Hackensack Car Accident Lawyer

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A car crash can leave you managing pain, medical appointments, vehicle repairs, missed work, and calls from multiple insurance companies. If you were injured in Hackensack NJ, understanding New Jersey’s insurance rules and preserving important evidence can help you protect your options.

A Hackensack NJ car accident lawyer at The Epstein Law Firm can investigate how the collision happened, identify available insurance coverage, coordinate injury-related claims, and pursue compensation from any responsible parties. The firm has represented clients throughout New Jersey since 1973 and has more than 120 years of combined legal experience.

For information about injury claims beyond motor-vehicle collisions, visit the firm’s Hackensack personal injury lawyers page. The firm’s New Jersey car accident practice provides additional statewide information.

Injured in a Hackensack NJ car accident? Call The Epstein Law Firm at 201-231-7847 or request a free case evaluation.

What to Do After a Car Accident in Hackensack

Your health and immediate safety come first. Call 911 when anyone may be injured, vehicles are creating a roadway hazard, or emergency assistance is needed. Then, if your condition allows:

1. Report the crash. New Jersey requires prompt police notification when a collision causes injury, death, or more than $500 in property damage to any one person. If police do not prepare a report, the driver generally must submit a written report to the Motor Vehicle Commission within 10 days.
2. Exchange essential information. Obtain the other driver’s name, contact information, license plate, driver’s license information, and insurance details. Avoid arguing about fault.
3. Document the scene safely. Photograph the vehicles, visible damage, debris, traffic controls, roadway conditions, and visible injuries. Collect witness names and contact information.
4. Seek appropriate medical attention. Some symptoms may not appear immediately. The CDC advises that concussion symptoms can develop hours or days after a head injury.
5. Notify your insurer. Report the collision promptly and comply with reasonable policy requirements. Before giving a detailed recorded statement or signing a broad medical authorization, consider obtaining legal advice.
6. Preserve damaged property and records. Give the insurer a reasonable opportunity to inspect your vehicle before repairs and save medical paperwork, receipts, pay records, and claim communications.

For crashes investigated by local officers, the City provides access to Hackensack Police Department crash reports. The department’s Records & Evidence Management Unit also maintains police and motor-vehicle crash records.

How New Jersey Car Accident Claims Work

PIP and Medical Bills

Personal Injury Protection, commonly called PIP or no-fault coverage, often pays an injured person’s initial accident-related medical expenses regardless of who caused the crash. Coverage limits, deductibles, copayments, treatment requirements, and covered economic benefits depend on the policy.

A policyholder may have selected a health-insurer-primary option. In that situation, eligible health coverage pays first and PIP generally becomes secondary. Reviewing the declarations page and coverage-selection form is important because the order of coverage cannot be determined from the crash report alone.

Claims Against a Responsible Driver

PIP does not prevent every liability claim. An injured person may still pursue an at-fault driver for losses not paid through no-fault benefits. However, the right to recover pain-and-suffering damages may depend on the lawsuit option that applies.

Under New Jersey’s limitation-on-lawsuit option, a person generally must prove an injury involving death, dismemberment, significant disfigurement or scarring, a displaced fracture, loss of a fetus, or a permanent injury supported by appropriate medical evidence. The no-limitation option preserves broader rights to seek noneconomic damages. Coverage and threshold questions are fact-specific.

Comparative Negligence

More than one person can share responsibility for a collision. Under New Jersey’s comparative-negligence law, an injured person may recover when their fault is not greater than the fault of the person—or combined fault of the people—from whom damages are sought. The recovery is reduced by the injured person’s percentage of responsibility.

Questions about PIP, the lawsuit threshold, or disputed fault? The Epstein Law Firm can review the applicable policies and evidence. Call 201-231-7847 for a free consultation.

The Epstein Law Firm

Injured in a Car Accident in Hackensack?

car accident legal help

With 1,895 reported crashes a year on Hackensack’s roads, you need an attorney who knows these streets and these cases. The Epstein Law Firm can review your car accident claim and explain the compensation you may be owed.

Call now

(201) 231-7847 Schedule your free case evaluation

Who May Be Responsible for a Crash?

Responsibility is not always limited to the person behind the wheel. Depending on the evidence, potentially responsible parties may include:

• A driver who was speeding, distracted, impaired, following too closely, or failing to yield
• A vehicle owner, when agency, negligent entrustment, or another recognized basis for liability applies
• An employer whose employee caused a crash while acting within the scope of employment
• A rideshare or commercial transportation company, depending on the driver’s status and applicable coverage
• A repair facility, parts company, or manufacturer when defective equipment or negligent work contributed to the collision
• A public entity when a dangerous public property condition or public employee may have played a legally actionable role

A police citation or government finding may be useful evidence, but it does not automatically establish civil liability.

Evidence That Can Help Explain What Happened

The most useful evidence often includes:

• The police crash report and any available 911, body-camera, or dash-camera records
• Photographs or video of the vehicles, scene, traffic controls, and injuries
• Witness names and nearby surveillance-camera locations
• Medical records connecting symptoms, diagnoses, and treatment to the crash
• Insurance communications, repair estimates, wage records, and expense receipts

A lawyer may also seek electronic vehicle data, commercial-driver records, maintenance information, additional insurance policies, or surveillance footage. Because some evidence can be overwritten or lost, early investigation may be important.

Compensation That May Be Available

Depending on the injuries, insurance elections, and available evidence, a car accident claim may seek compensation for:

• Medical expenses and reasonably necessary future care
• Lost income and reduced earning capacity
• Pain, suffering, disability, disfigurement, and loss of enjoyment of life when legally recoverable
• Vehicle repairs, total-loss value, and other damaged property
• Certain losses available to qualifying family members in a fatal-crash case

Not every category applies to every claim. The value of a case depends on liability, insurance coverage, the medical evidence, the effect of the injuries, and other individual circumstances.

Important New Jersey Filing Deadlines

New Jersey generally requires a personal injury lawsuit to be filed within two years after the claim accrues. Exceptions may alter that period. If a public entity or public employee could be responsible—for example, because of a government vehicle or an actionable public-property condition—the New Jersey Tort Claims Act generally requires a notice of claim within 90 days. Prompt review is important because investigating a claim and negotiating with an insurer do not necessarily extend a filing deadline.

How The Epstein Law Firm Can Help

The firm can obtain reports and available recordings, inspect the insurance policies, investigate fault, identify additional responsible parties, document medical and financial losses, and handle communications with insurers. It can also evaluate whether the limitation-on-lawsuit threshold applies and whether uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage may provide another source of recovery.

If the evidence supports a claim, the lawyers can negotiate for a resolution and file a lawsuit when appropriate. The firm handles car accident cases on a contingency-fee basis, meaning attorney fees are not owed unless compensation is recovered.

Evidence and insurance issues can become harder to resolve with time. Call The Epstein Law Firm at 201-231-7847 or contact the firm online to discuss a Hackensack NJ crash.

Helpful Crash, Insurance, and Medical Resources

• Hackensack Police Department: The City’s page links to its crash-report service. Reports can help identify the involved drivers, vehicles, witnesses, investigating agency, and initial account of the collision.
• New Jersey standard auto insurance policy guide: The Department of Banking and Insurance explains PIP, uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, and the limitation and no-limitation lawsuit options.
• New Jersey health-insurer-primary PIP guidance: This resource explains when health insurance may pay first and PIP may provide secondary benefits.
• CDC concussion symptoms and danger signs: The CDC explains that symptoms can appear later and identifies warning signs requiring emergency medical attention. This information does not replace evaluation by a qualified medical professional.

Personal Injury Services in Hackensack

• Personal Injury
• Bicycle Accidents
• Car Accidents
• Catastrophic Injuries
• Construction Accidents
• Dog Bites
• Legal Malpractice
• Lyft Accidents
• Medical Malpractice
• Motorcycle Accidents
• Nursing Home Abuse
• Pedestrian Accidents
• Products Liability
• Professional Malpractice
• Rideshare Accidents
• Slip and Fall
• Truck Accidents
• Uber Accidents
• Workers’ Compensation
• Workplace Accidents
• Wrongful Death

The Epstein Law Firm

Don’t Wait — Deadlines Apply

car accident claim help

New Jersey’s two-year deadline means time matters after a car crash. Talk to a Hackensack car accident lawyer today about your case.

Call now

(201) 231-7847 Schedule your free case evaluation

Car Accidents in Hackensack: What the Data Shows

In 2023, 1,895 crashes were reported in Hackensack, resulting in 1 death and 530 injuries. If you drive here regularly, knowing where crashes concentrate can help you stay safer on the road.

Hackensack’s Most Dangerous Intersections

An NJTPA-funded Street Smart Hackensack study (built on NJDOT Safety Voyager crash data from 2012–2017, covering 1,115 motor-vehicle crashes and 339 pedestrian crashes) identified the city’s highest-crash locations:

• Essex Street & Prospect Avenue — the city’s highest-crash location; 11 pedestrian crashes at this intersection alone from 2012–2017
• Thompson Street & Prospect Avenue — 116 motor-vehicle crashes from 2012–2017, near Hackensack University Medical Center and Hackensack High School
• Essex Street & Summit Avenue — site of a fatal pedestrian hit-and-run in May 2026
• Route 17 & Main Street — high-frequency crashes from heavy volume, merging lanes, and pedestrian crossings
• Route 4 & Hackensack Avenue — congestion near The Shops at Riverside with retail driveway conflicts
• Route 4 & Washington Avenue — turning vehicles and limited visibility make this a high-risk intersection
• I-80 / Route 17 interchange — multi-vehicle crashes, including a rollover requiring extrication of four people in July 2026

Highways That Run Through Hackensack

• Route 4 — east-west arterial along the city’s south side; heavy retail and commuter traffic
• Route 17 — north-south along the west side, interchanging with I-80
• I-80 — along the southern border (Exits 64A/64B)
• County arterials: Essex Street (CR 56), Summit Avenue (CR 57), Passaic Street (CR 62)

What Drives Crashes in Hackensack

Hackensack University Medical Center sits next to the Thompson Street/Prospect Avenue crash cluster, generating constant ambulance, visitor, and shift-change traffic. The Bergen County Courthouse and county buildings on Main Street and Essex Street draw steady daytime traffic, while the Route 4 and Route 17 retail corridors — including The Shops at Riverside — create rear-end and turning crash patterns. NJ Transit stations at Essex Street and Anderson Street add bus and pedestrian volumes, and GPS reroutes around George Washington Bridge congestion push cut-through traffic onto local streets.

Where Hackensack Car Accident Cases Are Heard

Car accident lawsuits arising in Hackensack are filed in the Bergen County Superior Court, Law Division, Civil Part, 10 Main Street, Hackensack, NJ 07601.

Hospitals for Hackensack Accident Victims

• Hackensack University Medical Center, 30 Prospect Ave, Hackensack — a Level I Trauma Center

Sources: NJDOT 2023 crash records (aggregated by municipality); NJTPA Street Smart Hackensack report (NJDOT Safety Voyager 2012–2017); NJ Courts, Bergen Vicinage.

Notable Results

Selected case results obtained by The Epstein Law Firm:

$10 Million · $4.25 Million · $4.195 Million

$10 Million — Settlement

Bus Accident

The Epstein Law Firm obtained a $10 million settlement working as local counsel with a Baltimore law firm on behalf of a Maryland woman who lost both of her legs after being struck by a New Jersey Transit bus in Lakewood, New Jersey.

$4.25 Million — Confidential Settlement

Wrongful Death — Motor Vehicle

The Epstein Law Firm obtained a $4.25 million confidential settlement in a wrongful death and survival action for a Teaneck husband and father who died after a tire fell off his car, causing it to flip and catch fire. A major mechanic operations company was at fault for failing to attach the tire properly.

$4.195 Million — Jury Verdict

Drunk Driving — Dram Shop

The Epstein Law Firm obtained a $4.195 million jury verdict for a 59-year-old Oradell resident who suffered multiple leg fractures as a passenger of a drunk driver who had been served while visibly intoxicated at a bar in South Hackensack. The jury found the driver 80 percent at fault and the bar 20 percent at fault.

View all verdicts and settlements →

Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Each case is different and must be evaluated on its own facts.

New Jersey Car Insurance Rules You Should Know

New Jersey is a no-fault state for car accidents. That means your own Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage pays your medical bills after a crash, regardless of who caused it. Here’s what every NJ driver should understand:

Verbal Threshold vs. Zero Threshold

When you bought your NJ auto policy, you chose one of two lawsuit options — and it dramatically affects your rights after a crash:

• Verbal threshold (limitation on lawsuit option): You can only sue for pain and suffering if your injuries meet specific legal criteria — death, dismemberment, significant disfigurement, displaced fractures, loss of a body part, or permanent injury. Most NJ drivers have this option because it’s cheaper.
• Zero threshold (no limitation on lawsuit option): You can sue for pain and suffering for any injury, with no severity requirement. Costs more but preserves your full rights.

If you don’t remember which option you chose, check your policy declarations page — it matters enormously for your case.

Minimum Required Coverage in New Jersey

Coverage Type	Minimum Required
Bodily injury liability (per person)	$25,000
Bodily injury liability (per accident)	$50,000
Property damage liability	$25,000
Personal Injury Protection (PIP)	$15,000 per person, per accident

Source: NJ Department of Banking and Insurance (NJDOBI); N.J.S.A. 39:6A-1 et seq.

Car Accident Lawyers by Town

• Belleville, NJ
• Bergenfield, NJ
• City of Orange, NJ
• Cliffside Park, NJ
• East Orange, NJ
• Englewood, NJ
• Englewood Cliffs, NJ
• Fair Lawn, NJ
• Fort Lee, NJ
• Garfield, NJ
• Hackensack, NJ
• Irvington, NJ
• Jersey City, NJ
• Livingston, NJ
• Mahwah, NJ
• Maplewood, NJ
• Montclair, NJ
• New Brunswick, NJ
• Newark, NJ
• Nutley, NJ
• Paramus, NJ
• Ridgewood, NJ
• Ringwood, NJ
• Teaneck, NJ
• Wanaque, NJ
• West Orange, NJ

Speak With a Hackensack Car Accident Lawyer

If you were injured in a Hackensack NJ collision, The Epstein Law Firm can review the crash, insurance coverage, medical evidence, and deadlines that may affect your claim. Call 201-231-7847 or schedule a free consultation. There is no obligation to hire the firm, and attorney fees are not owed unless compensation is recovered.

The Epstein Law Firm

Get Help With Your Car Accident Claim

free car accident consultation

Medical bills, lost wages, and pain after a Hackensack car crash add up fast. Call (201) 231-7847 for a free consultation with The Epstein Law Firm.

Call now

(201) 231-7847 Schedule your free case evaluation

Hackensack Car Accident FAQs

These answers provide general information. The applicable law, insurance coverage, evidence, and deadlines can change based on the facts of a particular collision.

What should I do immediately after a car accident in Hackensack NJ?

Call 911 when anyone may be injured or the crash creates an immediate danger. Move to a safe place if you can do so without risking further injury, exchange identifying and insurance information, and avoid arguing about who caused the collision. Photograph the vehicles and surrounding area if it is safe.

Obtain appropriate medical attention and report the loss promptly to your insurer. New Jersey generally requires police notification when a crash causes injury, death, or more than $500 in property damage to any one person. If police do not file a report, a written report generally must be submitted to the MVC within 10 days.

Sources: New Jersey Driver Manual; Police Department — City of Hackensack; CDC Symptoms of Mild TBI and Concussion.

How do I get a copy of my Hackensack NJ crash report?

Use the crash-report link provided on the Hackensack Police Department website or contact its Records & Evidence Management Unit. The City’s police page directs users to an online crash-report service. The records unit also maintains motor-vehicle crash records and provides contact information for report requests.

A report may contain driver, vehicle, insurance, witness, roadway, and investigating-officer information. It can be important evidence, but an officer’s report or citation does not automatically determine civil liability. If another agency investigated the crash, the report may need to be requested from that agency instead.

Sources: Police Department — City of Hackensack; Records & Evidence Management Unit — City of Hackensack; New Jersey Driver Manual.

Will PIP or health insurance pay my medical bills after a New Jersey crash?

PIP usually pays first unless the applicable auto policy designates eligible health coverage as primary. PIP is no-fault coverage, so it can pay covered accident-related medical expenses regardless of who caused the collision. Limits, deductibles, copayments, precertification requirements, and available nonmedical benefits depend on the policy.

If a health-insurer-primary option was selected, the health plan generally pays first and PIP becomes secondary. Not every health plan qualifies, and Medicare or Medicaid cannot be selected as the primary health insurer for this option. The declarations page, coverage-selection form, and health-plan documents should be reviewed promptly.

Sources: Selecting Your Health Insurer for PIP Option; Standard Auto Insurance Policy; NJ MVC Insurance Requirements.

Can I sue for pain and suffering after a Hackensack NJ Car Accident?

You may be able to, but the lawsuit option and medical evidence matter. A person subject to New Jersey’s limitation-on-lawsuit option generally must prove death, dismemberment, significant disfigurement or scarring, a displaced fracture, loss of a fetus, or a permanent injury meeting the statutory standard.

A person covered by the no-limitation option has broader rights to pursue noneconomic damages. The lawsuit option generally concerns pain and suffering rather than whether PIP will pay covered medical expenses. Establishing a qualifying injury may require objective medical evidence and proof that the collision caused or aggravated the condition.

Sources: Standard Auto Insurance Policy; P.L. 1998 c. 21 — Automobile Insurance Cost Reduction Act; New Jersey Appellate Division Opinion A-2101-22.

Can I recover compensation if I was partly at fault?

Yes, partial fault does not automatically prevent recovery in New Jersey. An injured person may generally recover when their negligence was not greater than the negligence of the defendant—or the combined negligence of the defendants—from whom recovery is sought.

The compensation awarded is reduced by the injured person’s percentage of fault. For example, a person found 20% responsible would generally receive 80% of the proven damages. Statements, photographs, witness accounts, vehicle evidence, traffic controls, and electronic data may all affect how responsibility is allocated.

Sources: N.J.S.A. 2A:15-5.1 Comparative Negligence; NJ Courts Comparative Negligence — Auto — All Issues.

How long do I have to file a Hackensack NJ Car Accident claim?

New Jersey generally provides two years to file a personal injury lawsuit, but important exceptions can shorten or alter the deadline. The period ordinarily runs from the date the claim accrues. Insurance negotiations and an open claim file do not necessarily stop the limitations period.

A claim involving a public entity or public employee may require a notice of claim within 90 days under the New Jersey Tort Claims Act. Different rules may also apply to minors, wrongful-death claims, unidentified defendants, and insurance-contract disputes. Prompt legal review is safer than assuming the general two-year period controls every issue.

Sources: N.J.S.A. 2A:14-2 Actions for Injury Caused by Wrongful Act; NJ Courts Statute of Limitations FAQ; NJ Courts Notice of Tort Claim Form FAQ.

What if the other driver was uninsured or left the scene?

Your own uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage may apply, depending on the policy and circumstances. Uninsured motorist coverage may address a crash caused by a driver without insurance or an unidentified hit-and-run driver. Underinsured motorist coverage may apply when the responsible driver’s liability limits are insufficient.

Report a hit-and-run to police promptly and notify your insurer as soon as possible. Preserve photographs, witness information, video locations, debris, and any details about the fleeing vehicle. Before accepting the other insurer’s policy limits, obtain any consent required by your own policy so that potential underinsured motorist rights are not impaired.

Sources: Filing an Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Claim; NJ MVC Insurance Requirements; Standard Auto Insurance Policy.

What evidence should I save for my car accident claim?

Save the crash report, photographs, witness information, medical paperwork, repair documents, and insurance communications. Keep the original electronic files when possible because they may contain dates and other useful information. Also preserve receipts and employment records showing accident-related financial losses.

Do not repair or dispose of the vehicle before the insurer has a reasonable opportunity to inspect it. A lawyer may seek additional material such as surveillance video, 911 recordings, body-camera footage, electronic vehicle data, maintenance records, or commercial-driver documents. Avoid entering private property or putting yourself in danger to collect evidence.

Sources: Filing an Auto Damage Claim with Your Own Insurer; Records & Evidence Management Unit — City of Hackensack; NJ Courts Comparative Negligence — Auto — All Issues.

Can I have a claim if pain or concussion symptoms appear later?

Yes, symptoms that appear later do not automatically prevent a claim, but medical evaluation and proof of causation remain important. The CDC explains that some mild traumatic brain injury and concussion symptoms may develop hours or days after an injury. Neck pain and stiffness associated with whiplash may also become noticeable after a crash.

Seek appropriate medical advice rather than attempting to diagnose the condition yourself. Call 911 or obtain emergency care for warning signs such as worsening headache, repeated vomiting, seizures, slurred speech, increasing confusion, weakness, or difficulty waking. Tell the provider when the crash occurred and describe how the symptoms developed.

Sources: CDC Symptoms of Mild TBI and Concussion; MedlinePlus Neck Injuries and Disorders; NINDS Traumatic Brain Injury Information.

What happens when I contact The Epstein Law Firm about a car accident?

The initial consultation is an opportunity to explain the crash, injuries, treatment, insurance coverage, and communications you have received. The firm can review available reports and policies, identify immediate evidence or deadline concerns, and discuss whether further investigation may be appropriate. There is no obligation to hire the firm after the consultation.

If the firm accepts the case, it can communicate with insurers, investigate liability, gather records, document losses, negotiate the claim, and file suit when warranted. Car accident cases are handled on a contingency-fee basis, so attorney fees are not owed unless compensation is recovered. No lawyer can guarantee a particular result.

Sources: The Epstein Law Firm Contact Page; New Jersey Car Accident Attorney — The Epstein Law Firm; NJ Courts Statute of Limitations FAQ.

Related Epstein Law Firm Videos and Social Posts

• New Jersey Car Accidents: When Can You Sue for Pain and Suffering? — YouTube.
• New Jersey Drivers: Coverage Choices That Matter — YouTube.
• Firm Overview — YouTube.
• Choosing a Lawyer: Transparency in Legal Advertising — Instagram.
• Multi-Impact Car Accident Claims — Facebook.
• Proving Reckless Driving — Facebook.
• Dashcam Evidence in Car Accident Claims — Facebook.
• Proving Reckless Driving — LinkedIn.
• Lawsuit Options in New Jersey Auto Insurance — LinkedIn.
• Michael Epstein’s 2026 Personal Injury Lawyer of the Year Recognition — LinkedIn.