Highway Accidents

Car Crash Lawyer Serving Bergen County Residents

Despite the frequency of accidents on city streets and at intersections, the most serious accidents tend to be those that occur on highways. In urban areas like New York City and Northern New Jersey, there are numerous expressways, parkways, and other major arteries. A lot of highways also means a lot of highway accidents. If you have been hurt in this type of crash, Bergen County car accident attorney Howard B. Leopold can assist you. For over two decades, he has helped victims assert their right to compensation from a driver who struck them because of excessive speeding or other careless behavior.

Holding a Driver Accountable for a Highway Accident

In some respects, major highways are very safe. Roads are divided, so all vehicles are traveling in the same direction. There are no stop signs, stop lights, or cross traffic. Most interstates have wide shoulders on both sides of the roadway and guardrails. Highways usually get first priority in maintenance and safety responses.

But highways inherently involve one of the most critical driving safety risks: high speed. When this factor is involved in an accident, the result typically is a serious crash because high speed means high impact. In addition, high speed means that, when something goes wrong, drivers have less time to respond before colliding with something: a median, a guardrail, or another vehicle. Many times, what might be a crash involving one or two vehicles may rapidly become a multi-vehicle crash or a “pile up.” Factors that may complicate the situation include drivers who are improperly tailgating or swerving erratically among lanes.

Whether it is by speeding, tailgating, making an inappropriate lane change, or engaging in some other form of reckless behavior, a driver who causes an accident may be liable to anyone who is hurt under the legal theory of “negligence.” Negligence requires four elements, summarized as duty, breach, causation, and damages. In a highway accident case, this means that the injured party (the plaintiff) would claim that the defendant driver had a duty to operate their vehicle safely, which is generally accepted. The plaintiff also would need to prove that the defendant breached this duty and that the breach caused an accident, which resulted in the plaintiff suffering damages, such as physical injuries, property damage, income loss, hospital bills, and more. It is important to show that the crash likely would not have happened if the defendant had operated their vehicle with the appropriate care.

Discuss Your Car Accident Case with a Bergen County Attorney

Unfortunately, serious accidents in the New York City area and in Northern New Jersey happen daily. If you have been injured or if you have tragically lost a loved one in a highway accident, call Bergen County car accident lawyer Howard B. Leopold for a free consultation to find out if you may have a personal injury claim. He can help you gather evidence, assess your options, and develop a plan for maximizing your opportunity to receive the compensation that you need. Call us at (201) 345-5907 or use our online form to set up a free appointment with an injury attorney. He also assists people in Hackensack, Englewood, Bergenfield, Cliffside Park, Dumont, Edgewater, Elmwood Park, Fair Lawn, Fairview, Fort Lee, Franklin Lakes, Garfield, Glen Rock, Hasbrouck Heights, Hillsdale, Little Ferry, Lodi, Lyndhurst, Mahwah, New Milford, North Arlington, Oakland, Palisades Park, Paramus, Ramsey, Ridgefield, Ridgefield Park, Ridgewood, River Edge, Rutherford, Saddle Brook, Teaneck, Tenafly, Wallington, Westwood, Wyckoff, Paterson, Newark, and Jersey City, among other areas of Bergen, Passaic, Essex, and Hudson Counties.