What Families Should Know After a Serious Car Accident in NJ

How many people are seriously hurt in New Jersey crashes?

Police graded 7,399 people as suspected serious injury in 2023 and 2024, in 6,402 separate crashes: about 9 a day statewide.

A quarter of them were passengers, and that group grew fastest: from 852 in 2023 to 1,008 in 2024. That is why a family's first insurance question is often whose policy covers a rider.

If your relative died, the New Jersey wrongful death claim guide covers the estate and family claim instead of this page.¹

How much is a hospital bill after a car accident?

For the worst injuries PIP covers up to $250,000, even on a lower limit, and it pays whoever caused the crash. That ceiling covers brain or spinal cord injury, disfigurement and trauma-center care until the patient is stable.

The injured person's own PIP pays first, or their health plan if they chose it as primary. Limits and co-pays are on New Jersey PIP limits for medical bills, and the primary choice on PIP or health insurance first in New Jersey.

If the injured person cannot work, lost income is a separate question: see claiming lost wages after a NJ car accident.²

Does a relative's car insurance cover the injured person?

Often only if the injured person lives in that household or was in that car. Being family on its own is not enough.

A named insured's lawsuit option also binds resident relatives who have no auto policy of their own. What that option limits is on whether New Jersey is a no-fault state.

A rider's full coverage order is on the New Jersey passenger accident guide. Uninsured and underinsured driver claims are on uninsured motorist claim help in New Jersey.³

Who reports the crash if the driver is in the hospital?

Another occupant, or the vehicle owner, must report it when the driver is physically unable to.

When police came to the scene, the family's job is to get a copy, not to file one. Fees and routes are on how to get a New Jersey car accident report.⁴

Can a family member get medical updates or make decisions?

A hospital may share information with family involved in care or payment, but that is not legal authority to decide or sign.

HHS says sharing depends on the patient's agreement, lack of objection or the provider's professional judgment. Only a personal representative recognized under state law, such as a parent of a minor or a named agent, stands in the patient's shoes.

Seeing health records, making medical decisions and settling an insurance claim can each need a different authority.⁵

What should the family do in the first week?

1. Find the Coverage Selection Form for every car in the household. It shows the PIP limit, which insurer pays first and the lawsuit option.
2. Tell the insurer and pick one person for adjuster calls. Reporting timing and what each adjuster may ask are on what to expect from an insurance adjuster.
3. Sign no release for the injured person. In a 2019 appeals ruling (Nesby), a driver who released the at-fault driver lost her claims on her sister's and mother's policies too.
4. Check for a public vehicle. If a bus, municipal or Turnpike Authority vehicle was involved, a notice of claim is due much sooner than a lawsuit. Both limits are on New Jersey car accident deadlines.

For everything else after a crash, start at the New Jersey car accident help guide.⁶

What injuries let the family sue for pain and suffering?

Under the limited right to sue, only listed injuries such as death, displaced fractures, significant scarring or a permanent injury a doctor certifies.

The full list is on the no-fault lawsuit threshold page, and building the proof on ways to prove pain and suffering.⁷

How much do lawyers take from settlement in NJ for a minor?

At most 25 percent if a minor or mentally incapacitated client settles before a jury is picked or a bench trial starts.

Adult fee rules, and what to check before agreeing to any offer, are on questions to ask before accepting a settlement offer.⁸