Personal Injury Lawyer Bergen County Case

PERSONAL INJURY LAWYER BERGEN COUNTY CASE LESSON: BUY GOOD INSURANCE

A recent personal injury lawyer Bergen County case shows the need to buy car insurance wisely. Unfortunately, many people in New Jersey do not. This may prevent them from obtaining compensation after an accident.

In the case, a woman named Kim suffered a car accident injury. A man named Richard drove his car into Kim’s car. Kim was a passenger. Her husband drove her car.

According to her doctor, Kim suffered a herniated disc. She incurred a lumbar spine injury. She also injured both her shoulders.

Kim’s car insurance policy carried the limitation on lawsuit option. This option is also known as the verbal threshold. Because of this option, Kim was only allowed to recover for certain types of injuries. It didn’t matter how painful her injuries were. If at least one injury didn’t fall into one of the designated categories, Kim couldn’t receive any compensation for her pain and suffering.

One of the categories was a permanent injury. In such cases, a treating doctor must certify that the victim’s injuries are permanent. A certification from another doctor to whom the patient was referred by the treating doctor is also acceptable. However, for some reason, Kim’s Bergen County personal injury lawyer did not file the proper certification from a doctor on time.

Because of this technicality, a judge dismissed Kim’s case. An appeals court affirmed the dismissal. Therefore, Kim may never get her day in court. She may never receive any compensation.

What You Must Do Now.

Accordingly, the lesson is clear. First, do not select the limitation on lawsuit option when purchasing car insurance. Yes, the option saves you some money on the premium. But it may leave you uncovered in the event of an accident. That defeats the whole purpose of insurance.

Second, be careful in the selection of your attorney. When you think personal injury lawyer Bergen County, think about the lawyer’s experience. Don’t hire someone who hasn’t been practicing law for a long time. Otherwise, you increase your risk of losing your case on a technicality.