An automobile collision or accident could have a significant impact on your life. In addition to leaving you with expensive medical bills, a significant injury might make it difficult for you to work and earn the money you need to support your family and yourself. Also, it could leave you with serious or permanent injuries that keep you from working. When you get hurt in a car accident that was caused by another driver’s carelessness or negligence, our experienced Wanaque car accident lawyers can help you get financial compensation and hold the person or people legally responsible for your injuries accountable.

At The Epstein Law Firm, P.A., we use our collective 120 years of legal experience to fight for the best outcomes for you in your case. We know that going to court to get compensation for your injuries and getting back to your normal life can feel like a lot of work. Let our skilled Wanaque car accident lawyers take care of every part of your case. We put a lot of effort into giving you and your case the attention they need, making sure we are always accessible to answer your questions and keep you updated on the status of your claim. You can count on us to go after the responsible parties and insurance companies for the most money possible when the law lets you get compensation for your losses and injuries.

Contact us for a free case evaluation to go through the particulars of your situation and how we could help you seek financial compensation for your losses and harms.

Types of Car Accident Claims We Handle

The Epstein Law Firm’s Wanaque auto accident lawyers have a plethora of expertise in situations involving:

  • Speeding accidents
  • Failure to yield, weaving through traffic, and tailgating while disregarding stop signs or red lights
  • Not checking mirrors before making a turn or utilizing a lane change signal
  • Drunk or fatigued driving collisions
  • Accidents resulting from texting and driving while distracted
  • Erratic driving Accidents caused by drunken or drugged driving
  • Accidents involving commuter cars
  • Crosswalk collisions
  • Uber accidents
  • Accidents involving Lyft in limos or taxis
  • Rear end collisions
  • Rollover accidents
  • Incidents at intersections
  • Accidents involving guardrails
  • Poor road conditions
  • Extreme weather, such as snow, ice, fog, or heavy rain
  • Faulty auto parts
  • Inadequate automobile maintenance
  • Accidents involving drivers who lack or have inadequate insurance

Whatever type of auto accident you may have been involved in, get in touch with us to learn more about how we may help you pursue a legal claim for financial compensation from those responsible for the incident that caused your injuries.

Wanaque Car Accident Lawyers Fighting for Full Compensation

The Epstein Law Firm’s Wanaque car accident lawyers will work to get you the most money possible for your case. This will cover all of your costs and any financial losses you may have because of the accident and your injuries. We pursue just and thorough financial recovery on your behalf, including:

  • Financial losses, including long-term care costs, equipment purchases, home changes required to accommodate a permanent impairment, lost pay from time away from work while you recover, and medical and rehabilitation costs.
  • Non-economic losses cover any non-financial harm you have suffered as a result of the accident, such as mental anguish, physical pain, or diminished quality of life.
  • Payment for any damage to your car as a result of the collision counts as property damage.
  • Compensation for the companionship you lost as a result of your injuries or the limitations they caused for your domestic family members.

The Epstein Law Firm, P.A. doesn’t just work to make sure your payments are made. Instead, we take the time to get to know you and understand how the incident has affected your life in order to make sure that you receive the accountability and justice to which you are entitled after suffering injuries in a car accident that was someone else’s fault.

Contact Us to Discuss Your Initial Case Review with One of Our Wanaque Car Accident Attorneys.

The Epstein Law Firm

Injured in a Car Accident in Wanaque?

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Car accident legal help from The Epstein Law Firm in Wanaque, NJ

With 230 crashes reported in Wanaque in 2023, you need an attorney who knows these roads 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

How a Wanaque Car Accident Lawyer Can Help Your Recovery

If you were injured in a car accident that was the result of the carelessness or negligence of another motorist, get in touch with The Epstein Law Firm right away for a free, no-obligation consultation to discuss your legal rights and options.

What to do after a car accident in Wanaque, New Jersey: 7-step checklist infographic
What to do after a car accident in Wanaque, New Jersey — a 7-step checklist. View full size

The Epstein Law Firm

Don’t Wait — Deadlines Apply

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Car accident claim deadlines from The Epstein Law Firm

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

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(201) 231-7847 Schedule your free case evaluation

Car Accidents in Wanaque: What the Data Shows

In 2023, 230 crashes were reported in Wanaque — 49 people were injured. Wanaque has no municipal crash study, but incident records and the borough’s geography tell a clear story: one main street absorbs nearly all local traffic, and I-287 funnels commuter and truck volume straight into it.

Wanaque’s Most Dangerous Intersections and Corridors

  • Ringwood Avenue (CR 511) at/near Haskell Elementary School — in October 2025, a 4-vehicle crash at 942 Ringwood Ave killed two drivers after a vehicle crossed the center line at high speed; the road was closed for more than 8 hours
  • Ringwood Avenue (CR 511) corridor — Wanaque’s main street, an urban principal arterial with closely spaced local streets (Doty Rd, Park Ave, Pierce Ave, 1st–6th Aves) plus I-287 ramps, producing rear-end and angle crashes from driveways and intersections
  • I-287 through the Ramapo Mountain rock cuts and the Wanaque River valley bridge — a sharp eastward turn on an elevated bridge and a documented chain-reaction zone in winter (a ~2008 ice pileup involved 48 vehicles, 24 crashes, and 17 injured)
  • Union Avenue (CR 511)/Greenwood Avenue area, Haskell — commercial strip feeding the I-287 Exit 55 ramps; a high-exposure access point

Highways Through Wanaque

  • I-287 — Wanaque’s only interstate or state highway; Exit 55 serves Ringwood Ave/CR 511 Alternate
  • CR 511 (Union Ave/Ringwood Ave) — the county arterial that carries nearly all local through-traffic; no US or NJ state routes run through the borough

Why Wanaque’s Roads Are So Dangerous

I-287 commuter and through-truck traffic funnels onto a single main street — Ringwood Avenue — where school-zone exposure around Haskell Elementary mixes with turning traffic from closely spaced local streets and commercial driveways. The borough’s mountain geography adds winter icing risk on elevated and shaded segments, and recreational traffic to the Wanaque Reservoir and Ringwood State Park adds weekend volume to narrow two-lane roads.

Where Wanaque Car Accident Cases Are Heard

Car accident lawsuits arising in Wanaque are filed in the Passaic County Superior Court, Law Division, Civil Part:

  • Passaic County Superior Court, 77 Hamilton Street, Paterson, NJ 07505

Hospitals for Wanaque Accident Victims

  • St. Joseph’s University Medical Center, 703 Main St, Paterson, NJ — Level II Trauma Center and the region’s primary trauma destination

Sources: NJDOT 2023 crash records (aggregated by municipality); Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office; NJDOT 2019 Straight Line Diagrams; NJ State Police; NJ Courts, Passaic Vicinage.

Testimonials

“Wonderful team! Thank you so much Michael for all your help during my time of need.”

Mia — Google review

“Michael Epstein is a wonderful, smart, caring and intelligent attorney. He was always responsive, supportive and got me dismissed from a high stakes lawsuit. I highly recommend him and the firm.”

Leslie — Google review

“Michael Epstein was the absolute best. During a time that can be emotionally, financially and physically draining, Michael was patient and extremely knowledgeable. We trusted in the process and in him to deliver. There is a lot of noise around the process this team was key in making sure we felt heard and confident.”

Stephanie — Google review

Professional Recognition

2026 Top Lawyer Badge awarded to Michael J. Epstein of The Epstein Law Firm.Michael J. Epstein — Best Lawyers recognition

Recognition applies to the named attorneys and selection years. See the linked profiles for details.

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Awards & Professional Profiles

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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 TypeMinimum 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.

Key Legal Deadlines for Wanaque Car Accident Claims

DeadlineWhat It Means
2 yearsStatute of limitations for personal injury lawsuits in NJ (N.J.S.A. 2A:14-2). Miss this and you lose your right to sue permanently.
90 daysNotice deadline if your claim is against a public entity — a city bus, a county road defect, NJ Transit (NJ Tort Claims Act, N.J.S.A. 59:8-8).
51% ruleNJ’s modified comparative negligence: you can recover damages as long as you were not more than 50% at fault. Your award is reduced by your percentage of fault (N.J.S.A. 2A:15-5.1).

Sources: N.J.S.A. 2A:14-2; N.J.S.A. 59:8-8; N.J.S.A. 2A:15-5.1.

What To Do After a Car Accident in Wanaque

The steps you take in the hours after a crash protect both your health and your legal claim:

  1. Check for injuries and call 911. Get medical help on the way immediately — even if injuries seem minor.
  2. Move to safety if possible. Get vehicles out of travel lanes, turn on hazard lights.
  3. Call the police. A Wanaque Police report creates the official record your claim depends on.
  4. Exchange information. Name, insurance, license plate, and phone number from every driver involved.
  5. Document everything. Photograph all vehicles, damage, skid marks, road conditions, traffic signals, and your injuries.
  6. Get witness information. Names and phone numbers of anyone who saw what happened.
  7. See a doctor within 24 hours — even if you feel fine. Adrenaline masks injuries; medical records link them to the crash.
  8. Notify your insurance company promptly, but stick to basic facts.
  9. Do not admit fault — not to the other driver, not to police, not to insurance. Do not give a recorded statement before speaking with a lawyer.
  10. Call a car accident lawyer before the evidence disappears and the deadlines run.

About Wanaque, NJ

The borough of Wanaque is part of Passaic County in the United States. As of the 2010 US Census, there were 11,116 residents in the borough. Wanaque was established as a separate borough on February 23, 1918, following the division of Pompton Township into three boroughs, along with Bloomingdale and Ringwood, as a result of the results of a vote taken on March 22, 1918.

Car Accident Lawyers by Town

The Epstein Law Firm

Get Help With Your Car Accident Claim

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Free car accident consultation from The Epstein Law Firm in Wanaque

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

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(201) 231-7847 Schedule your free case evaluation

The Epstein Law Firm, P.A. has office locations nearby at:

Contact our Rochelle Park office today at (201) 231-7847 or our Englewood Cliffs office at 201-734-3763 for a free consultation.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Wanaque, New Jersey

If I receive a settlement offer from the insurance company, should I just take it?

Before you accept any settlement offers, you should talk to an experienced vehicle accident lawyer about your case. The initial settlement amount you are given following a car accident rarely fully covers the value of your claim. If the insurance company knows you have debts and other obligations, they may make you a small settlement offer to get you to take it. Also, it’s possible that you won’t know how bad your injuries and losses are until weeks or months after the accident.

Will a judge consider my auto accident claim?

Auto accident claims are settled before trials in the great majority of cases. In reality, most disputes are settled even before a lawsuit is filed in court. Your car accident lawsuit may or may not go to trial, depending on how complicated the situation is and whether or not the person or organization you are suing disputes their responsibility for the number of damages you want. The Epstein Law Firm’s auto accident attorneys in Wanaque will always be honest with you regarding your options and whether any settlement offers you receive are a fair value for your claim. But we are always prepared to take your case to court when you wish to do so and when we believe doing so would give you the best opportunity of collecting the compensation you deserve.

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