Car Accident Attorneys in Paterson, NJ

Highway traffic and congested Paterson intersections produce rear-end crashes, sideswipes, and pedestrian collisions daily. If you were injured, a licensed New Jersey car accident attorney will review your Passaic County claim for free.

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How we match your Paterson car accident case

When you submit a Paterson car accident matter, we route it through a national network of independent partner firms and put it in front of the one that fits best — based on the kind of case it is, what it is likely to involve, where it has to be handled, and who has capacity to take it on now.

Case type

A car accident matter needs someone who handles car accident work day to day, not a generalist. Practice area is the first filter.

Size and complexity

Some firms are built for catastrophic injury and multi-party litigation; others resolve straightforward claims quickly. We weigh what your matter is likely to involve against how each firm actually works.

Jurisdiction and licensing

Your matter is decided under New Jersey law, so it goes to an attorney licensed in New Jersey who regularly appears where your case would be heard.

Capacity and fit

Availability, conflicts of interest and language all matter. If the best-fit firm cannot take your case, we route it to the next one that can — or tell you plainly when no one in the network is the right answer.

Every partner reviews your case for free. Injury and workers’ compensation matters are handled on contingency — no fee unless you win. Other matters are quoted upfront, before you commit to anything.

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DearLegal provides marketing and matching services and is not a law firm. Submitting a case does not create an attorney-client relationship. Matches depend on case type, jurisdiction and firm availability.

Car Accident cases in Paterson

More about legal help in Paterson →

Route 19, Route 20, and the Route 80 interchanges funnel heavy commuter and truck traffic through Paterson, and crashes are common on congested surface streets like Broadway, Market Street, and McLean Boulevard near the Passaic River crossings. Injury suits are filed in the Superior Court of New Jersey, Passaic County. New Jersey is a no-fault insurance state, so your own policy's personal injury protection typically pays medical bills first, and the lawsuit option you selected on your policy can limit which injuries let you sue. Fault is allocated between the drivers involved. DearLegal matches you with a New Jersey-licensed attorney who handles car accident cases in Paterson, with a free review.

Crash injury suits arising in Paterson are filed in the Superior Court of New Jersey, Passaic County.
Truck and commuter volume on Routes 19, 20, and nearby Interstate 80 drives many of the serious collisions in the area.
Your PIP coverage and the lawsuit threshold option on your New Jersey policy affect what you can recover from the other driver.

New Jersey car accident rules at a glance

Paterson cases run under New Jersey law. The full walkthrough — timeline, when to call, case types, and what a recovery can include — is on the New Jersey page.

Read the full New Jersey car accident guide →

Statute of Limitations: 2 years
2 years from the date of the crash (N.J.S.A. § 2A:14-2)
Fault Rule: 51%
Modified comparative fault, 51% bar (N.J.S.A. § 2A:15-5.1)
Damages Cap: No cap
No statutory cap on non-economic damages in standard auto cases
Minimum Liability Insurance: 25/50/25
$25,000 / $50,000 / $25,000 plus PIP (N.J.S.A. § 39:6A-3)
Insurance System: Choice no-fault
Choice no-fault PIP. Verbal threshold required for tort recovery unless rejected (N.J.S.A. § 39:6A-8).
Typical attorney fee: 33%
33%–40% contingency — no fee unless you win

Exhibit D

How much do Paterson car accident attorneys cost?

Sample settlement statement

New Jersey · Car Accident

Recovery$100,000

Fee · 33⅓% of first $750k− $33,333

Fee · 30% of next $750k—

Fee · 25% of above $1.5M—

Case costs (advanced by firm)repaid at the end

To you$66,667

Due today$0

Try a different recovery$100,000

$5,000$3,000,000

Illustrative only. Your fee terms are set in a written agreement with your attorney and may include costs and expenses regardless of outcome.

Most New Jersey car accident attorneys work on contingency: the fee is a share of what they recover, and nothing if they don’t.

Car accident attorneys in New Jersey work on a contingency fee basis. New Jersey caps contingency fees under R. 1:21-7 on a sliding scale — generally 33-1/3% on the first $750,000, then 30% on the next $750,000, then 25% on the next $1 million. Case costs are typically advanced by the firm.

A good attorney walks through every number at your free consultation — before you sign anything.

Start my free case reviewTakes about two minutes. No obligation.

Exhibit F

Paterson car accident questions, answered

Still unsure? Tell us what happened and a New Jersey attorney will review it for free.

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Cases from collisions in Paterson are generally filed in the Superior Court of New Jersey, Passaic County. If the crash happened on a highway stretch in an adjoining county, that vicinage may be proper instead. An attorney will confirm venue based on the crash location and the parties involved.

No. Personal injury protection under your own policy generally pays medical treatment regardless of fault, but you may still sue the at-fault driver for other losses. Whether you can depends in part on the lawsuit threshold option in your policy and the nature of your injuries, which an attorney can review.

New Jersey sets deadlines that vary by the type of claim, and much shorter notice rules apply if a public entity such as a city or transit agency is involved. Insurance policies also impose their own reporting timelines. Have a New Jersey attorney confirm every applicable deadline promptly.

Two years from the date of the crash for personal injury under N.J.S.A. § 2A:14-2 and 6 years for property damage. Claims against public entities under the New Jersey Tort Claims Act (N.J.S.A. § 59:8-8) require notice within 90 days.

New Jersey requires every driver to carry $15,000 in PIP coverage under N.J.S.A. § 39:6A-4, which pays your medical bills regardless of fault. You also chose between the "Limitation on Lawsuit" (verbal threshold) and "No Limitation" tort options. Under the verbal threshold, you can sue for pain and suffering only if your injuries fit one of six categories: death, dismemberment, significant disfigurement, displaced fracture, loss of fetus, or permanent injury.