Newark Intersection Accident Lawyers
After an intersection accident, you may know exactly where the crash happened but still have no clear answer about who was responsible. When drivers disagree about who had the right of way, proving what happened can be difficult, especially if there are no independent witnesses.
If you were injured while driving, walking, or riding a bicycle, you may be entitled to compensation. The rules that apply to your claim depend on how the collision happened and whether another driver failed to yield or obey a traffic signal.
At Goldstein & Goldstein, LLP, our Newark intersection accident lawyers investigate disputed crashes, gather available camera footage and signal records, and work to establish who caused your injuries.
You do not need to prove who was at fault before contacting us. Reach out for a free consultation, and let our family firm help you understand your legal options. You pay no attorney’s fees unless we recover compensation for you.
What Makes Our Firm a Good Fit for a Newark Intersection Claim?
Since 1997, our father-and-son firm has represented injured people from Newark and across Essex County. Three words describe how we handle intersection cases.
We Know Where to Look for Evidence in Newark
From busy downtown intersections to the narrow streets of the Ironbound, we know Newark’s roads and the challenges they present. We investigate crashes using available traffic camera footage, nearby business surveillance, signal records, and witness accounts.
Our familiarity with the area helps us identify potential sources of evidence before important records are lost.
You Work Directly With Experienced Attorneys
Partners Richard Goldstein and Michael J. Goldstein bring more than five decades of combined legal experience. You work with the attorneys handling your case rather than being passed between case managers. Our intake team is available 24/7 in English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole, so you can reach us when you need help.
We Prepare Your Case for Trial When Necessary
Michael Goldstein is a New Jersey Supreme Court Certified Civil Trial Attorney. We build intersection accident claims with the evidence needed to negotiate with insurers and prepare for trial when necessary.
We pay case costs up front under our No Recovery, No Fee arrangement and connect clients with an established network of treating doctors. Intersection claims are part of our broader personal injury work for Newark residents.
How Does Your Role in the Crash Change the Claim?
Two people hurt at the same Newark corner can have very different claims. The rules that decide fault, and the insurance that pays first, both depend on how each person was traveling.
| If you were | Rules most likely to matter | Where medical coverage usually starts |
|---|---|---|
| Walking | Driver duties at marked and unmarked crosswalks | Your household auto policy, or the vehicle that struck you if there is none |
| Riding a bicycle | Vehicle rules for cyclists and turning drivers | Generally the same as a pedestrian for an ordinary bicycle |
| Riding an e-bike or scooter | Device-specific rules that are still evolving | Varies by device and policy, and may not include PIP |
| Getting on or off a bus | Driver duties around stopped buses and transit rules | Your household policy, the bus operator’s coverage, or both |
| Driving | Signals, stop signs, and turning rules | Your own PIP coverage |
The state’s auto insurance buyer’s guide explains how PIP works for people on foot and on bicycles, which is often the first coverage question after an intersection crash.
What if You Were Walking When a Driver Hit You?
New Jersey requires drivers to stop and stay stopped for pedestrians in crosswalks, as the state’s summary of driver and pedestrian duties explains.
At most intersections, a crosswalk exists even where no lines are painted, because the law generally treats the connection between the sidewalks as an unmarked crosswalk.
Turning Drivers
Many pedestrians are hit by drivers turning right or left while watching for a gap in traffic instead of people crossing.
If you were crossing with the walk signal, you usually have a strong claim against a turning driver who failed to yield. Video or witnesses who confirm the signal make it stronger.
Children and Older Pedestrians
Children may dart into a crosswalk, and older pedestrians may still be crossing when the signal changes. Drivers are expected to watch for both, and a driver who hits someone finishing a crossing will struggle to explain why they did not wait.
Crossing Against the Signal or Mid-Block
A pedestrian who crossed against the signal or between intersections may share some blame, but that does not necessarily end the claim.
Under New Jersey’s comparative negligence statute, a pedestrian’s recovery is reduced by their share of fault and barred only if that share is greater than the driver’s.
Our Newark pedestrian accident page covers more of these claims, including crashes away from intersections.
What if You Were on a Bicycle or Scooter?
Cyclists generally have the same rights and duties as drivers. A driver who turns across a cyclist’s path can be held responsible just as if the cyclist were in a car. Intersections are where many of the worst bicycle crashes happen, because turning cars and riders going straight cross paths there.
Right Hooks and Left Crosses
A right hook happens when a driver passes a cyclist and then turns right across the rider’s path. A left cross happens when an oncoming driver turns left in front of a cyclist going straight. In both, the driver often never looked for a rider before turning.
Dooring Near Corners
Cyclists riding past parked cars near an intersection can be struck by a door opened without warning. The person who opened the door may be responsible, and the cyclist’s claim often runs through that person’s auto or household policy.
E-Bikes and Scooters
Electric bikes and scooters are treated differently from ordinary bicycles for some insurance purposes, and coverage for their riders can be harder to find. Identifying every policy that may apply, including any coverage through a household policy, is an early step in these claims.
Our Newark bicycle accident page covers these claims in more detail.
What if You Were Getting On or Off a Bus?
Bus stops near corners mean riders often step into the street just as traffic starts moving. A driver who passes a stopped bus too fast, or turns around the front of one without looking, can hit a rider crossing to or from the stop.
When the Bus Itself Caused the Injury
A rider can also be hurt by the bus itself. A door may close too early, the bus may lurch forward before the rider sits down, or the driver may pull away while someone is stepping off.
A claim against a public transit operator generally requires written notice within 90 days, as the New Jersey Supreme Court discussed in Beauchamp v. Amedio.
School Buses
New Jersey requires drivers to stop for a school bus that is loading or unloading with its red lights flashing. A driver who passes a stopped school bus near an intersection and strikes a child or another vehicle can be held responsible for the crash.
Bus Video
Many buses carry cameras that record the doors, the street, and the inside of the bus. That footage can be decisive, but how long it is kept varies by operator, so it needs to be requested quickly and in writing.
What if You Were the Driver?
Drivers hurt at Newark intersections face the same right-of-way questions as anywhere else, with a few local twists. A driver turning left must generally yield to oncoming traffic under N.J.S.A. 39:4-90, but an oncoming driver who was speeding or ran a late yellow may share the blame.
Double Left-Turn Lanes
Some wide Newark intersections let two lanes turn left at once. Drivers who drift between lanes mid-turn, or swing wide into the next lane, cause sideswipes that are hard to sort out without video or independent witnesses.
Blocking the Box
When traffic backs up, a driver who enters an intersection without room to clear it can end up stopped across cross traffic when the light changes.
That driver may share the blame for the crash that follows, even if another car made contact first. Video or witness accounts of the backup usually establish how the driver got there.
Delivery Vehicles Stopped at Corners
Delivery trucks and vans often stop near corners in the Ironbound and downtown, blocking the view for turning drivers and pedestrians.
A driver who stops illegally and creates that hazard may share the blame with the driver who made contact. The delivery company’s commercial policy may then apply.
What Evidence Is Unique to Newark Intersections?
Busy Newark corners are often recorded from several angles, so evidence exists here that would not exist at a quiet suburban crossing. The trick is finding it before it is recorded over.
- Cameras on buses that were stopped at or passing through the intersection.
- Storefront and building cameras along Broad Street, Market Street, and Ferry Street.
- Cameras near Newark Penn Station and campus buildings in the university district.
- Dashcams in delivery vans, rideshare vehicles, and commercial fleets.
- Signal timing records from the city, county, or State, based on who runs the intersection.
Each source has a different owner and keeps footage for a different length of time. We send preservation requests as soon as we are hired.
Where Do These Conflicts Happen Most Often in Newark?
Downtown corners near Broad Street and Market Street combine heavy bus traffic, crowds of pedestrians, and drivers turning across several lanes.
McCarter Highway brings highway-speed traffic into signalized intersections, and the narrow streets of the Ironbound mix delivery vans, parked cars, and people walking to restaurants and shops.
Near Newark Penn Station and the university district, pedestrians cross in large groups as trains and classes let out, and turning drivers may wait through several signal cycles before they can turn safely. Our article on dangerous New Jersey intersections offers more background.
FAQs About Intersection Accidents in Newark
Is there a crosswalk if no lines are painted?
New Jersey law generally treats the area connecting the sidewalks across an intersection as an unmarked crosswalk, even when no lines are painted. Drivers owe pedestrians in an unmarked crosswalk many of the same duties they owe at a marked one.
A driver turning right hit me while I was riding my bike. Who is at fault?
A New Jersey driver who turns right across a cyclist going straight is often responsible, because the driver must yield before turning. The cyclist’s speed, position, and visibility may also be considered when fault is divided.
I was hit after stepping off a bus. Who do I make a claim against?
A rider hit by a car after stepping off a bus in New Jersey generally claims against the driver who hit them. If the bus driver’s actions contributed, the transit operator may also be involved, and that claim generally requires written notice within 90 days.
A delivery driver hit me at a corner. Who pays?
When a New Jersey delivery driver causes an intersection crash while working, more than one policy may apply. The delivery company’s commercial policy or the platform’s coverage may sit on top of the driver’s personal policy. The driver’s work status at the time usually decides which policy pays first.
What if the signal at the corner was not working?
When a New Jersey traffic signal is dark, drivers must treat the intersection as a stop intersection and stop before going on. A driver who rolled through a dark signal and hit a pedestrian or another vehicle can be held responsible.
What if I was crossing against the light?
A New Jersey pedestrian who crossed against the signal may share some fault, but a driver who could have avoided the crash may still be responsible. Recovery is reduced by the pedestrian’s share and barred only if that share is greater than the driver’s.
Find Out Who Caused Your Newark Intersection Crash
Richard Goldstein, Newark Intersection Accident Lawyer
Whether you were behind the wheel, on foot, on a bike, or stepping off a bus, you should get a clear answer about who should pay for what happened. Each situation has its own rules and its own insurance, and we will explain yours in plain terms at the first meeting.
If getting to our office is difficult, we can meet by video or by phone. Reach our office and we will start looking for the evidence from your intersection. Intersection claims sit within our broader Newark car accident practice.
Results depend on the specific facts of each case, and past outcomes do not predict future results.
