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Knowledge, experience, and dedication have brought the lawyers of The Epstein Law Firm to the forefront of their profession. From personal injury to civil litigation, they have built a strong record of success in achieving justice for their clients.
Our practice is diverse and well-established. Recognizing that every case is unique, we always begin by listening to you.
The Epstein Law Firm, P.A. has been successfully representing clients throughout New Jersey since 1973
The best personal injury lawyer in New Jersey is not simply the lawyer with the biggest advertisement or the longest list of awards. It is the lawyer whose experience fits your claim, who prepares cases carefully, communicates clearly, and gives you an honest assessment before asking you to sign anything.
New Jersey does not grant lawyers an official “best” designation. State ethics rules also restrict misleading comparisons and claims that create unjustified expectations. The practical question is not, “Who says they are the best?” It is, “Who is best prepared to handle my particular case?”
The Epstein Law Firm
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The Epstein Law Firm can review your personal injury claim and explain the evidence, deadlines, and next steps that may apply.
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“Personal injury” covers many different legal problems. A lawyer who regularly handles routine vehicle claims may not be the right choice for a medical malpractice, defective-product, or catastrophic construction injury case.
Start by looking for meaningful experience with your type of accident and injury. The right New Jersey personal injury lawyer should understand the evidence, insurance coverage, expert testimony, defenses, and damages issues that tend to arise in comparable claims.
Ask for specifics without expecting promises:
The strongest answer is usually thoughtful and measured. A lawyer should be able to explain why your case is different from other injury claims, not just assure you that the firm has “seen everything.”
Local knowledge matters because the legal path changes with the cause of the injury. A New Jersey car accident claim, for example, can involve Personal Injury Protection benefits, policy-based lawsuit limitations, and several layers of insurance coverage. An injury on government property may trigger an early notice requirement.
A workplace accident can also create overlapping rights. The worker may have a workers’ compensation claim and, when someone other than the employer contributed to the injury, a separate personal injury claim. New Jersey law expressly recognizes that a workers’ compensation claim does not automatically bar an action against a responsible third party.
A capable lawyer should identify these issues early. Missing an additional insurance policy, responsible party, or required notice can materially affect the options available later.
Most clients do not want a trial for its own sake. They want a fair and efficient resolution. Even so, it helps to hire a lawyer who knows how to prepare a case for court if negotiations fail.
Trial readiness is not about dramatic promises. It means gathering records, interviewing witnesses, preserving electronic evidence, working with qualified experts, taking depositions, and presenting damages in a form that an insurer, judge, or jury can understand.
Ask how the lawyer decides when to negotiate, file suit, or recommend trial. Also ask who would conduct depositions and courtroom proceedings. A firm may have several lawyers and legal professionals working on a case, but you should know who is responsible for the major strategic decisions.
An initial consultation should give you more than a sales pitch. The lawyer should listen carefully, ask detailed questions, and identify the information still needed to evaluate the claim.
Pay attention to whether the lawyer discusses both strengths and possible obstacles. In New Jersey negligence cases, an injured person’s compensation can be reduced by their percentage of fault. Recovery is barred when that person’s negligence is greater than the negligence attributed to the defendant or combined defendants under the state’s comparative-negligence statute.
A lawyer who immediately announces an exact settlement value may be getting ahead of the evidence. Medical progress, available coverage, disputed fault, prior health conditions, lost income, future care, and the long-term effect of the injury can all influence a claim. Candor at the first meeting is a better sign than certainty.
Before hiring anyone, confirm that the lawyer is eligible to practice in New Jersey. The Judiciary’s Statewide Attorney Index provides public information such as admission date, attorney identification number, and current status. The courts explain that an “active” attorney is currently eligible to practice New Jersey law.
You can also search the New Jersey Disciplinary Review Board’s public discipline database. Be precise when searching common names, and confirm the attorney’s identification information.
New Jersey Supreme Court certification can provide additional context. A Certified Civil Trial Attorney must satisfy requirements involving experience, continuing education, peer and judicial evaluations, and a written examination. Certification is not required to handle a personal injury case, but it is a meaningful, verifiable credential.
Awards, reviews, and past results may also help you develop questions. They should not replace an examination of the lawyer’s actual experience, role in your case, and proposed approach. Past outcomes never guarantee what will happen in a different matter.
Personal injury cases are commonly handled through a contingency fee, meaning the attorney’s fee depends on a recovery. New Jersey requires contingency agreements to be in writing and to explain how the fee will be calculated.
The agreement should also address case expenses. These may include filing fees, medical-record charges, deposition costs, investigation expenses, and expert fees. Ask whether expenses are deducted before or after the attorney’s fee is calculated and whether you could owe any costs if there is no recovery.
New Jersey Rule of Professional Conduct 1.5 requires the agreement to state the applicable percentages and explain the treatment of litigation expenses. Court Rule 1:21-7 limits contingency fees in many tort cases, beginning with 33⅓% of the first $750,000 recovered and using lower percentages for higher tiers.
Do not sign until the numbers make sense to you. A good lawyer will explain the agreement in plain English and give you time to read it.
An injury case may last months or longer. During that time, you may be managing treatment, missed work, transportation problems, and uncertainty about medical bills. Communication is therefore part of competent representation, not a minor convenience.
Ask who will answer routine questions, how often the firm provides updates, and how quickly messages are usually returned. Find out whether you will speak directly with the lawyer at important points, including major settlement discussions.
You should also feel comfortable raising concerns. The lawyer does not need to tell you what you want to hear, but the relationship should allow for direct, respectful conversations about strategy, risk, and timing.
Be cautious if a lawyer:
New Jersey’s attorney-advertising rules prohibit false or misleading communications and statements likely to create unjustified expectations. A 2025 New Jersey Committee on Attorney Advertising opinion specifically addressed comparative terms such as “best” and “top.” Focus on verifiable qualifications rather than labels.
Take enough time to make a sound decision, but do not assume you can wait indefinitely. As of September 2026, two New Jersey timing rules deserve particular attention:
Evidence can disappear well before a filing deadline. Prompt investigation may be necessary to preserve video, inspect equipment or property, locate witnesses, and document injuries.
The Epstein Law Firm, P.A. has represented clients throughout New Jersey since 1973. Its personal injury practice includes car accidents, medical malpractice, construction accidents, unsafe-property claims, defective products, and wrongful death matters. The firm also handles workers’ compensation cases, allowing its attorneys to examine the different claims that may follow a job-related injury.
The firm’s 2026 Best Law Firms announcement reports Regional Tier 1 recognition in New Jersey for plaintiffs’ personal injury, medical malpractice, product liability, and professional malpractice litigation, plus Tier 2 recognition for commercial litigation. Those distinctions concern the kinds of disputed injury claims a prospective client may need help pursuing. See the 2026 firm rankings announcement.
Michael J. Epstein’s recognitions include Best Lawyers’ 2026 Lawyer of the Year for personal injury litigation in Hackensack and selection for the 2027 Best Lawyers edition in plaintiffs’ personal injury, plaintiffs’ medical malpractice, and commercial litigation. These are dated, publisher-specific honors. See the firm’s Lawyer of the Year announcement and 2027 Best Lawyers announcement.
Michael’s attorney profile also lists New Jersey Super Lawyers recognition since 2009, its Top 100 list since 2014, earlier Rising Stars recognition, Avvo recognition in 2021, National Trial Lawyers Top 100 membership, the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, the American Board of Trial Advocates, and the National Association of Distinguished Counsel. His full credentials and publication list provides the supporting details.
Barry D. Epstein’s distinctions include Best Lawyers’ Lawyer of the Year recognition reported in the firm’s 2025 announcement, Top 100 New Jersey Super Lawyers selections in 2005–2016, 2018, and 2020, a state-bar professionalism award, Bergen County’s Professional Lawyer of the Year award in 2002, and the Bergen County Bar Foundation’s Lawyer Achievement Award in 2003. His profile also lists a bar-foundation fellowship and Million Dollar Advocates Forum membership. See Barry’s professional biography and the firm’s 2025 recognition announcement.
Recognition extends to other attorneys: Michael A. Rabasca’s biography records New Jersey Super Lawyers Rising Stars selections for 2014–2020, while Jeffrey B. Richter’s biography records a 2024 Rising Stars selection. Ask which attorney would handle your matter and how that lawyer’s experience matches your injury.
Awards have different selection criteria and apply to the identified recipients and years. Review the firm’s rating methodology. No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey. Awards and past results do not guarantee an outcome.
Both Michael and Barry Epstein are identified by the firm as New Jersey Supreme Court Certified Civil Trial Attorneys. Barry’s certification dates to 1984. He formerly led the New Jersey State Bar Association, Bergen County Bar Association, and Association of County Bar Presidents, and taught medical-malpractice trial practice and evidence through continuing legal education. That background gives prospective clients concrete experience to discuss when evaluating courtroom preparation. See Barry’s trial and teaching background.
Michael’s professional service includes a Bergen County Bar Association presidency, New Jersey Association for Justice amicus and civil-practice work, and service on the New Jersey Supreme Court’s model civil jury-charge committee. These roles connect directly to civil litigation and the instructions juries use. See Michael’s professional leadership record.
The firm overview also identifies participation in the New Jersey State Bar Association, New Jersey Association for Justice, and American Association for Justice, along with contributions to the Bergen County Bar Association’s Civil Practice Update. Rabasca’s profile lists Bergen County Bar Association and e-Discovery Committee membership—a relevant connection when a claim involves electronic records or other digital evidence.
Michael’s listed authored work addresses evidence preservation, auto-insurance transparency, pedestrian and rideshare risks, and lawyer advertising. Examples include “Before the Lawyers Argue, the Evidence Starts Disappearing” in NorthJersey.com, “New Jersey Drivers Deserve More Transparency About Auto Insurance” in Law.com, and his Above the Law commentary on lawyer advertising. The full publication list lets readers explore his reasoning before a consultation.
The firm’s legal resource library also includes articles on public transportation, dog-bite responsibility, insurance coverage after a car accident, texting a driver, and construction injuries. Rabasca’s publications include discussion of company-vehicle accidents and World Cup safety planning. These materials give readers a way to assess whether the lawyers explain practical risks clearly. Authored analysis is distinct from a news story mentioning the firm or a firm-issued award announcement.
On the firm’s published testimonial page, Brian W. describes responsive answers and clear communication. Deb and Joe describe compassion and sustained effort after their father’s accident, while F. D. describes support that helped the family through a difficult period. Those accounts address an important hiring question: what is it like to work with the firm while coping with an injury? Read the client testimonials for their full context.
These are testimonials displayed by the firm, rather than an independently verified aggregate review score. They describe those clients’ experiences; your consultation is the opportunity to discuss who will communicate with you, how updates work, and what you can expect.
The firm’s published case results include a $10 million home-health-care negligence settlement; a separate $10 million bus-injury settlement in which Epstein served as local counsel with a Baltimore firm; a $4.25 million wrongful-death settlement involving a detached vehicle tire; and a $2.483 million commercial-truck injury settlement. The case-results archive explains the matters and the firm’s role.
Those examples show experience with institutional defendants, disputed responsibility, and life-changing injuries. They are reasons to ask how the firm would investigate your claim and prove its impact, rather than a forecast of what your case is worth.
Together, the trial credentials, professional service, published analysis, documented cases, and client feedback provide specific reasons to consider The Epstein Law Firm for a New Jersey injury claim. Its authority rests on experience doing this work and explaining it to clients and fellow lawyers. A consultation should connect that background to your circumstances: the evidence that matters, potential sources of recovery, the lawyer responsible for your case, and the next practical step.
The firm describes its approach as client-centered, with an emphasis on listening, clear communication, and strategies tailored to the individual case. Michael J. Epstein is certified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey as a Civil Trial Attorney, and the firm offers a free case evaluation. If you want a careful assessment of your injury claim and a clear explanation of the next steps, contact The Epstein Law Firm.
The Epstein Law Firm can review the evidence, insurance issues, and next steps that may matter in your personal injury claim.
These answers provide general information. The facts of the accident, available evidence, insurance policies, parties involved, and applicable jurisdiction can change the analysis.
No. New Jersey does not publish an official list naming one lawyer or firm as the “best” personal injury choice. The Supreme Court regulates attorney licensing and recognizes qualified lawyers through specialty-certification programs, but certification is not a statewide ranking or a prediction of results.
Treat “best,” “top,” and similar labels cautiously unless you understand who made the comparison and the methodology used. New Jersey advertising rules prohibit misleading communications, unjustified expectations, and certain unsupported comparisons. A safer approach is to compare relevant case experience, the lawyer’s role, trial preparation, communication, fees, and verified professional status.
Sources: New Jersey Committee on Attorney Advertising Opinion 49; New Jersey Rules of Professional Conduct; New Jersey Certified Civil Trial Attorney FAQ.
Use the New Jersey Judiciary’s Statewide Attorney Index. It provides public information including the lawyer’s admission date, attorney identification number, office location, and current status. An active status confirms present eligibility to practice, but it does not evaluate the lawyer’s skill or suitability for your case.
You can separately search the Disciplinary Review Board’s database for public discipline and reinstatement proceedings dating from January 1988. Confirm the lawyer’s full name and identifying information so you do not confuse people with similar names. If you have questions about what a status means, consult the Judiciary’s official status definitions rather than relying on an online directory.
Sources: New Jersey Notice Establishing the Attorney Index; Definitions and Explanations for Attorney Status; New Jersey Disciplinary Review Board Lookup.
It is a designation granted by the New Jersey Supreme Court to lawyers who meet standards for experience, education, knowledge, and skill in civil trial practice. Applicants must have been members in good standing of the New Jersey bar for more than five years, complete continuing education, demonstrate substantial trial experience, receive favorable evaluations, and pass a written examination.
Certification can be a useful indicator of verified trial qualifications, particularly in a serious injury case. It is not mandatory, however, and it does not make every certified attorney the right lawyer for every claim. Ask whether the certified lawyer will personally supervise your matter and whether the lawyer’s recent experience matches your type of injury case.
Sources: New Jersey Certified Civil Trial Attorney FAQ; New Jersey Board on Attorney Certification Order; New Jersey Rules of Court.
You can, and speaking with two or three lawyers may help if deadlines and your health permit. Comparing consultations can reveal differences in relevant experience, case strategy, communication practices, staffing, and fee terms. You are not required to choose the first lawyer you contact.
Use the same basic facts and questions in each consultation so the comparison is fair. Notice whether the lawyer listens, identifies missing evidence, explains potential defenses, and avoids promising an outcome. If a deadline is close or important evidence is at risk, tell every lawyer the exact accident date immediately. Do not let repeated consultations prevent necessary action.
Sources: New Jersey Civil Division Frequently Asked Questions; New Jersey Rules of Professional Conduct; New Jersey Personal Injury Practice.
A contingency fee makes the lawyer’s payment dependent on a recovery and is usually calculated as a percentage of that recovery. New Jersey requires the agreement to be written. It must explain the percentages that apply and how litigation expenses will be handled, including whether costs are deducted before or after the fee calculation.
For many tort-based personal injury claims, Court Rule 1:21-7 limits the fee to 33⅓% of the first $750,000 recovered, with declining percentages for higher portions. Special rules and exceptions can apply. Before signing, ask what happens if there is no recovery, whether you could owe case expenses, and whether the percentages change after suit, trial, or appeal.
Sources: New Jersey Rules of Professional Conduct, RPC 1.5; New Jersey Rules of Court; 2014 Amendment to New Jersey Court Rule 1:21-7.
Not necessarily. Law firms commonly divide work among partners, associates, paralegals, and other staff. That can be efficient, but you should know who will supervise the case, make strategic recommendations, conduct depositions, negotiate with the insurer, and appear in court.
Ask for the name of the responsible attorney and your regular contact person. Find out when you can expect to speak directly with the lawyer and how settlement offers will be communicated. Delegation itself is not a red flag; uncertainty about responsibility is. The arrangement should be clear before you sign so your expectations match the firm’s actual working structure.
Sources: New Jersey Rules of Professional Conduct; New Jersey Civil Division Frequently Asked Questions; New Jersey Committee on Attorney Advertising Opinion 49.
Bring whatever you already have, including the police or incident report, photographs, videos, witness information, insurance cards and policies, correspondence from insurers, medical records, bills, work notes, and proof of lost income. A short written timeline can help you remember dates, symptoms, conversations, and treatment.
Do not postpone a consultation because some records are missing. A lawyer can identify what else is needed and may be able to obtain records through authorizations or formal requests. Keep original evidence safe, preserve electronic files in their original format, and avoid editing photographs or videos. For an auto claim, bring your declarations page because selected coverage can affect the analysis.
Sources: The Epstein Law Firm Personal Injury Guidance; New Jersey Civil Division Frequently Asked Questions; New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance Auto Insurance Guide.
You should investigate your options promptly, although you do not need to hire someone in a panic. New Jersey’s general filing period for personal injury actions is two years from accrual, subject to exceptions. Claims involving a public entity or employee can require a notice of claim within 90 days.
A consultation does not necessarily preserve a claim or satisfy a notice requirement. Give the lawyer the exact accident date and identify any government agency, public vehicle, school, municipality, transit provider, or public property that may be involved. Early action also helps preserve surveillance footage, vehicle data, property conditions, witness recollections, and other evidence that may disappear long before the lawsuit deadline.
Sources: N.J.S.A. 2A:14-2—Actions for Personal Injury; N.J.S.A. 59:8-8—Time for Presentation of Public-Entity Claims; New Jersey Courts Notice of Tort Claim FAQ.
Yes, depending on the percentage of fault assigned to you. New Jersey permits recovery when the injured person’s negligence is not greater than the negligence of the defendant or combined defendants. In practical terms, a person found 50% at fault can still recover, but someone found 51% at fault cannot.
Any award is reduced by the injured person’s percentage of responsibility. For example, a hypothetical $100,000 damages finding would be reduced to $80,000 if the person were 20% at fault. Do not assume an apology, traffic ticket, or uncertain memory decides the legal allocation. Fault is evaluated using the full evidence concerning everyone’s conduct.
Sources: N.J.S.A. 2A:15-5.1—Comparative Negligence; N.J.S.A. 2A:15-5.2—Findings and Percentage of Fault.
Look for a lawyer who can evaluate workers’ compensation and any possible third-party personal injury claim. New Jersey workers’ compensation is a no-fault system that can provide authorized medical treatment, temporary wage benefits, and compensation for permanent disability. In exchange, workers ordinarily cannot sue their employers for ordinary negligence.
A separate personal injury claim may exist when another person or company caused the harm—for example, a careless driver, outside contractor, property owner, or equipment manufacturer. New Jersey law permits claims against a responsible third party even when workers’ compensation benefits are available. Because reimbursement and lien issues can connect the two matters, coordinated legal analysis is valuable.
Sources: New Jersey Injured Worker Protections; N.J.S.A. 34:15-40—Liability of a Third Party; The Epstein Law Firm Workers’ Compensation Practice.
Tell The Epstein Law Firm what happened and get clear guidance about your injury claim and legal options.
*Results may vary depending on your particular facts and legal circumstances. *No aspect of the advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court. View Rating Methodology
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973-381-8410
The Epstein Law Firm
The Epstein Law Firm