New Jersey kicked off 2026 with several news reports about serious accidents and injuries on the state’s roads. In just the first few weeks of the year:

• A pileup in Gloucester Township caused several injuries,
• A driver crashed through the wall of Elizabeth High School, injuring a student,
• A Washington Township hit-and-run driver turned himself in after demolishing a fence,
• Two people suffered fatal injuries in a wrong-way crash on I-80 near Totowa.

Although the firm is not directly involved with these cases, it’s important to remember that after a car accident, your life may feel upside-down. Your plans are on hold while you struggle with serious injuries. A fatal crash wracks your family with grief. You want answers. You want to hold negligent parties accountable, but your day-to-day life may feel like more than you can handle. 

A New Jersey car accident attorney can help. Here are five reasons a lawyer can be your family’s best ally after a collision. 

Car Accidents Can Get Complicated – Fast

When a driver collides with you, it’s easy to assume the crash was the other driver’s fault. But was it? Roadway defects, hidden problems in a car’s mechanical parts, other people in the vehicle or on the road, and other hidden issues can make a car accident much more complicated than it first appears. You can’t know how simple or complex your case is until you start investigating – which is tough to do when you’re dealing with serious injuries or significant grief.

It’s Often You Against the Corporation

Few car accident claims involve two drivers alone. Typically, one or both drivers are represented by their auto insurance company. When you file a lawsuit, the other driver’s insurance is the one who fights back.

Insurance companies fight to protect their bottom lines. Their attorneys look for ways to avoid paying claims. To deal with delays, denials, radio silence, and other tactics, you need to be on a level playing field with an insurance company’s lawyers. You need to understand the law and know how to respond. Your attorney can do this, providing the vigorous representation you need.

Preserving Evidence: The Faster the Better

Did you know that car accident evidence often has an expiration date? While items like police reports may stick around, evidence like video footage from local security cameras may vanish if it’s not preserved. Many businesses only keep their footage for a short time. 

Other forms of evidence can break down over time, too. Witnesses’ memories can become hazy. Witnesses may move out of state and become hard to find. Your attorney will preserve evidence as soon as possible. This evidence helps you understand what happened and fight for the compensation you deserve. 

Shared Fault Laws May Work Against You

After a crash, you may ask yourself, “Is there something I could have done to prevent or avoid this crash?” Auto insurance company attorneys will ask that question too. 

New Jersey uses a “shared comparative fault” rule to figure out how much your case is worth. If you’re found to be 50 percent at fault or more, you cannot recover compensation. If you have less than 50 percent of the fault, your compensation is reduced. 

Knowing this, insurance companies will try to find ways to pin you with as much blame as possible. Your attorney ensures the real story gets told – and you don’t suffer for harm you didn’t cause. 

Give Yourself and Your Family Peace of Mind

Many survivors of serious car accidents say that injury recovery is the toughest thing they’ve ever had to do. The sudden loss of a loved one in a car accident is also a major challenge. 

Whether you’re dealing with severe injuries, facing the loss of a family member, or both, you deserve peace of mind in a tough time. Your attorney takes on the hard work of fighting for compensation. With your lawyer’s efforts working for you, you and your family can focus on immediate needs, like medical recovery and supporting one another. 

New Jersey allows injured people to file lawsuits without an attorney’s help. However, courts hold these filers to the same standards as lawyers. When you’re unfamiliar with the courts and dealing with serious injuries, representing yourself can simply be too much.

Don’t go it alone. Talk to an experienced New Jersey car accident lawyer today. The team at Petrillo & Goldberg is here to help. Reach out to us to schedule a free, confidential consultation with one of our knowledgeable attorneys.