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Car Accidents in New Jersey

Car accidents are one of the leading causes of death in the United States, and the number of people who die in crashes every year continues to increase. Even in nonfatal accidents, though, the injuries that you can suffer can be life-changing, saddling you with huge medical bills to pay and with permanent debilitations that prevent you from holding the kind of job you need to pay them.

Making sure you get the compensation that you need to make a full recovery without sacrificing your future financial well-being is critical. The personal injury and trial attorneys at the law office of Lavery, Selvaggi & Cohen know and understand your situation, and will do all they can to ensure your legal rights and interests are protected and you can get back on your feet after a car crash.

Car Accidents are Common, Costly, and Getting Worse

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), unintentional accidents were the fourth-leading cause of death in the United States in 2014, leading to 135,928 fatalities, or 42.6 for every 100,000 people in the country. Out of these unintentional fatalities, nearly a quarter of them happened in a motor vehicle accident.

For some demographics, though, this outlook is even bleaker. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2011, motor vehicle crashes were the number one cause of death for people aged 8, 13, 14, and everyone between the ages of 16 through 25.

And these are just fatalities. The Association for Safe International Road Travel (ASIRT) estimates that an additional 2.35 million people are hurt in car crashes in the U.S, while the CDC says there were approximately 2.5 million emergency room visits from car accident victims in 2012. Many of these injuries are serious and even life-threatening. Some are permanent, with a full recovery impossible to obtain, even with all of the medical care that money can buy. Even the injuries that can be fixed often come with a hefty price tag for the victim: ASIRT estimates that car accidents in the U.S. cost $230.6 billion every year, or an average of $820 per person living in the United States. The CDC estimates that, on average, a visit to the emergency room after a car accident costs $3,300, while a longer stay typically costs more like $57,000.

Worse, car accidents are becoming even more common in recent years. The National Safety Council (NSC) found that motor vehicle deaths had risen over 6% in 2016, to an estimated 40,200. This put the fatality count over 40,000 for the first time in a decade. 2016's increase, however, was only continuing a trend: 2015 had seen a 7% increase in the number of road fatalities. The 2-year spike of nearly 14% was the largest in more than 50 years. In fact, the state of New Jersey was worse than average – road fatalities here increased by 10% between 2015 and 2016.

Even if a car accident doesn't hurt anyone, it can still be costly. Property damage from a crash can put your car out of commission for awhile or forever. This can make it difficult to get to your job while you buy another vehicle, and this can result in missed wages or can even lead to you getting fired.

Common Types of Injuries from Car Crashes

Typically, the types of injuries that are the most common depend on the type of car accident and how fast people were driving when it happened. However, even low-speed crashes can lead to devastating injuries that are difficult to recover from.

Out of all of the kinds of injuries that you can suffer in a car crash, a head injury is the worst. Even small accidents, if unexpected, can snap your neck violently or suddenly in a way that causes a concussion. The impact of a concussion is not always immediately apparent, with some symptoms remaining latent for days or even weeks before showing themselves. This makes concussions difficult to diagnose or treat, allowing them to significantly impact your life for years after the crash.

Spinal cord injuries are another serious injury that can happen in a car accident. Much of the rest of your body depends on your spine and the nerves that run along it, so even the smallest spinal injury can be debilitating in the long run.

Even the most common kinds of injuries that happen in a car crash – broken bones, bruises, fractures, and lacerations – can be serious. Cuts and scrapes can be deep and life-threatening in the immediate aftermath of a car accident. Even if you get the medical help you need after a crash, these injuries can leave permanent scars that remind you of the crash every time you see them. Broken bones and other fractures also come in a variety of severities, with some taking far longer than others to recover from, including extensive and painful rehabilitation.

Finally, whiplash is a very common injury that you can suffer in a car crash. While still not entirely understood by doctors, whiplash can be debilitating for years after an accident and prevent you from moving in even the simplest ways.

Representation for New Jersey Car Crash Victims

Having a car accident and personal injury lawyer from the law office of Lavery, Selvaggi & Cohen on your side from the very beginning can make a huge difference. We represent our injured clients both in and out of court – we help you deal with the insurance companies that are involved to make sure you get the help you need and that you deserve under your terms of coverage. If this is inadequate, or if the insurance companies are trying to get away with under-compensating you, we represent you in court to get what you need and deserve from the parties that should be paying.

If you or someone you love has been hurt in a car accident in New Jersey, call Lavery, Selvaggi & Cohen at (908) 852-2600 or contact us online.

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