Newark Winter Storm Car Accident Lawyer
A winter storm can make Newark’s busiest highways dangerous, especially when drivers fail to adjust to poor visibility and slippery roads.
If you were hurt in a crash on the New Jersey Turnpike, I-78, or another road around the city during a storm, your claim may involve several drivers, a trucking company, and more than one insurer.
Insurance companies may blame dangerous weather conditions instead of examining whether a driver contributed to the crash. Our Newark winter storm car accident lawyers investigate which drivers failed to adjust to the conditions and how their actions contributed to the crash.
Because trucking logs and dashcam footage may be overwritten after a storm, contact us promptly for a free review.
Why Choose Goldstein & Goldstein, LLP After a Newark Winter Storm Crash?
Our father-and-son firm has represented injured people from Newark and across Essex County since 1997. In a winter pileup case, our work focuses on three areas.
We Identify Every Responsible Driver and Policy
Large pileups can involve vehicles from several states, commercial carriers, and rideshare platforms. We identify each one, along with every insurance policy that may apply, so available coverage is not overlooked.
We Act Quickly to Preserve Evidence
Weather data, vehicle positions, and trucking records can disappear quickly after a storm. We send preservation requests early and connect clients with an established network of treating doctors so care is not delayed while the work goes on.
We Prepare Each Case for Trial
Partners Richard Goldstein and Michael J. Goldstein bring more than five decades of combined experience, and Michael is a New Jersey Supreme Court Certified Civil Trial Attorney.
We advance case costs under our No Recovery, No Fee arrangement, take calls 24/7 in English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole, and handle storm claims as part of our broader personal injury work for Newark residents.
Where Do Winter Pileups Happen Around Newark?
Winter pileups around Newark tend to form on the high-speed, high-volume roads that ring the city. Several settings stand out.
- The New Jersey Turnpike, where heavy trucks and passenger cars share lanes and interchanges near the airport and port.
- I-78 and its ramps near Newark Liberty International Airport, where traffic merges at speed.
- I-280 approaches into downtown, where traffic backs up quickly in bad weather.
- Route 21 along the Passaic River, where visibility and road conditions can change fast.
- Routes 1 and 9, where highway traffic meets signals and commercial driveways.
Our article on black ice in Newark covers more of the winter hazards on local roads.
Commuters Heading Home in the Storm
Winter pileups can happen during the evening commute, when traffic is heavy and visibility is often poor. Drivers who follow too closely or brake late in these conditions can cause crashes involving several vehicles.
How Does Visibility Affect Fault in a Storm?
Snow squalls, spray from trucks, and fogged windows can sharply reduce visibility. A driver who maintains highway speed without being able to see far enough ahead to stop safely may be found negligent, even if the weather changed suddenly.
Whiteouts on Elevated and Open Roads
Open stretches and elevated sections of highway can see sudden drops in visibility as wind carries snow across the road. Weather records and dashcam footage often show how quickly conditions changed and whether drivers had time to slow down.
Who Is Responsible When Weather Causes a Pileup?
Snow and ice can contribute to a pileup, but bad weather does not automatically excuse a driver who was traveling too fast, following too closely, or otherwise failing to adjust to the conditions. More than one driver may share responsibility when several vehicles are involved.
Drivers Who Failed to Adjust to the Conditions
A speed that is legal on a clear, dry road may be unsafe during a winter storm. Drivers are expected to slow down, leave more stopping distance, and account for reduced traction and visibility.
Trucks in Winter Weather
A loaded truck needs far more distance to stop on snow and ice, and a jackknifed trailer can block several lanes at once.
Many trucks fall under the federal commercial motor vehicle definition, which brings driver logs, maintenance records, and company policies into the claim, and our Newark truck accident work covers those cases in more depth.
Snow and Ice Left on Vehicles
New Jersey’s snow removal statute requires drivers to make reasonable efforts to clear snow and ice from their vehicles, with higher fines when flying snow or ice injures someone. Ice falling from a truck’s roof can also cause a chain-reaction crash.
Plows and Road Treatment
Claims based on how a public road was plowed or salted face strong immunities, which the New Jersey Supreme Court recognized in Rochinsky v. State. Those claims also require written notice, generally within 90 days, so they need to be evaluated early even when another driver is the main focus.
Rideshare and Delivery Drivers in the Pileup
Rideshare and delivery drivers often keep working during storms, and when one of them contributes to a pileup, the coverage that applied at that moment may add significant insurance. Trip records and app data help establish which coverage was in effect.
How Is Fault Divided in a Newark Winter Pileup?
In a pileup, a jury can assign a share of fault to every driver who contributed. Under N.J.S.A. 2A:15-5.3, a driver found 60% or more at fault can be required to pay the full damages, while a driver under 60% generally pays only that driver’s share.
Your own share matters too. Under New Jersey’s comparative negligence statute, any share assigned to you reduces the recovery and bars it only if it is greater than the defendants’ combined share, so a $300,000 claim with 10% shared fault would become $270,000.
The Order of Impacts
In a large pileup, a single vehicle may be struck several times by different drivers. Reconstructing the order of impacts helps connect each injury to the driver who caused it, which is often one of the most disputed issues in the claim.
Pedestrians and Stranded Drivers
People who leave their vehicles after an initial crash, or who are standing beside a disabled car, are especially vulnerable when more vehicles arrive. Whether stepping out was reasonable depends on the circumstances, such as smoke, fire, or a disabled vehicle, and the drivers who struck them may still be responsible.
How Is a Highway Pileup Investigated?
Highway pileups around Newark are often investigated by the New Jersey State Police, and sometimes by more than one agency when the crash spreads across ramps and local roads. We work to secure evidence from several sources.
- Crash reports from every responding agency, which New Jersey requires for crashes involving injury, death, or more than $500 in damage under N.J.S.A. 39:4-130.
- Weather data showing when snow, sleet, or freezing rain began.
- Event data recorder downloads and truck electronic logs.
- Dashcam footage from trucks, rideshare vehicles, and other drivers.
- Photos of vehicle positions, road surfaces, and damage.
Vehicles in a large pileup may be towed to several different lots, so locating and preserving them quickly is part of the early work we handle for clients.
Why Insurers Dispute Pileup Claims
With several drivers involved, each insurer has a reason to argue that the storm or another driver caused the injuries.
Clear reconstruction, consistent medical records, and early preservation of evidence are the strongest answers to those arguments, and they are much easier to build in the first weeks after the crash.
What Should You Do After a Winter Pileup?
Highway pileups remain dangerous after the first crash, because more vehicles may still be sliding toward the scene. When it is safe, a few steps help.
- Stay buckled in with hazard lights on if stepping out would put you near moving traffic.
- Call 911 and give the highway, direction, and nearest exit or milepost if visible.
- Photograph the road, your vehicle, and the vehicles around you when it is safe.
- Collect information from the drivers who struck your vehicle.
- Get medical care promptly, even if adrenaline makes you feel fine.
What Compensation Can a Winter Storm Accident Claim Include?
A winter storm accident claim can include medical expenses beyond what PIP pays, lost wages, reduced earning ability, and the physical pain and limits an injury causes, subject to the lawsuit option on your policy. Your own PIP generally pays medical bills first, regardless of fault, as the state’s auto insurance buyer’s guide explains.
Injuries From Multiple Impacts
People struck more than once in a pileup often suffer neck, back, and head injuries that worsen with each collision. Medical testimony explaining how each impact contributed helps connect those injuries to the right drivers and policies.
Lost Income in the Winter Months
A winter injury can keep someone out of work through the holidays and into the new year. Lost wages, reduced hours, and the cost of getting to treatment in bad weather belong in the claim and are easier to prove when documented as they happen.
When Coverage Has to Be Shared
When many people are hurt in the same pileup, an at-fault driver’s policy may not be enough for everyone. Commercial policies, other at-fault drivers, and your own underinsured motorist coverage, if your policy includes it, may help fill the gap for each injured person.
Storm claims sit within our broader Newark car accident practice. If a winter pileup left you hurt, reach out to our office and let us sort out who is responsible.
FAQs About Winter Storm Pileups in Newark
Can the weather be blamed for a pileup?
Weather alone rarely excuses a New Jersey driver who was going too fast or following too closely for the conditions. Drivers are expected to adjust to snow and ice, and those who do not can be held responsible for the crashes they cause.
What if a truck started the pileup?
When a truck starts a New Jersey winter pileup, the trucking company’s commercial policy and records may become central to the claim.
Driver logs, maintenance files, and onboard video can show whether the truck was driven safely for the conditions and whether the company’s scheduling practices played a role.
What if I was hit by several cars?
A person struck by several vehicles in a New Jersey pileup may have claims against each driver who caused an impact. Medical testimony and reconstruction help connect each injury to the right driver and the right insurance policy.
What if I was a passenger in an Uber during the pileup?
A rideshare passenger hurt in a New Jersey pileup can generally pursue the drivers who caused the crash, and the rideshare coverage that applied to the trip may also play a role. Passengers in a rideshare trip generally do not receive PIP from that trip, so other sources apply.
How long do I have to file a winter accident lawsuit in New Jersey?
Most winter car accident lawsuits in New Jersey must be filed within two years of the crash. Claims involving a public vehicle or public entity require written notice much sooner, generally within 90 days.
Talk With a Newark Winter Storm Car Accident Lawyer About Your Claim
Richard Goldstein, Winter Storm Car Accident Lawyer
Just because the roads were icy or visibility was poor does not mean no one was at fault. If another driver failed to adjust to the conditions, you may have a right to compensation for your injuries.
At Goldstein & Goldstein, LLP, our attorneys investigate the drivers and companies whose negligence may have contributed to the crash, and we work to preserve the evidence before it is lost.
Our first meeting is free and can take place in person, by video, or by phone. Tell us what happened and we will start identifying every driver and policy involved in your crash.
Results depend on the specific facts of each case, and past outcomes do not predict future results.
