Many car crashes in New Jersey result in at least some lost wages. If a crash occurs while someone is on the way to work, for example, they will typically miss a shift or at least show up several hours later than they should because of the collision. If someone ends up significantly hurt, they might miss multiple days of work while in the hospital. In scenarios where they suffer lasting injuries, a car crash might force someone to change their profession and could even leave someone permanently unable to work.
Frequently, collisions that have a significant impact on someone’s employment or earning potential will lead to litigation as opposed to just a simple insurance claim. Why do lost wages often lead to lawsuits in New Jersey?
Insurance coverage leaves significant gaps
Every motorist in New Jersey needs to carry insurance, but not every insurance policy provides the same degree of protection. If the driver who caused the crash has a Basic policy, they won’t necessarily have any bodily injury liability coverage. If they opted for such coverage, it may be as low as $10,000.
Those with a standard policy may have better coverage, but it could still be as little as $25,000 in bodily injury coverage. The maximum coverage would be $250,000 per person, which may only cover a few years of lost wages. The more significant someone’s injuries are and the smaller the policy carried by the driver at fault for the crash, feel more likely the matter is to go to civil court.
Lawsuits can lead to full recovery
Unlike an insurance claim that is subject to a strict policy limit that could prevent someone from recovering the full cost of a crash, lawsuits are not bound by arbitrary maximum limits. Instead, how much someone seeks and ultimately receives will be a reflection of the actual financial impact of a crash.
Those who expect a long-term change in earning potential because of their crash-related injuries and those who have realized that the available insurance coverage isn’t enough given their costs after a wreck may need to review whether their situation justifies going to court. Reviewing every option for compensation is often necessary for those negatively affected by New Jersey collisions.