At Levin & Malkin, we have a 40-year history of winning substantial damages for victims of speeding drivers. Our car accident attorneys have comprehensive knowledge of traffic law in New Jersey and are well-prepared to fight for your right to appropriate compensation if you have been seriously injured, or endured the tragic loss of a loved one, in a speeding accident. Contacting us now for a free initial consultation may positively alter the course of your life.
Some Scary Statistics on Speeding
- According to the NHTSA, over the past two decades speeding has been involved in about one-third of all motor vehicle fatalities.
- More than 50 percent of the 5 million annual car accidents in the U.S. are caused by aggressive drivers. The most prevalent component of that aggression is speeding.
- Forty-two percent of drivers report that they don’t consider driving 10 miles over the speed limit to be speeding, although national data shows that driving just 10 miles over the speed limit increases the risk of a collision by over 9 percent.
Too many drivers fail to modulate their speed when legally required to do so in the following situations:
- When the road is under construction
- When there is an area of congestion
- Under poor weather conditions (fog, smog, sleet, snow, heavy wind, heavy rain)
- When there is extreme sun glare
- Where the roads are poorly maintained (icy, potholed, full of debris)
- When there are pedestrians or animals nearby
All drivers in New Jersey should be aware that speed limits automatically lower to 25 mph in school zones. Exceeding this speed limit, or driving at a normal highway speed (usually 55 mph) where one of the above conditions prevails, is legally considered speeding.
What Makes Speeding So Dangerous
There are a number of reasons that speeding makes a collision with injuries more likely, including:
- Speeding increases stopping distance and so makes a collision more likely
- Speeding decreases the driver’s reaction time
- Speeding increases the risk of loss of vehicle control
- Speeding reduces the effectiveness of protective equipment, like seat belts
- Speeding leads to greater impact, creating a greater risk of severe injuries
If the driver is traveling at a high rate of speed, even a minor miscalculation can cause a catastrophic accident.
The Services Our Competent Speeding Accident Attorneys Provide
At Levin & Malkin, we are well aware of the trauma — physical, emotional, and financial — that results from a speeding accident injury, and how that trauma affects not only you, but those close to you. Depending on the nature and severity of the harm that has come to you, you may need extensive medical care, surgery, months or years of rehabilitation, or even long-term nursing care.
We are dedicated to working diligently to obtain maximum damages to carry you and your family through whatever the future may hold by:
- Negotiating directly with opposing attorneys and insurance adjusters
- Investigating the site of the accident
- Examining police reports and medical records
- Investigating the defendant’s prior history of speeding or other driving offenses
- Interviewing witnesses
- Consulting with experts in related fields who may be willing to testify on your behalf
We are available 24-7 and will gladly travel to meet with you wherever it’s convenient (e.g. to your hospital bedside). We will take over all the logistical legal work surrounding your case, so that you have the time and space you need to heal.
What Complicates Speeding Accident Injury Compensation in New Jersey
No-Fault Car Insurance
Because New Jersey is a no-fault car insurance state, you must first file a claim under your own personal injury protection (PIP) coverage, regardless of who caused the accident. This insurance will cover medical expenses, but you will have to sue the other party’s insurance company to cover non-economic damages like pain and suffering.
Modified Comparative Fault
In cases where you are partly responsible for the accident in which you were injured, New Jersey works under the principle of modified comparative fault. Under this rule, you cannot sue for damages if you are more than 50 percent at fault for the crash. Otherwise, the court will determine the damages you are entitled to and decrease the amount of the award you receive by your percentage of fault.
Verbal Threshold
A principle is known as the “verbal threshold” can be a snag in speeding accident lawsuits in New Jersey. Also known as the “limitation on lawsuit option,” this refers to an option you have selected on your auto insurance policy. While you may have chosen this option in order to pay a much cheaper insurance premium, it will limit your ability to sue for certain types of injuries, regardless of who was at fault.
Because of the complexity of New Jersey traffic accident law, it is essential that you have the benefit of our legal knowledge and considerable negotiation and litigation skills. In many cases, we will be able to reach a just settlement without ever going to trial, but should litigation become necessary, we have the well-honed courtroom skills to fight aggressively to protect you.
When It Comes to Causing Your Serious Injury, No Excuse Is Good Enough
We all know the standard excuses for speeding — late for an important appointment, unaware of the local speed limit, family emergency — but in the vast majority of cases, speeding that causes an accident is not justified. As your attorneys, we will do everything in our power to make certain the person who hurt you is held accountable.
Injuries Caused by Speeding Drivers
Speeding accidents result in a great variety of temporarily or permanently disabling injuries, and our job as your personal injury attorneys is to work vigorously to help you obtain the funds you need for treatment of:
- Whiplash
- Fractures bones
- Traumatic brain injury
- Spinal cord injuries
- Organ damage
- Internal bleeding
- Amputation
- Loss of vision or hearing
We realize that you may be unable to work and may require assistance in your daily life for an extended period, even if your injuries allow for a full recovery.
Contact Us Today So We Can Begin Fighting to Win You Meaningful Compensation
Our speeding accident attorneys have the means to assess your future needs according to your prognosis and will leave no stone unturned to assist you in receiving the compensation you need and deserve for:
- Medical and rehabilitative expenses
- Lost income, present and future
- Household replacement services
- Long-term nursing care
- Final medical expenses, loss of support, funeral expenses (for wrongful death)
- Loss of enjoyment of life
When you are facing the consequences of serious injury, you need the powerful legal representation Levin & Malkin can provide. Contact us today for an initial consultation.