersey law (N.J.S.A. 39:3-76.7), all motorcycle operators and passengers are legally required to wear a high-quality helmet approved by the Department of Transportation (DOT), equipped with either a neck strap or chin strap, and reflectorized on both sides. If you were injured while not wearing a helmet, the insurance company will attempt to use the “helmet defense” to completely deny or drastically reduce your compensation. We work to challenge these assertions by proving the lack of a helmet did not cause or exacerbate your specific orthopedic or bodily injuries.
What is the statute of limitations for a motorcycle accident in New Jersey?
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 seek compensation forever. However, if your crash involved a public or government 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.
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 and medical experts, securing 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 financial settlement or jury verdict on your behalf.
Protect Your Recovery. Protect Your Future.
Do not allow a negligent driver or their insurance carrier to delay your medical treatment, downplay your pain, 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 accident reports, review your medical files, 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.